Answering Your Raw Milk Questions
added 02/19/09
If you’re curious about the updated retail sales regulations regarding raw milk, then you are not alone. Many members and customers have asked. According to Leah Keller, Supervisor of the NH Dairy Sanitation Program, the state law very specifically allows for raw milk to be sold from stores to the final consumer.
Mil 300, the Milk Sanitation rule, includes section Mil 301.03 Additional Requirements for Raw Milk Offered for Sale to Consumers. This includes specific requirements, including labeling for bottled raw milk sold to consumers. These rules were adopted in August, 2008.
If you have any further questions, please contact:
Leah Keller
Supervisor
Dairy Sanitation Program
Beverages & Bottled Water
Department of Health and Human Services
29 Hazen Drive
Concord, NH 03301 (603) 271-4673
Still have questions?
We’d love to hear from you! Please email us or call the main number at 603-643-2667. In the meantime, please read the additional information below:
Raw Milk is Not Pasteurized
To make an informed choice, Co-op consumers need to know the following facts:
- Raw milk potentially contains a wide variety of harmful bacteria – including Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7, Listeria, Campylobacter and Brucella – that may cause illness and possibly death.
- This information is particularly important for persons at high risk of developing serious illness due to food borne disease, such as children, pregnant women, the elderly, and persons with weakened immune systems.
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have concluded that the health risks associated with the consumption of raw milk far outweigh any benefits derived from its consumption.
- The New Hampshire Dairy Sanitation Inspection & Licensing Program regulates raw milk sold at the Co-op.
The RAW Truth About RAW MILK
a publication from Robie Farm, LLC, Piermont, NH 03779, 603-272-4872
- Raw Milk tastes fresher
- Raw Milk is not pasteurized or homogenized
- Raw Milk has not been processed in any way
- Raw Milk contains nutrients, vitamins, enzymes, and cultures that promote good health and digestion
- Raw Milk is free of antibiotics and artificial growth hormones
Look again. The milk you see in front of you is not your ordinary store-bought milk. Do you see that layer of thick, creamy goodness on top? What you are beholding is a miracle of creation.
This is RAW milk
The cream rises to the top because this milk has not been homogenized, nor has it been pasteurized. Pasteurization is a process that heats the milk to a high temperature, destroying many of the enzymes, nutrients and natural cultures which milk naturally contains. Such cultures include L. acidophilus and L. brevis, which are known to promote healthy digestion, and boost the immune system.
Though essential 50 years ago when sanitation standards on dairy farms were minimal, today’s small, local, family-run dairies, like the Robie Farm, can produce a high quality, safe product without the need to compromise the natural state of the milk through pasteurization.
And we are fully licensed with the State of New Hampshire to do so. Our facilities are meticulously inspected for cleanliness, and our animals are regularly tested for general health. Our milk is also tested by the state on a monthly basis to ensure that it is free from organisms that may be harmful to human health.
Our cows are treated with greatest care, grazing fresh grass from our lush 40 + acres of Connecticut River Valley pasture, as weather permits, and enjoying spacious, clean, bedded stalls when indoors.
Instructions for Care and Use
Keep refrigerated at all times to ensure a longer shelf life of 7 days or more. Before use, gently agitate the jug to mix in the cream, or, if you prefer, pour the cream right off the top for your morning coffee or fresh fruits! Try making homemade yogurt or even cheese! Raw milk can still be used for baking even after souring past palatability.
Be advised
Pasteurization is a process that destroys organisms that may be harmful to human health. Though we take every precaution possible to ensure the safety of this product, no food can be guaranteed to be 100 percent safe.
