James Hill bottle-feeds two of his 3-month-old Nubian goats. He raises the goats at the farm to produce milk. View More Images from this story Visit the Photo Place

New state rules crack down on raw dairy products

Some question new regulations drawn up by the state agriculture department and approved by Gov. Warner

By REBEKAH ELLIOTT

Date published: 1/23/2005

Fauquier County goat farmer Mary vanderWoude Hill has been drinking raw milk for most of her 73 years.

But new state regulations signed into law by Gov. Mark Warner could make that a crime.

Beginning Wednesday, the state will require that all dairy products produced in Virginia--not just those from cow's milk--be pasteurized. The new regulations also require anyone manufacturing dairy products to obtain a license from the state, which may force some farmers to make costly upgrades in buildings and equipment.

The new law, written by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, has upset groups across the state. They say the change unfairly hurts small farmers and organic-food lovers.

Hill, who came to America from Holland in the 1950s, compares it to what was going on in Europe when she was a child.

"This is worse than the Gestapo," said the grandmother, who drinks her own goat's milk. She's had run-ins with the state in the past for selling goat's milk from her farm for pet use.

"They can't tell you what you can and cannot eat or drink. It's none of their business what people do with their milk," Hill said.

The sale of raw cow's milk and products made from it has been banned in the state since 1986. The change expands the law to cover dairy products from goats, sheep and other animals.

Officials say the change is needed to protect public health. They say the law is intended to govern the sale of milk products, not consumption.

VDACS program supervisor John Beers, who helped draft the law, said it is based on guidelines from the federal Food and Drug Administration and Department of Agriculture. At least 21 other states also ban the sale of raw milk products.

"The health commissioner and most health guidelines call for pasteurization," said Ellen Qualls, Warner's press secretary.

Several groups have lined up to oppose the change. They include the Virginia State Dairy Goat Association; the Virginia Independent Consumers and Farmers Association, a Charlottesville-based nonprofit founded three years ago to protect consumer and farmer interests; and the Weston A. Price Foundation, a nonprofit in Washington "dedicated to restoring nutrient-dense foods to the human diet."

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Date published: 1/23/2005