For Immediate Release                                                      Jennifer Hanson
August 22, 2008                                                                  916-651-4016

Assembly backs raw milk standard that protects both consumer choice and public health

SACRAMENTO – The California State Assembly today unanimously approved a measure by Senator Dean Florez, D-Shafter, to ensure that loyal raw milk consumers continue to have access to the beverage in California stores and that it is the safest product of its kind in the nation.

Senate Bill 201 passed the California State Assembly today by a vote of 63-0.  Principle co-authors to the measure are Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland, and Assemblyman Tom Berryhill, R-Modesto, who took the measure up in the Assembly today.

While many people swear by the curative properties of unpasteurized milk, there is concern among others that it may lead to serious illness.  In a misguided effort to ensure raw milk was safe for consumers, regulations were put in place to hold raw milk to the same bacteria standards as pasteurized milk – 10 coliform bacteria per milliter – without taking into account the healthy bacteria that remains in milk which is not pasteurized.

Raw milk is revered by its loyal consumers for the effects of the healthy bacteria it contains, which are said to protect against a variety of ailments and aid in digestion.  The regulations effectively doomed future access to raw milk in California stores, which is already produced by only two California dairies.  Proponents have maintained that increased testing for pathogens such as E.coli and salmonella would be more effective in ensuring the safety of raw milk for consumers.

In order to skirt state regulations without breaking the law, many raw milk enthusiasts have taken to buying into a “cow share” or collective program, since it is legal and unregulated to drink milk from your own cow.  One such program recently shut down after more than a dozen of its consumers became seriously ill, underscoring the need for legal access to well-regulated raw milk.

“There are thousands of Californians who swear by the health benefits of raw milk, and their personal testimonials are quite compelling,” Florez said.  “We have a responsibility to protect consumer choice while also protecting the public health, and this measure gives us that balance.”

Senate Bill 201 gives raw milk dairies the alternative of producing a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan for each critical process in the production of raw milk on the dairy farm. The plan would have to be approved by the Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the State Department of Public Health (DPH).

A dairy producing raw milk under such an alternative HACCP plan would have to have its raw milk tested twice per week by a state accredited laboratory for certain bacteria with results reported to CDFA, and DPH upon request.  The raw milk must also be tested monthly for pathogens. A raw milk dairy under a HACCP agreement with the state would be prohibited from receiving raw milk for processing from any outside source.

More information: See: Law Makers OK exception for raw milk in Sacramento California.