US State Senate Passes Raw Milk Bill

The US state of Wisconsin has approved a raw milk bill legalising the sale of unpasteurised milk to the public.

Under the legislation, farmers who register with the state can sell raw milk on their farms to the end of 2011.

Farmers will have to post a sign declaring that the raw milk may contain disease-causing organisms.

The bill also requires the producers to test the milk monthly for pathogens and submit the results to state agriculture officials.

The state could suspend a producer’s registration if pathogens show up.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) opposes the sale of raw milk because it may contain bacteria such as salmonella, E.coli and listeria.

In March, the FDA confirmed 12 cases of illness in Michigan after consumers drank raw milk from Forest Grove Dairy in Middlebury, Indiana.