Gov. Arnold, Legislature terminate raw milk in California

If you’ve never had raw milk, I suggest you try it. You’ll never go back to that chalky “pastuerized” and “homogenized” stuff.

But isn’t raw milk unhealthy? Not if it’s produced right, in a clean diary. In fact, the other stuff is homogenized and pasteurized in part to make up for an unclean dairy. It lets the big agribusinesses make cheap milk in big quantities. Raw milk also helps reduce allergies. You can get info on raw milk here.

Also delicious are raw cheese and especially healthy, raw butter. Unfortunately, raw dairy products cost more than twice as much as the pasteurized stuff. But it’s worth it.

Now, government is cracking down on these healthy foods. Gov. Arnold and the California Legislature stuck us with AB 1735, which imposes strict and unnecessary new standards on raw milk producers. Reports the Chronicle:

California’s two raw milk producers filed suit Thursday to keep the state from imposing a strict new standard that, they say, would put them out of business.

The suit, filed in San Benito County Superior Court, is part of an all-out effort by the raw milk dairies and the estimated 40,000 dedicated raw milk consumers in California to forestall enforcement of the new law, AB1735, which takes effect Jan. 1….

Raw milk proponents see AB1735 as a way for the state to effectively ban raw milk without actually saying so. The two dairy owners were not informed of the proposal as it went through the Legislature and weren’t offered the chance to make their case against the coliform limit. Passage was routine.

The lawsuit asks that the law be declared unconstitutional and the court keep it from taking effect.

Organic Pastures, whose milk, cheese, and butter I’ve used for years, explains:

Section 35928f of the California Food and Agricultural Code says:

The Legislature finds and declares that the state does not intend to limit or restrict the availability of certified raw milk and certified raw milk products to those persons desiring to consume such milk and such products, provided such milk and products meet standards of sanitation and wholesomeness at least equal to market milk that is grade A raw milk, as defined in Section 35891.

California law says that our access to raw milk will not be limited but it must meet sanitation requirements. AB 1735 changes the sanitation requirements for raw milk sold to consumers.

Eighty percent of the milk that comes out of cows would not meet this new level of “sanitation.” That 80% would be considered unsanitary and unfit for human consumption. In effect raw milk will be “limited” under AB 1735 to the 20% of milk that might possibly qualify under the new sanitation threshold. This is an unprecedented requirement in California milk legislation.

Why not let consumers decide? Aren’t we Americans supposed to be “free”? Why does government force us to use its favored milk, instead of the kind we like and believe is better for us? Who does Gov. Arnold think he is terminating our right to healthy, raw milk?

And who is Arnold, whose career is built on injecting himself with steroids, to tell us what to put into our bodies?

The Weston A. Price foundation, which champions raw milk, was kinder to Arnold:

Gov. Schwarzenegger is perhaps the most progressive governor California has ever had regarding health issues. It is doubtful he had any idea that AB1735 contained a hidden surprise that would threaten raw milk. How could he have known? There were no discussions or debate.

But the law still will go into effect Jan. 1, 2008. And it is chilling that the all-powerful government can take away healthy foods we love and need.

Contact your legislator and demand repeal of AB1735.

(Keep up with my blog. Sign up for my RSS feed. And click here to hire me for your writing projects.)