Raw milk is back in the spotlight at the Oklahoma Capitol as lawmakers consider a proposal that would expand where unpasteurized milk can be sold directly to consumers, even as public health officials warn about the potential risks.
Raw milk, which has not been pasteurized to remove harmful bacteria, is currently legal to buy directly from farms in Oklahoma. A bill by state Rep. David Hardin would expand where it can be sold through direct sales, after passing the House Agriculture Committee on a 4-2 vote and moving to the next step.
Hardin said the proposal is aimed at consumer choice. “This is strictly, if you want to buy unpasteurized milk, this will allow you to do that. There is no tracking. I’m doing the very best I can to keep the government out of our business,” Hardin said in a phone interview.
Health officials, however, say consumers should understand the risks. The Tulsa Health Department said raw milk can contain bacteria that are eliminated through pasteurization.
“Raw milk can carry bacteria like Listeria, Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli. The largest risk that we see is associated with pregnant women. It’s very important to only consume pasteurized dairy products and to only give little ones pasteurized dairy products as well,” said Madison Brillhart, an epidemiologist with the Tulsa Health Department.
Mary McGonigle-Martin of the nonprofit Stop Foodborne Illness said her son became critically ill as a toddler during a confirmed raw-milk outbreak in 2006, an experience she said changed her family’s perspective and led her to advocate for food safety.
“It was a near-death experience that toxin kills people — especially children. My son really is a miracle that he lived,” McGonigle-Martin said.
She said some families may hear about claimed health benefits without fully understanding the potential dangers. “Parents hear it’s healthier, the benefits are overemphasized, and the risks are not,” she said.
Supporters of expanded access argue the decision should be left to consumers. Kirt Thacker, a farm owner in Enola, said, “I think the consumer should have the choice. I drink raw milk, and I want that choice.”
Raw milk is still not currently sold in Oklahoma grocery stores, and any expansion under the bill would apply to direct sales from producers. The bill now heads to the House Oversight Committee before it can advance further.
