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Illinois group questions state's raw milk rules

 

By DEBORAH BEHRENDS

Illinois Correspondent

 

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Small-scale dairy farmers selling raw milk direct to consumers are concerned the state of Illinois is creating rules to alleviate a problem they say doesn’t exist.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has established a 25-page set of rules to regulate dairies selling raw – whole, unpasteurized – milk direct to the public to prevent foodborne illness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), however, only two incidents of foodborne illness from raw milk – with a total of 20 people affected – have been reported in Illinois since 1998. None of those cases involved hospitalization or caused a death, said the Illinois Stewardship Alliance (ISA).

Another report, however, states that according to a CDC study from 1993-2006, the rate of outbreaks of illness caused by unpasteurized milk and products made from it was 150 times higher than outbreaks linked to pasteurized milk. In that study, 200 of 239 hospitalizations were caused by raw milk, and 75 percent of the problems associated with raw milk were in the 21 states where it was legal to sell it at the time.

The ISA reports an estimated 400,000 people in Illinois drink raw milk. About half of all states prohibit the sale of raw milk.

"The IDPH is reinterpreting the law," said Wes King, executive director of the ISA. "Actually, no raw milk sales are legal in Illinois unless producers comply with regulations that are just now being written. Producers are in total legal limbo."

He said that’s one reason few producers are willing to speak publicly about the issue. "We have a number of raw milk producers who not willing to be interviewed," King said. "They are scared they will be put on a list and have inspectors showing up at their farm."

One of the few dairy owners willing to address the subject publicly is Donna O’Shaugnessy of South Pork Ranch near Chatsworth. Her family operation sells raw milk to about 100 customers each month, along with beef and pork raised on the farm, she said. "The No. 1 reason people want raw milk is that it’s a healthier product," she said. "The people buying it are well-educated people making informed decisions."

As the system works today, they said dairies have been allowed to sell raw milk to consumers who bring their own containers. O’Shaugnessy said her operation has containers for sale, also.

The biggest problem with the proposed regulations, she said, is that compliance would be difficult and expensive for really small-scale farmers, with just 1-2 cows or goats.

"They would have to spend thousands just to meet the stringent guidelines," she explained. "We are in a unique position because our farm already meets the guidelines for a Grade A dairy. We just decided to stop selling to the co-op and sell direct instead."

What makes the situation even more difficult, King said, is the proposed rules are difficult to find. He said they can be found online "buried" in the IDPH website.

They can be found by visiting www.idph.state.il.us and on the left side of the screen, click the link for "laws and rules;" on that page, "click laws, rules and proposed rules" and scroll down to rules in the first notice period.

The proposed rules would require all producers to obtain a permit. They would be subject to regular inspections and be required to meet all the guidelines in place for Grade A dairies. Unlicensed dairies would be prohibited from giving milk away to family and friends.

"A lot of the cost would involve regular testing and equipment upgrades," King said. "The government is trying to regulate an entire industry out of business."

Several calls seeking comment from the Office of Health Protection at the IDPH were not returned.

The proposed rules are in the hands of the Joint Committee on Administrative Regulations. The co-chairs of that committee are state Sen. Don Harmon and Rep. Timothy Schmitz. Bipartisan members are Sens. Pamela Althoff, Tony Munoz, Sue Rezin, Dale Righter, Ira Silverstein and Reps. Gregory Harris, Louis Lang, David Leitch, Donald Moffitt and Andre Thapedi.

King is urging all Illinoisans to get involved in the effort to scrap the proposed rules. Comments are being accepted until Oct. 20 via a link on the IDPH website.

"The other thing we’ve been telling people is to call Governor (Pat) Quinn’s office and stand with farmers," he said. "He could potentially say the rules are over the top."

10/8/2014