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.
I hope it passes, I would like to be able to buy or sale raw milk if I choose to, and the government shouldn't have a say in that. Keep us up to date on this bill, I would like to know it's outcome.
ReplyDeleteI'll do my best to keep you posted. Although I have no intentions of selling (or buying) raw milk (we milk goats for our own use), I think that the option should be there for those who choose to do so. You can also check for updates on the Iowa Alliance for Raw Milk (IA-ARM)facebook page.
ReplyDeleteThe hearing today was only with the House Local Government subcommittee. HSB 131 did pass out of subcommittee, on a 3-0 vote. A small step in the right direction!
ReplyDeleteI would like to help change the laws and promote the legalization of raw milk in Iowa. What can I do?
ReplyDeleteHi Jenny. It looks like the issue is dead in the water again this year. There was strong oposition from the Iowa dairy industry and several other lobbyists. So what can you do to help? Talk to your state legislators and let them know how you feel. Tell them that raw milk can be clean and safe. I am pretty sure that this will come up again next year, and the more people who tell their elected officals that they want the right to choose to drink raw milk if they want too, the better the odds are that it will be made legal.
ReplyDeleteI hope that raw milk becomes legalized. I would love to be able to buy it at the farmer's market! I used to work at a natural food store in California that sold it and I loved it. Back to whole foods again!
ReplyDeleteOpposition to legalizing raw milk sales in Iowa is extremely strong. It is very unlikely to even come to a vote during the current legislative session. I think it is kind of sad that law makers feel that we as citizens of the state of Iowa should not able to make the choice of whether to consume raw milk or not on our own.
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