If you want to make raw milk legal for sale in New Jersey, you might want to try to get to Trenton on Monday morning at 10 a.m. New Jersey legislators are holding a hearing that could make or break the future of the raw milk sales in New Jersey.
The Senate Economic Growth Committee hearing would make it possible for farms to get a permit to sell raw milk. The Assembly approved its version of the bill in March by a 71 to 6 vote.
Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized, a heating process that kills bacteria–both harmful and good. (Pasteurization does not completely render milk safe; there have been several cases of listeria lately linked to pasteurized milk.) Proponents, backed by a raft of scientific studies, contend that raw milk provides health benefits that we humans need and is safe if properly produced. Garden State Raw Milk, an advocacy group, has more information.
New Jersey is currently one of only 12 states that do not permit raw milk sales in any form. Ten states, including Pennsylvania, have made raw milk legal for retail sale. Fifteen states, including New York, allow for on-farm sales only. The remaining states permit sales under certain conditions. You can get a complete map of raw milk sales from the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund.
The hearing begins at 10 a.m. in Committee Room 1 of the State House Annex, and you will need a photo ID to get into the building. You can get driving directions here. For more information call (609) 292-4840. If you can’t go, but want to voice your opinion on raw milk, you can send an e-mail to Richard J. Codey, the state senator from our area. He is a member of the Economic Growth Committee.
