Editorial - St. Cloud Times - St. Cloud, Minn. - July 5th, 2010
Buyers and sellers, know and follow the law. State authorities, stay focused on enforcing the law. Legislators, don't rush to pass any new laws.
Those are our suggestions as authorities look into problems stemming from the consumption and possible illegal sales of raw milk.
This being the heart of dairyland in Minnesota, many area residents likely are following with interest the state Agriculture Department's probe of up to three farms involved in raw milk issues.
It started last month when state investigators believe raw milk from a farm near Gibbon was to blame for E. coli that sickened eight people. Last week, authorities searched the Schlangen Family Farm near Freeport in Stearns County. Court documents indicate authorities believe the farm was improperly selling food products. MPR reported June 28 that Schlangen's raw milk turned up during a June 15 inspection of the Traditional Foods Minnesota Warehouse in south Minneapolis.
Minnesota requires all milk sold for humans be pasteurized. The only exemption is the statute "shall not apply to milk, cream, skim milk, goat milk, or sheep milk occasionally secured or purchased for personal use by any consumer at the place or farm where the milk is produced."
Not surprisingly, some people are using these investigations to renew a long-running debate about raw milk. Some believe it offers health benefits not provided from pasteurized products while others see it as a vehicle for transporting some very nasty bacteria.
Regardless, the most important lesson here is for consumers to know the risks, whether those originate in the milk or the farm at which it is produced.
For example, did you know the University of Minnesota Extension Service says that even raw milk must be produced by farmers so it meets "Grade A" standards? (Think twice-a-year farm inspections, monthly milk tests, cooling milk to 50 degrees within two hours of milking, etc.)
If consumers do choose to consume raw milk, we strongly suggest they learn about the farm they are buying it from so they know the quality of that operation. In the case of the farm near Gibbon, news reports state that inspectors found unsanitary conditions there on more than one occasion.
As for farmers, if they choose to sell raw milk, they certainly must follow the law. That means on-site sales only, no advertising of sales and not even providing containers for buyers. As with any regulations, if farmers don't like them, lobby the Legislature for changes.
At this point, with only a few farms under scrutiny, we see no need for a ban on raw milk sales. If more issues arise at many more farms, certainly legislators might want to consider measures that educate consumers and push farmers to meet adequate food safety standards.
For now, though, there is no need to narrow choices for all consumers because of possible problems on just a few farms.
