Got Milk? What Kind? Does It Matter?

It’s easy to think that milk is milk, but that simply is not true.  Just looking at the store shelves, you can find all varieties of milk, including:

Whole Milk

Organic Milk

2% Milk

Almond Milk

Soy Milk

Chocolate Milk

You get the idea . . . so many choices.  You may even find non-homogenized Cream-Top Milk at places like Whole Foods and Natural Grocers, but one type of milk you won’t find on the shelf in Louisiana is Raw Milk.  Raw Milk is an unpasteurized-whole-milk product that is currently illegal to sell for human consumption in Louisiana. 

Louisiana and Raw Milk

Louisiana is one of only a few States where the sale of Raw Milk for human consumption is not legal.  However, for those interested in this issue, the Louisiana Legislature currently has a bill making its way through the Louisiana House and Senate to legalize the sale of Raw Milk direct from farm to consumer. 

Raw Milk Bill In Louisiana

Louisiana HB 467 was sponsored by Representative Kim Coates.  This Bill would allow Farmers in Louisiana, who adhere to labeling and inspection requirements, to sell Raw Milk directly from their farms to consumers.   Louisiana-2024-HB467-Introduced.pdf (legiscan.com).

The Louisiana House Committee on Agriculture held a hearing on HB 467 on April 25, 2024.  After the hearing, the committee voted to pass the bill without opposition.   Now, this bill is slated to go to the full Louisiana House of Representatives for debate and vote sometime in the near future, probably next week. 

If the House would vote to pass the bill, then HB 467 would then proceed to the Louisiana Senate where it would be introduced, referred to a committee for a hearing and report, and then returned to the Senate Floor for a vote. 

The fate of the Louisiana Raw Milk bill (HB 467)  will depend on whether the Senate passes the bill with or without amendments, fails to pass the bill but allows for reconsideration, or kills the bill by failing it and determining that it cannot be reconsidered.  If passed by the Senate without amendment, the bill would be sent to the Governor.  Any other of the multiple outcomes would result in various scenarios that include more debate and political action.  (See Bill to Law (louisiana.gov)).

More information about the legal status of Raw Milk in Louisiana and other States can be found at Farm-To-Consumer Legal Defense Fund. Action Alerts – Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund (farmtoconsumer.org)

What’s the Issue with Raw Milk

So what’s the big deal about Raw Milk that requires all of this debate and political involvement? 

For those who consume Raw Milk, it’s about the freedom to make food choices for themselves and their families and about the health benefits they believe are tied to the consumption of milk in its natural form. 

For those who oppose the sale of Raw Milk for human consumption, it’s about the potential dangers that Raw Milk can pose. 

Much information about Raw Milk and its benefits and potential dangers can be found on the website for the Raw Milk Institute. 

Two Types of Raw Milk

For those opposed to the sale/human consumption of Raw Milk, the biggest objection voiced is that disease-causing pathogens are present in the milk and that pasteurization is required to kill such pathogens.

However, those in favor of drinking Raw Milk point out that most of the samples where pathogens are found are usually taken from bulk tanks holding milk that is intended for pasteurization, not from tanks holding milk intended for direct human consumption.    It is also pointed out that pasteurization kills pretty much everything in the milk, pathogens plus all of the good enzymes, probiotics and other nutrients. About Raw Milk — Raw Milk Institute

              Intended for Pasteurization vs Intended for Direct Human Consumption

All milk is raw and unprocessed when it is taken from the cows (or goats). The biggest difference is the intended use of the milk and the consequent care taken in producing it.

• Milk Intended for Pasteurization

Advocates of Raw Milk point out that milk intended for pasteurization is not Raw Milk that they would choose to drink.  Such milk is usually sourced from large dairy operations known as Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) where the herds are large and the quantity of milk is the main concern.  

In CAFOs, the crowded conditions and lack of green pastures sometimes lead to compromised herd health and mastitis.   In an article published on the LSU Ag Center website, it is estimated that one third of all dairy cows have mastitis.  Mastitis in Dairy Cattle (lsuagcenter.com).   This is where pathogens can originate, in sick cows and crowded unsanitary conditions.  Because pasteurization will kill the pathogens, there is little motivation in such settings to prevent the pathogens.  Two Types of Raw Milk — Raw Milk Institute

Even if certain commercial dairies have sanitary conditions and completely healthy cows, the risk of pathogens is still increased because of common industry practices.  It is normal for a single truck to pick up the raw milk from several commercial dairies.  Such a practice causes the co-mingling of milk from several dairies, thereby increasing the risk of pathogen exposure in this raw milk product. 

Thus, it is clear that Raw Milk that is intended for pasteurization IS NOT intended to be consumed in its raw state, and no one is suggesting that this milk be consumed in its raw, unpasteurized state.

• Milk Intended for Direct Human Consumption

Raw Milk intended for direct human consumption is generally produced in smaller quantities on family farms where quality not quantity is the main concern.  

Proponents of Raw Milk usually visit the farm that produces the Raw Milk they consume.  They are able to see the conditions of the cows, pastures, barns, milking areas, etc.  They usually know the farmer personally and trust this person/family to provide them with Raw Milk that is produced from healthy cows. 

Because the milk is produced in smaller quantities and from fewer cows, the farmer knows each cow and her health status on a daily basis.  Cows that on rare occasions contract mastitis are promptly treated and the milk from the affected cow is thrown out and not bottled.  On small dairy farms that produce milk intended for human consumption, it is much easier to treat each cow as an individual rather than just part of a herd whose imperfections in milk will be diluted by the volume of milk going into the holding tank.

As the article from the Raw Milk Institute states:

Raw milk that is carefully and intentionally produced for direct human consumption is wholly different from raw milk being produced for pasteurization. Raw milk farmers carefully manage the cleanliness and hygiene of the farm from grass-to-glass, with much care to ensure that the animals are healthy and the milk is clean. Two Types of Raw Milk — Raw Milk Institute (emphasis added).

The fact of the matter is that the Raw Milk producer and his or her family are probably drinking the same Raw Milk product as those who pick up from them and they stake their reputations and their own health on the quality of the Raw Milk produced in their farm. 

Concluding Thoughts

In light of the information above, I think it’s fair to say that not all Raw Milk is the same.  The commercial production of milk from CAFOs that is intended for pasteurization and the production of Raw Milk intended for direct human consumption are two entirely different types of Raw Milk. 

Whether you support the legalization of the sale of Raw Milk from farm to consumer, we need to remember that those in support of HB 467 are simply seeking the legal right to make food choices for themselves and their families that they believe are best. 

Even if this bill passes, we are unlikely to see Raw Milk on the shelves in stores in Louisiana anytime in the near future.

PS. . . If you are interested in following this issue, please check out the following resources: Louisiana raw milk bill to legalize on-farm sales | Get Raw Milk Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund – Protecting, defending, and broadening the rights and viability of independent farmers, artisanal food producers, and their consumers. (farmtoconsumer.org) Raw Milk Institute Home – Real Milk Home – The Weston A. Price Foundation (westonaprice.org)