Bills that would have legalized the sale of raw milk have failed in both Iowa and Arkansas. In Iowa, the bills were killed by the cutoff deadline, which means the committees did not vote on the bills so they were not passed out into the legislative body. A coalition worked against all three bills in Iowa
The Iowa bills were HSB 131 in the House, and Senate Files 61 and 77. SF 77 stated, “Except as expressly authorized in subtitle 4, the department shall not regulate any of the following: a. Producing, processing, labeling, or marketing of milk, if the milk is produced by a person operating a dairy farm in compliance with section 192.45. b. Manufacturing, labeling, or marketing of a milk product or dairy product, if the milk product or dairy product is manufactured by a person operating a dairy farm in compliance with section 192.145.” The bill did allow for “adulterated or misbranded milk product” to be impounded by authorities and disposed of. Iowa farmers cannot sell milk that is unpasteurized.
In Arkansas, the House Agriculture Committee voted 9-8 against House Bill 1536. That bill would have allowed the sale of raw goat and cow’s milk at farms. According to The Courier, Dr. Glen Baker, a former professor at the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences, said, “there is little question in my mind that drinking raw milk is risky. There is no question that pathogenic organisms are present in raw milk and that they are removed partially or completely destroyed by pasteurization.”
