By Danielle
Michigan lawmakers have proposed legislation to legalize the sale of raw milk for human consumption.
According to FOX 2 Detroit, people can still obtain raw milk in the state through herd sharing.
“The bills would allow for farm-to-consumer sales of raw milk,” the outlet stated.
FOX 2 Detroit has more:
Currently, milk sold in Michigan for human consumption must be pasteurized.
Per state law, unpasteurized milk is only allowed to be sold if it is used to make cheese that is aged for more than 60 days.
There are loopholes around this, known as herd sharing, that allow people to access raw milk by owning part of a herd and receiving milk from that herd, but any milk actually being sold is required to be pasteurized.
These bills would not allow raw milk to be sold at grocery stores, but instead would make it legal for farmers to sell raw milk and dairy products directly to consumers. More than a dozen states already allow such a practice, according to A Campaign for Real Milk, a website run by raw milk activists.
State Rep. Matt Maddock (R-Milford), a frequent raw milk advocate, sponsored the legislation.
“Soon it will be easy to get fresh from the farm Whole Milk in Michigan. Did you know raw milk doesn’t go bad? It goes to cheese,” Maddock said in September.