Raw Milk
WHEREAS, the sale of raw milk is currently permitted in most European countries, Australia, and about one-third (1/3) of the states in the U.S.; and
WHEREAS, direct marketed raw milk may provide a potential boon to the dairy industry because direct consumer sales could allow dairy farmers increased profits and higher prices for raw milk over pasteurized milk; specifically, producers receive approximately $1 per gallon of pasteurized milk, while raw milk can command prices between $5 to $9 a gallon, according to the Northeast Organic Farming Association and the Garden State Dairy Goat Association; and
WHEREAS, many New Jersey consumers who wish to purchase raw milk are traveling to Pennsylvania and New York, who currently permit raw milk sales; and
WHEREAS, permitting the sale of raw milk in the State of New Jersey would help increase profitability for dairy farmers, especially small farms that produce too little milk to economically pasteurize on-farm, while filling a market that is developing among consumers who believe raw milk has health-promoting qualities; and
WHEREAS, significant health risks have been associated with the consumption of raw milk, including exposure to E. Coli and Salmonella; and
WHEREAS, research needs to be conducted in order to ascertain whether these significant health risks can be mitigated through regulation of the production, handling and sale of raw milk in New Jersey.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the delegates to the 91st State Agricultural Convention, assembled in Atlantic City, New Jersey on February 8, 2006, request the NJDA to conduct research on the feasibility and health risks associated with the sale of raw milk in the State of New Jersey.