The Texas Department of Agriculture Commissioner said he wants raw milk sold in grocery stores across the state.
Commissioner Sid Miller released an opinion piece on the department’s website last month. He detailed why he believes the risks associated with unpasteurized milk should be decided by the buyer.
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“Now, I’m no stranger to raw milk. Growing up, we didn’t head to the grocery store for a gallon of milk—we went to the barn and got it ourselves. My brother milked the family cow in the morning, and I took care of it in the evening. Afterward, we’d strain out the flies and manure with a cup towel and drink it fresh. That was just life on the farm,” Miller said in the opinion piece.
Currently, the law in Texas does not allow the sale of raw milk in retail stores. However, it can be sold directly from farmers. You can get raw milk from a local dairy farm, have it delivered to your home or pick it up from a farmer’s market.
Health officials have warned for years that raw milk can cause illnesses that range from mild to life-threatening. Between 1998 and 2018, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention documented more than 200 illness outbreaks traced to raw milk, which sickened more than 2,600 people and hospitalized more than 225.
Before the U.S. adopted safety standards in 1924 under what was called the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance, about 25% of foodborne illnesses were related to dairy consumption, according to the Center for Dairy Research. Now, dairy products account for about 1% of such illnesses.
Raw milk can potentially carry dangerous bacteria like E. coli, salmonella and listeria. Pasteurization is a process that heats the milk to kill those harmful bacteria and extended the milk’s shelf life.
Last month, the bird flu virus was found in raw milk sold in California.
Raw Farm LLC, of Fresno, California, voluntarily recalled one lot of “cream top” whole raw milk after Santa Clara County health officials found the bird flu virus in a sample last week.
California state health officials said the county has been testing raw milk sold in stores as “a second line of consumer protection.” No illnesses have been reported.
“As someone who grew up drinking it, I can tell you firsthand: it’s not just about what you drink—it’s about how you handle it. It takes knowledge, care, and some good cowboy logic to handle raw milk safely. Just because it’s risky doesn’t mean the option should be removed from the people either. I believe in personal choice and the freedom to decide what’s best for you and your family,” Miller said.
Recently, the topic of pasteurized versus unpasteurized has seen a resurgence due to the popularity among people wanting pure sources of nutrition.
“Just as we shouldn’t force people to consume something they don’t want, the government should allow people the right to choose what is best for their personal nutrition,” said Miller.
Nearly 4.4% of U.S. adults, or about 11 million people, report that they drink raw milk at least once each year. About 1% of adults say they consume raw milk each week, according to a 2022 FDA study.