Representatives Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Chellie Pingree (D-ME) have reintroduced legislation to prohibit federal interference in interstate commerce in pasteurized milk and raw milk products packaged for direct human consumption.
HR 7880, the Interstate Milk Freedom Act, would end the federal Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) ban on interstate milk sales in some cases.
“The Interstate Milk Freedom Act will reverse the criminalization of certain dairy farmers and make it easier for families to buy the milk they want,” said Rep. Masse.
“Many people across the country want to make sure their food is fresh and local, including fruits, vegetables and even milk,” Rep. Pingree said. “Raw milk is the only food product currently prohibited from interstate trade. This is a burdensome regulation that hurts small farmers who sell milk directly from cows to consumers.”
If two states have legalized the sale of unpasteurized milk, the Interstate Milk Freedom Act prohibits any federal department, agency, or court from taking any action to prohibit or restrict milk trade between the two states.
Congress has never specifically passed a ban on raw milk, but regulations banning interstate sales of raw milk were enacted in 1986 under the authority Congress gave to the FDA.
The more raw milk is transported from the farm, the greater the risk of harmful bacteria and the greater the chance of serious food poisoning. If not pasteurized, raw milk products can harbor dangerous bacteria such as salmonella, E. coli, listeria, and campylobacter.
The language of the Interstate Milk Freedom Act is not new. The Bill was introduced as an amendment to the Farm Bill in 2018 and as stand-alone legislation in 2014, 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2024.
Co-sponsors of HR 7880 include Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-ME, Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-CO, Rep. Warren Davidson, R-OH, Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-WI, Rep. Clay Higgins, R-LA, Rep. Nancy Mace, R-SC, Rep. Scott Perry, R-PA, Rep. Chip Roy, R-TX, and Lloyd Smucker, R-PA.
text of Weekly Milk Freedom Method It is available at this link.
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