Eau Claire Hundreds of raw milk advocates packed a legislative hearing
Wednesday, demanding the right to buy and sell unpasteurized dairy products that
some claim have powerful health benefits but that detractors call dangerous.
Bills in the state Legislature would allow consumers to buy raw milk and other
dairy products directly from farms and exempt farmers from liability if someone
becomes ill from pathogens in the milk.
Advocates say the dairy state’s handling of the issue will send an important
signal to the rest of the country. With the exception of limited, incidental
sales, state law prohibits the sale of unpasteurized milk to the public because
it could carry bacteria that cause food-borne illnesses.
Raw milk advocates want the law changed, saying consumers should be able to
decide whether the health benefits of drinking unpasteurized milk outweigh the
risks.
Photo Caption: Margo and David Redmond of Madison listen to testimony at the
public hearing on legislation that would legalize sales of raw milk to
consumers. The hearing attracted about 450 people, many of them raw milk
advocates, to Chippewa Valley Technical College in Eau Claire.
Photo Credit: Rick Barrett
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