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Need for raw milk regulations?

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Last week West Virginia passed a bill that allows "herd-sharing," in which multiple individuals can share the raw, unpasteurized milk from dairy cows. In celebration of the bill, one legislator passed out free samples of raw milk. When multiple legislators and staffers got sick, they said the raw milk was to blame. 

That story is being disputed (many people who got sick did not sample the milk), but the debate over raw milk regulations isn't ending any time soon.

New Hampshire is one of twelve states that allow raw milk sales at retail stores, with some regulation. Other states only allow raw milk sales on farms, or ban raw milk sales outright. 

Supporters of raw milk argue that it tastes better, helps digestion, and stimulates the immune system with enzymes and bacteria that are otherwise removed through pasteurization. 

On the other hand, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cautions that "unpasteurized milk is 150 times more likely to cause foodborne illness and results in 13 times more hospitalizations than illnesses involving pasteurized dairy products." 

New Hampshire is not currently considering any bills to change raw milk regulations.

UPDATE: Read our Citizen Voices℠ report and find out where New Hampshire stands on this issue.

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