BATON ROUGE – Dairy farmers and people with a couple of cows or goats could sell a small amount of raw milk to consumers if a bill approved by the House Wednesday becomes law.
House Bill 1279 by Rep. Stephen Ortego, D-Carencro, was approved 78-19.
Ortego said it’s an interesting debate because some people say raw milk presents a health hazard while others say they drink it because it’s healthier than pasteurized milk.
To erase some of the concerns about possible health risks, Ortego attached an amendment requiring that a health hazard be posted.
The warning says “Consuming milk that has not been pasteurized may increase your risk of foodborne illness. Persons at highest risk include newborns and infants; the elderly, pregnant women; those taking corticosteroids, antibiotics or antacids; and those having chronic illnesses or other conditions that weaken their immunity.”
Ortego said he became aware of the desire to sell and purchase raw milk while attending Festivals Acadiens et Creoles and went with Zachary Richard to an organic farm in Scott.
“We allow only farmer-to-consumer sales and to keep it a cottage industry, we limit the sales to 500 gallons a month,” he said. “That’s about two cows.”
Sales are not allowed at farmers’ markets, he said, but farmers can take orders there and deliver milk the next week or have people come to their farms.
Daphne Olivier, a dietician from Breaux Bridge, and Sierra Majors, of Melville, who bought two cows and some goats for her family to have raw milk, lobbied the bill for Ortego.
“Some people have problems tolerating pasteurized milk, particularly those with asthma and certain allergies.” Olivier said.
“I wanted raw milk for my family,” Majors said.
She gives away what her family doesn’t drink from her two jersey cows and small heard of Nubian goats. Some people have asked her about buying it, but she knew there was a state law against it.
Ortego’s bill allows people who are interested in buying the milk to inspect farmers’ animals and barns. A House amendment allows the Department of Health and Hospitals to do inspections if it wants to visit the farms but doesn’t require inspections.