news-record.com

RALEIGH — Call it mooo-shine.

Raw, unpasteurized milk occupies a dicey niche under North Carolina law. Despite a prohibition on sale for human consumption, enthusiasts work to find regular supplies and regulators work equally hard to make sure it's difficult to come by.

On Friday, the N.C. Board of Agriculture is scheduled to take action aimed at cutting off one part of the state supply chain.

Farmers can legally sell raw milk as "pet milk," for consumption by dogs and other animals. An administrative rule the board is scheduled to adopt would require that this milk be labeled "not for human consumption" and dyed charcoal.

Rules are not state laws. Rather, the legislature gives agencies the ability to draft regulations on technical matters that if put in place have the force of law. If approved as expected by the Board of Agriculture, the raw milk rule would face further scrutiny and ultimately could be appealed to the legislature.

The dying requirement is aimed at discouraging people who buy "pet milk" but use it on the dinner table or in making cheese.

"We want to make it so the product would be unappealing to individuals," said Joe Reardon, director of the Agriculture Department's Food and Drug Protection Division.

Asked whether he thought people in North Carolina were skirting the current law by way of the pet milk exemption, he said, "Absolutely."

A small but growing group of consumers is enthusiastic about the virtues of raw milk, sometimes referring to it as "real milk." Some view it as a less processed, more natural and healthful option.

Others say pasteurization — a process that heats milk to kill bacteria — robs milk of properties useful in aiding digestion or fighting allergies and diseases.

"They have now precluded every avenue for us to get raw milk," said Ruth Ann Foster, a Greensboro resident who has been working to get state law changed to allow broader sale. She, too, says that people are using the pet milk exemption to buy raw milk.

"This is just really punitive to us," she said.

Regulators fear that raw milk has the possibility to spread food-borne diseases. In particular, doctors say the campylobacter and listeria germs can hitch a ride from the dairy to the dinner table, with particularly bad consequences for children, pregnant women and the elderly.

In July, Georgia's health authorities reported three families were sickened by campylobacter that was traced to raw milk sold as "pet milk." One child was forced to go to the hospital, although all have since recovered.

But raw milk advocates insist what risks there are — they debate whether all the disease outbreaks attributed to the product should be — are outweighed by the health benefits.

"People who go to the farm to buy pet milk know what they're getting," Foster said. "We need to protect our local food source. We want a say in our food. For most of the people who are in this, raw milk is the tip of the iceberg."

In fact, there is a move in the legislature to make raw milk available for sale to humans. A bill sponsored by Sen. Kay Hagan would allow consumers to enter into contractual arrangements with farmers known as "cow shares" to get raw milk.

"I can't imagine the government intruding into someone's refrigerator like this," said Hagan, a Greensboro Democrat. Her bill has passed the Senate and could be considered by the House next summer.

The sale of raw milk — either as cow shares or in other limited arrangements — is allowed in about half the states, including South Carolina.

However, if the agriculture board acts as expected, Tar Heels in search of raw milk would be left with few options, including shipping it in, making a run across state lines or finding a farmer willing to ignore the new regulations.

Contact Mark Binker at (919) 832-5549 or mbinker@news-record.com.