States looking to loosen raw milk regulations despite concerns

Philadelphia Inquirer

When a dairy cow as big as a concert piano fell on Layne Klein’s leg about 20 years ago, he wound up with a lot of time to ponder the future of his family farm.

“I had two kids in college, two in high school, and a son on his way to college. We were short on feed and the milk price stunk like it always does,” Klein said on his Northampton County, Penn., farm recently. “So we sold our milking cows and decided to try going smaller instead.”

Klein, who broke his fibula and dislocated his ankle in the accident, decided to get a Pennsylvania raw milk license for Klein Farms in Easton. He’s been selling gourmet raw milk cheese and raw milk there since 2004.

Raw milk enthusiasts describe its flavor as “grassy” and “creamier.” It typically sells at a higher cost, and Klein said the transition saved the farm.

“If you do it correctly, it’s a fantastic product,” he said.

Milk that is unpasteurized, or raw, remains controversial in Pennsylvania and beyond. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration says raw milk “can harbor dangerous germs that can pose serious health risks.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, citing the appearance of bird flu in the United States, also recommends against drinking unpasteurized milk.

“Anyone, even healthy adults, can get sick from drinking raw milk,” the CDC warns on a recently updated raw milk web page.

Raw milk devotees and detractors go back and forth on TikTok, commenting on one another’s videos about the merits of pasteurization, which is the process of heating milk to destroy potentially harmful microbes.

Across the U.S., however, more states are discussing loosening restrictions on raw milk production or sales. Only three states have outright bans on all raw milk products. In Pennsylvania, where raw milk sales require a license and testing, state Rep. Dave Zimmerman, R-Lancaster/Berks, introduced a bill recently aimed at letting farmers sell additional raw milk products beyond milk and cheese, including yogurt and ice cream.

“There’s a huge movement throughout our nation, especially among younger generations, who want more natural, organic products with less processing and chemicals,” Zimmerman said. “What I want is to keep farmers in business, especially small dairies, by letting them sell more raw products.”

Even in New Jersey, where it’s only legal to use raw milk in pet food (a lucrative market), agriculture leaders have recently expressed an openness to discussing raw milk for human consumption.

“I believe you can test and monitor enough to bring a safe product to market,” Ed Wengryn, the state’s secretary of agriculture, said during a May 7 budget hearing.

Consumers, he said, are free to purchase and eat other raw foods, including seafood and vegetables.

Pennsylvania has close to 5,000 dairy farms and, according to the state’s Department of Agriculture, has 115 raw milk permit holders. Applicants for that permit must pass rigorous health and safety inspections of their herds and water supplies. Their product must also be tested biannually for foodborne pathogens.

Many raw milk licensees In Pennsylvania say the state’s tight restrictions and adherence to pasteurization are from a much different, more dangerous time in the dairy world.

“The raw milk laws are antiquated. Raw milk was labeled as ‘dangerous’ before refrigeration, cars and modern testing.” Marie Reedell, the manager of Miller’s Bio Farm in Lancaster County, Penn., said in an email. “We’ve got to change with the times.”