Dear learnlawry,
You got me wrong.
Actually, I am in favour of retailing of raw milk provided that the quality and hygein is maintained.
Milk has got a shelf life of about 6 hrs at room temperature.
My point is that if I am maintaining proper hygein in my farm, I am cooling the milk to 4 degree immediately after milking, transporting it to the customer within 2 hrs. Clearly mentioning on the pack “Un pasteurized raw milk, please boil before use”.
Then, what is wrong in that.
I am a small farmer. putting up a pasteurizer unit is not economically viable for me and more important it is not required. I dont want to sell my product to cooperative because price is not good.
The case of America is different.
In some states there, sale of untreated milk is banned by USFDA.
Some people are fighting against it based on the fact that some vital nutrients are destroyed by heat.
There, the milk is produced on large organized dairy farms. They can afford the pasteurization and sterilization and they need it because they are selling milk in stores over long periods (5 days for pasteurized milk) and sometimes they are using it without boiling. Whereas in India, since the time man invented fire and utensils, we are boiling milk before use.