Some Illinoisans are passionate about raw milk ? either for or against it.

On July 1, after three years of discussion, new rules will take effect that allow the sale of raw milk, but limit it to on-farm sales where the milk is produced. The sellers must obtain a permit.

“We currently have three individuals who have applied for a permit, but no estimation of how many will apply for the permit,” Steve DiVincenzo, Illinois Department of Public Health’s (IDPH) dairy program manager, said May 26.

The regulations also prohibit the sale of other raw milk products (raw milk cheese aged 60 days can be produced and sold under a separate permit).

Raw milk is milk from cows, sheep, or goats that has not been pasteurized to kill harmful bacteria. This raw, unpasteurized milk can carry dangerous bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria, which are responsible for numerous foodborne illnesses, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

ACCORDING TO an analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 1993 and 2006 more than 1,500 people in the United States became sick from drinking raw milk or eating cheese made from raw milk.

Between 2006 and 2010, Illinois reports four outbreaks associated with raw milk (two from fluid raw milk and two from cheese), resulting in 140 illnesses, according to a 2014 IDPH report.

Proponents of raw milk say it is healthier and may help with allergies. They want the right to buy it knowing the risks.

“Our goal was to make a product available, while trying to make it as safe as possible and protect others from getting ill,” DiVincenzo said.

In recent years, it has essentially been illegal to sell raw milk in Illinois, DiVincenzo explains. In the absence of rules specifically addressing raw milk, the sale of raw milk was prohibited.

Despite this, it had been common practice for more than 30 years for farmers in Illinois to sell raw milk from their farms. Without rules, IDPH had no enforcement authority.

To get a permit to produce raw milk under the new regulations is not simply a matter of filling out a form, explained Jim Fraley, Illinois Farm Bureau livestock program director.

The regulations contain standards for sanitization equipment, construction and storage, the milking environment, milking practices, labeling and consumer advisories. There must be on-going rigorous tests to determine milk quality, Fraley said.

Initially, proponents feared it would cost $100,000 to get set up for the regulations. Fraley estimates the cost close to $5,000 in most cases. It’s not the intent to price anyone out of the option, he said.

He estimates a raw milk producer could get set up for the requirements with a concrete pad, a small bulk tank and other items “for a couple of thousand dollars.”

“It’s not going to break everybody’s budget,” Fraley said.

Still, Fraley expects some raw milk producers will likely stop selling ? and they likely should, he said. The idea is that the regulations mirror the Grade A standard all dairy farmers are held to.

“It’s been a three-year process to get to this point,” Fraley said, including meetings with producers, the industry and consumers to find common ground. “It’s a compromise. Not everybody is going to like it.

“We support regulations to set standards for raw milk. To make it illegal could drive it underground.”

FRALEY SEES the effort as a success for the IFB lobbying effort, and says the group “feels very strongly that all milk should be pasteurized.”

The new regulations are similar to those in Missouri and Wisconsin. Iowa doesn’t allow any raw milk sales.

There are approximately 60 farms in Illinois that sell raw milk now, Fraley estimated. Real Milk, an advocacy group for raw milk, published a list of Illinois sales sites at http://tinyurl.com/zv6mc55.

Details about the new Illinois regulations are available at http://tinyurl.com/hy92jwj.

http://www.illinoisfarmertoday.com/news/livestock/illinois-raw-milk-rule-goes-into-effect-july/article_042bd42a-2cea-11e6-b357-2b920f5a58c8.html