States consider expanding raw milk access as health officials warn about outbreak risks

Wednesday, April 29, 2026Science & ClimateWell-covered6 frames

AP's review of state legislation found more than 40 bills introduced by late April that would make it easier to buy, sell or consume raw milk or products made from it.
Bills favoring raw milk have been introduced this legislative session in 18 states.
Some of the proposed measures would allow raw milk to be sold for human consumption in states where that is not currently allowed; New Jersey's Senate is considering a bill to create a raw milk permitting program.
A current E. coli outbreak tied to raw milk cheddar cheese from California-based Raw Farm has sickened nine people, and about half of those cases are in children younger than 5.
The current outbreak is one of at least five raw-milk-related outbreaks reported in the past year.
The debate has widened beyond state legislatures because top government officials and social media influencers have helped drive interest in raw milk, including posts promoting health benefits that sources describe as unproven.
Public health officials and scientists continue to warn that unpasteurized milk can contain harmful germs, while pasteurization heats milk to kill those germs.
If New Jersey's bill becomes law, it would join more than three dozen states that allow raw milk sales, showing that access rules still vary by state and remain unsettled.

AP's review of state legislation found more than 40 bills introduced by late April that would make it easier to buy, sell or consume raw milk or products made from it.
Bills favoring raw milk have been introduced this legislative session in 18 states.
Some of the proposed measures would allow raw milk to be sold for human consumption in states where that is not currently allowed; New Jersey's Senate is considering a bill to create a raw milk permitting program.
A current E. coli outbreak tied to raw milk cheddar cheese from California-based Raw Farm has sickened nine people, and about half of those cases are in children younger than 5.
The current outbreak is one of at least five raw-milk-related outbreaks reported in the past year.
The debate has widened beyond state legislatures because top government officials and social media influencers have helped drive interest in raw milk, including posts promoting health benefits that sources describe as unproven.
Public health officials and scientists continue to warn that unpasteurized milk can contain harmful germs, while pasteurization heats milk to kill those germs.
If New Jersey's bill becomes law, it would join more than three dozen states that allow raw milk sales, showing that access rules still vary by state and remain unsettled.