I am writing today to say that I am in favor of raw milk sales in Iowa. It is high time that Iowans have the right to decide what food to put in their bodies. I know that many people will tell you that drinking raw milk is not safe. Statistically, the risks associated with drinking raw milk are low. Why can't we drink a glass of clean, fresh, raw milk if we are so inclined? I feel that informed consumers should have the right to purchase raw milk if they choose to do so. If milk is properly handled, there is no danger in drinking raw milk. All fresh food needs to handled properly. We have come a long way since the early 1900s when milk pasteurization was used to fix unhealthy production and distribution systems. With today’s information, pasteurization is not the only way to produce safe healthy milk. The CDC reported three years ago that 3% of all the people in the U.S. drink raw milk at least once a month. That's about 10 million people. YET, IN THE LAST 1O YEARS, THERE HAS NOT BEEN A SINGLE DEATH IN THE U.S. THAT CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO DRINKING RAW MILK. Iowa is one of only 18 states that does not allow raw milk sales for human consumption. Thousands of people around the globe consume raw milk safely. In my mind, the whole raw milk issue comes down to consumer choice. It is time that Iowan's are allowed to make this choice for themselves.
