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Raw milk producers in California say a new state law may eliminate the sale of their products. And they're irritated with the legislature for not inviting them into the discussion and debate before the law was published.
Although the California Food and Agricultural Code supports the availability of certified raw milk products (provided these products meet certain standards of sanitation), the new law, AB 1735, creates different standards that raw milk advocates describe as "unnecessary and impossible" to meet.
At the crux of the dispute is coliform bacteria, which includes strains that are good for human health but also some that cause illness. Raw milk producers say that most coliform bacteria is safe, and that they already test for harmful forms such as E. coli 0157:h7 and Listeria monocytogenes. Interestingly, AB 1735 doesn't require directly testing for these pathogenic bacteria, only coliform bacteria in general, leaving raw milk producers confused as to why benign or even beneficial bacteria is keeping raw milk from consumers' hands.
AB 1735 requires that all raw milk sold in the state must contain 10 coliform bacteria per milliliter or less. Fresno-based Organic Pastures, the largest raw milk dairy in the nation, cites a 2004 study from the Journal of Dairy Science on its website that found 80 percent of raw milk would not meet the new sanitation level.
It's apparent then that most raw milk will be excluded from the California marketplace under the new law. Why the state doesn't test directly for the pathogenic forms of coliform bacteria is the lingering question.
Also see Envirovore's As Raw Milk Demand Increases, So Does Resistance
Sources: Natural News and Organic Pastures
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