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Raw milk advocates push to expand legalized sales

Ag/Outdoor, News

April 21st, 2017 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Raw milk advocates’ efforts to expand availability across the U.S. have not slowed despite health officials’ assertions that it’s dangerous to drink milk that hasn’t been heated to kill bacteria.

Efforts to legalize raw milk sales in some form have succeeded in 42 states, and expansion pushes are ongoing this year in states including Illinois, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, Rhode Island, North Dakota and Texas.

All raw milk sales are banned in eight states. Dr. Megin Nichols with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says health officials worry that as access to raw milk increases, so will illnesses. Despite those concerns, people in states like Iowa that outlaw raw milk sales frequently travel to states such as Missouri where they can buy milk they believe is healthier.