Raw milk, public health vs. human rights

Earlier this week I read an editorial on how everyone should support Montana House Bill 245 because it is our right as adults to buy raw milk.

First, there is no question in this debate. Individual human rights are always the most important, but with that comes personal responsibility.

Public health over the past 200 years has tried to educate everyone on how to eat the correct foods, vaccinate against diseases and learn how to keep ourselves healthy. Being sick is no fun and it can be very expensive. Public health officials have been the leaders in controlling polio, salmonella, e-coli, measles, chicken pox, listeria and many other diseases that can be lifelong problems or could lead to death. These controls are based on true science and have allowed all of us to sleep better knowing that we will not develop a serious disease.

Many years ago, raw milk was deemed to be a possible carrier of several diseases listed above, and the process of pasteurization was developed.

Pasteurization heats milk very rapidly to kill unwanted pathogens and then cools it quickly to preserve the nutritional value.

The raw milk bill in front of our legislators is trying to allow small milk producers to sell raw milk to anyone who wants it. Hill County has already had a few cases of listeria and campylobacter, and after I interviewed those who became ill, they told me their diet included raw milk.

The real problem with this HB 245 is that the producers do not want to take any liability for their product. The  testing and analysis of their milk would be too expensive and would reduce their profit. Therefore, those who choose to drink raw milk and do get sick will be unable to ask for help in paying medical bills or other expenses related to this illness.

I grew up on a farm and milked cows daily and did not realize the possible problems until one of our cows developed a bad infection. Our milk was always kept at our residence and never sold to the public and was now only good for pig feed. If the milk had been sold, it would have been difficult to tell exactly when the cow developed the infection without proper testing.

The environment that a cow lives in creates a perfect spot for all types of germs to grow and possibly enter the milk we drink. Producers try their hardest to produce the best and safest milk for all of us, but the cow’s feedlot and normal field conditions make it difficult.

Public health is continually working on ways to help keep you and your family healthy and a bill that allows raw milk to be sold by a producer that will not take responsibility for a problem that their cows caused is a large step backward for public health and the safety net it has developed for all of us. The recent measles outbreak is a good example of public health science telling all of us to immunize our families, but those who thought they knew better caused a lot of pain and suffering to many others.

If this bill is amended to include the requirements of herd testing and producer liability and the consumer is warned of the hazards of drinking raw milk, then my office feels that you as the consumer can now take the responsibility and make an educated decision on if you want raw milk on your kitchen table.  

  (Clay Vincent is Hill County Sanitarian/Planner.)