Gov. Matt Mead signed into law the Food Freedom Act yesterday, legalizing the sale of homegrown and homemade foods and freeing producers and consumers from government regulation.
This includes regulation of unpasteurized milk, which was responsible for 81 disease outbreaks across the nation between 2007 and 2012.
“The number of outbreaks in the United States caused by nonpasteurized (raw) milk increased from 30 in 2007-2009 to 51 in 2010-2012,” according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention’s website. “Most (77 percent) outbreaks were caused by “Campylobacter” and most (81 percent) occurred from consumption of nonpasteurized milk purchased from states where the sale of nonpasteurized milk was legal.”
The number of outbreaks in an average year was four times higher between 2007 and 2012 than between 1993 and 2006, meaning the instances of disease outbreaks from raw milk have risen significantly as more states legalize the its sale.
But Wyoming lawmakers like Rep. Michael Madden, R-HD40 think this will not be an issue for Wyoming. Madden said he trusts Wyoming citizens to be informed consumers when it comes to purchasing unregulated foods.
“The Food Freedom Act is simply that, an act to provide citizens the right to buy the food they wish to consume from whomever they wish without the government giving their okay,” said Madden. “It represents a push-back, if you will, to the government getting in your face and telling you, not only what is good for you to eat, but also telling you from whom you will be allowed to buy it.”
For the Wyoming Legislature, the rights of the individual outweigh public health concerns.
“A simple premise but in the eyes of an over protective government state, a dangerous combination that will surely poison the entire state,” said Rep. Tyler Lindholm, R-HD01. “The impetus cannot be denied though as foodborne illness used to be a huge issue and ultimately the very roots and reasons for restrictive laws regarding foods. Did they have the right to completely ban certain foods? Absolutely not.”
Infections from the three most common outbreak-producing germs found in raw milk—Salmonella, E. Coli and Campylobacter—have increased in recent years with instances of Campylobacter nearly doubling between 2007 and 2012, according to the CDC. These germs are eradicated in the pasteurization process.
Lindholm said he looks forward to a future in which Wyomingites can buy food directly from the producer, in which the producer does not have to comply with government regulations and in which responsible consumption is the burden of the consumer
“In the following years, it may very well be that instead of thinking of driving to town for eggs or milk, you may take a drive down the county road to a local farm or ranch to peruse their fresh and local selection,” he said.
