Officials in North Carolina have decided to withdraw a proposal to prohibit the sale of raw milk following a protest by approximately 100 activists at the state Capitol.
The initial version of the state’s annual farm bill included a clause aimed at banning milk sourced from unripe cows. This statement was backed by State Farm Commissioner Steve Troxler, as reported by the Charlotte Observer. He expressed concerns about food safety, saying, “We’ve been playing Russian roulette with one bullet in the chamber along with these other pathogens. But when you add bird flu into the mix, we put two more bullets in that chamber.”
A previous draft of Senate Bill 639, known as the North Carolina Farm Act of 2025, asserted that “raw milk and raw milk products shall be sold or distributed only to processing facilities where the permitted milk carrier or processing of milk is permitted, staged or regulated by local, state, or federal agencies.”
However, after the activists’ demonstration in Raleigh, lawmakers produced a revised version of the farm bill that no longer included the ban, as noted by the Charlotte Observer and WRAL.
Observers indicated that the protestors represented a wide range of political views, including “crunchy moms and libertarian fathers, California newcomers and staunch free-market advocates.”
One prominent voice among the activists was Zen Honeycutt, the executive director of Moms Across America, who urged supporters to contact state senators and advocate for the right to purchase raw milk. During a recent confirmation hearing for the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, she raised important questions about consumer choice regarding raw milk.
Honeycutt expressed her belief that consumers should have the option to drink raw milk, comparing it to other everyday foods like lettuce and fish that carry similar risks. “What is so harmful about local raw milk? Nothing. The risk is in the interests of the Dairy Association and its industry,” she remarked.
While federal law prevents the sale of raw milk across state lines, many states have different rules, with fourteen allowing retail sales under certain permits, according to the CDC. North Carolina does not permit direct retail sales but does have a system known as herd sharing, allowing consumers to purchase stakes in dairy cows for access to raw milk.
The new version of the farm bill has replaced the previous ban with provisions for researching the distribution of raw milk through herd sharing and the potential for retail sales.
Despite this adjustment, Troxler maintained a cautious stance, questioning the integrity of compromising public health for the sake of raw milk. He pointed out the significant risks posed by pathogens often found in raw milk, reiterating the responsibility involved in maintaining food safety standards.
The FDA also advises consumers to prefer pasteurized milk, warning that raw milk can harbor harmful pathogens like Listeria, Campylobacter, Salmonella, and E. coli.
