Camps divided: Raw milk debate heads to state

MIDDLEBURY, Ind. (AP) -- Joe Hibschman, a dairyman from southern Elkhart County, is adamant.

 "I still think it's kind of a health hazard to the community to consume raw milk," he said. "I would not encourage use of raw milk."

Equally adamant is Brad Hooley, a small dairy farmer who would like to be able to sell raw milk. Views like Hibschman's are "very antiquated," he said, and the white stuff in its raw state -- unpasteurized and, proponents say, healthier -- should be available for sale to the public.

"If the consumers want it, let them have it," Hooley said.

Don't expect the controversy to be settled anytime soon. The Indiana Board of Animal Health, though, will complete a report on the idea of allowing raw milk sales in Indiana -- something currently against the law -- and the agency began accepting input from the public starting Friday.

In and around Elkhart County, one of the top milk-producing zones in the state, many take the issue to heart and those on both sides of the matter remain cautious about what to expect from the Board of Animal Health, or BOAH.

Dawn Marozsan, a consumer from Osceola who gets raw milk from an Elkhart County producer, just hopes state officials don't come into the study with preconceived notions. Don't cherry pick data to support the mainstream view that raw milk is a danger, she says. Look at all sides of the issue, be open-minded.

"I hope that when they do the study they get a cross-sample and actually talk to people who drink raw milk," she said.

BOAH spokeswoman Denise Derrer said she expects a broad range of input -- from traditional dairy producers, raw milk consumers, medical experts and others. Any decision to allow raw milk sales would have to come from state lawmakers, not the BOAH, but the agency will try to assemble a report with potential guidelines for permitting trade in the white stuff.

There are certain risks in consuming raw milk and if sales are going to be legalized, mechanisms would have to be in place to account for that, according to Derrer. Around 30 states across the country allow raw milk sales.

Lawmakers during the last legislative session had mulled a measure, Senate Bill 398, that would have made raw milk sales legal in Indiana under certain circumstances. As is, consumers' best bet to get the stuff is via cow herd-share programs -- buying shares of actual cows and becoming owners of the critters.

SB 398 fizzled, though, and lawmakers ended up passing another measure, House Enrolled Act 1129, which calls for the study by the BOAH.

As part of the inquiry, the BOAH will seek input starting Friday and until Sept. 1 via the web at in.gov/boah/2615.htm. Alternatively, comments may be mailed to the BOAH with the attention line "Raw Milk Comments" at Discovery Hall, Suite 100, 1202 E. 38th St., Indianapolis, IN, 46205-2898. BOAH staff will conduct their own inquiry as well and complete the full report by Dec. 1.

"This topic has always historically drawn a lot of opinions on both sides, some of them very strong," said Derrer.

Seeking comments online is a departure from the traditional practice of live, in-person public hearings, and BOAH officials hope it allows for a broader range of input.

Parsing the pros and cons of raw milk is delicate business. In a nutshell, critics warn of the harmful bacteria that can remain without pasteurization, while proponents say raw milk contains enzymes, proteins and other substances that are good for the body.

Either way, the BOAH, by conducting the study, gets the issue "out in the open and lets people talk about it," said Hooley.

On the other hand, Hibschman notes that raw milk accounts for only perhaps 2 percent of total milk sales, but an outsized share of illnesses traced back to milk products. "There are very few people who want this, that are asking for this," he said.
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Information from: The Elkhart Truth, http://www.etruth.com