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Wednesday, January 21, 2015

HB 245

LC1110
Nancy Ballance

Revise laws related to raw milk

7 comments:

  1. Jim Carlson on Feb. 23, 2015:

    The City and County of Missoula, the Association of Montana Public Health Officials, The Montana Environmental Health Association and the Montana Public Health Association oppose HB 245 for the following reasons:

    Raw Milk and Disease

    • Prior to the Montana legislature banning raw milk sales,there was a raw milk outbreak in June and July, 1980, caused by a multi-resistant Salmonella which occurred in 105 persons who drank raw milk from a local dairy in Missoula, Montana. The report concerning the outbreak concluded “The milk at this dairy caused a large outbreak of salmonellosis, although there were no obvious breaches in proper milking technique or dairy husbandry practice. Raw milk, even when strictly controlled or certified, may be contaminated with Salmonellosis”

    • CDC has calculated that the risk of an outbreak from raw milk is 150 times greater than the risk from pasteurized milk. Although only 1-3% of the US population is believed to drink raw milk, more than half of all dairy outbreaks can be attributed to raw milk/products.

    • Since 1998, a total of 119 outbreaks, 2,147 illnesses, and 2 deaths have been attributed to consumption of raw milk, raw colostrum and raw milk products. Outbreaks are associated with raw cows’ milk and raw goat’s milk, as well as cheese made from raw milk.

    • Top pathogens implicated in raw milk outbreaks in the United States include Campylobacter, E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Listeria, and Brucella.

    • Raw milk is also more likely to cause hospitalization from the most dangerous foodborne pathogens such as E. coli O157:H7. In contrast, E. coli O157 outbreaks have not been attributed to pasteurized milk in the US.

    Position statements by Professional Organizations and Agencies

    • American Medical Association (AMA) “The AMA reaffirms its policy that all milk sold for human consumption should be required to be pasteurized”

    • American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) “Because apparently healthy cows and goats can shed in their milk organisms which are pathogenic to human beings and cause diseases...only pasteurized milk and milk products should be sold. Furthermore, the AVMA supports laws requiring pasteurization of all milk to be sold...”

    • Food and Drug Administration (FDA) “In light of research showing no meaningful difference in the nutritional value of pasteurized and unpasteurized milk, FDA and CDC have also concluded that the health risks associated with the consumption of raw milk far outweigh any benefits derived from its consumption...The U.S. Food and Drug Administration...strongly advises against the consumption of raw milk.”

    • American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) “Children...should never drink raw milk or consume products made from raw milk, such as cheese or yogurt”

    Medical and Public Health/Livestock response costs

    There is limited information available concerning the total costs of a raw milk outbreak. We do know that E. coli 0157 can cause death and often causes kidney damage. An E. coli O157 outbreak in Connecticut in 2008 linked to raw milk sold The average medical cost for a hospitalized case patient was $72,904. The average cost per case-patient incurred by government investigative and response activities was $3,491. Other E. Coli individual costs from raw milk outbreaks have been documented up to $550,000.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sending the following to Reps. Dudik and Tschida on House Appropriations:

    Missoula County opposes HB 245 – a measure to allow the sale of raw milk – being heard today in House Appropriations. The fiscal note does not identify the state and local costs to health agencies when responding to disease outbreaks associated with the consumption of raw milk. Yet, there is no dispute that the consumption of raw milk increases the risk of disease (150 times greater than consumption of pasteurized milk). From our own experiences with an outbreak in the early 1980s, we know that these cases are expensive and time-consuming. We urge you to oppose HB 245.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sent the following message for third reading:

    Missoula County opposes House Bill 245 – a measure to allow the sale of raw milk – on the House floor today for third reading. We thank you for opposing on second reading and encourage you to maintain this position. The fiscal note does not identify the state and local costs to health agencies when responding to disease outbreaks associated with the consumption of raw milk. Yet, there is no dispute that the consumption of raw milk increases the risk of disease (150 times greater than consumption of pasteurized milk). From our own experiences with an outbreak in the early 1980s, we know that these cases are expensive and time-consuming. We urge you to oppose HB 245.
    Respectfully,
    Vickie Zeier on behalf of the Missoula County Commissioners

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sent the following message to McConnell, Person and Tschida on third reading today:

    Missoula County opposes House Bill 245 – a measure to allow the sale of raw milk – on the House floor today for third reading. The fiscal note does not identify the state and local costs to health agencies when responding to disease outbreaks associated with the consumption of raw milk. Yet, there is no dispute that the consumption of raw milk increases the risk of disease (150 times greater than consumption of pasteurized milk). From our own experiences with an outbreak in the early 1980s, we know that these cases are expensive and time-consuming. We urge you to oppose HB 245.
    Respectfully,
    Vickie Zeier on behalf of the Missoula County Commissioners

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sent the following email on Friday to MC Senators on the floor: (1/2)

    Missoula County opposes House Bill 245 – a measure to allow the sale of raw milk – on the Senate floor tomorrow morning. Passage of this bill would present many risks to public health, some of which are outlined below. The fiscal note does not identify the state and local costs to health agencies when responding to the disease outbreaks associated with the consumption of raw milk. Yet, there is no dispute that the consumption of raw milk increases the risk of disease; 150 times greater than the consumption of pasteurized milk. From our Health Department’s experience of an outbreak in the 1980s, we know first-hand that these cases are expensive and time-consuming. We strongly urge you to oppose HB 245 for the following reasons;

    ReplyDelete
  6. (2/2)

    · Raw Milk and Disease from Missoula County Director of Environmental Health, Jim Carlson

    o Prior to the Montana legislature banning raw milk sales, there was a raw milk outbreak in June and July of 1980, cause by a multi-resident Salmonella which occurred in 105 persons who drank raw milk from a local dairy in Missoula. The report concerning the outbreak concluded by stating, “The milk at this dairy caused a large outbreak of salmonellosis, although there was no obvious breaches in proper milking technique or dairy husbandry practice. Raw milk, even when strictly controlled or certified, may be contaminated with Salmonellosis.”

    o The CDC has calculated that the risk of an outbreak from raw milk is 150 times greater than the risk from pasteurized milk. Although only 1-3% of the US population is believed to drink raw milk, more than half of all dairy outbreaks can be attributed to raw milk/products.

    o Since 1998, a total of 119 outbreaks, 2,147 illnesses and 2 deaths have been attributed to consumption of raw milk, raw colostrum and raw milk products. Outbreaks are associated with raw cows’ milk and raw goat’s milk, as well as cheese made from raw milk.

    o Top pathogens implicated in raw milk outbreaks in the United States include Campylobacter, E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Listeria and Brucella.

    o Raw milk is also much more likely to cause hospitalization from the most dangerous foodborne pathogens such as E. coli O157:H7. In contrast, E. coli 0157 outbreaks have not been attributed to pasteurized milk in the US.

    · Position statements by Professional Organizations and Agencies

    o American Medical Association (AMA): “The AMA reaffirms its policy that al milk sold for human consumption should be required to be pasteurized.”

    o American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA): “Because apparently healthy cows and goats can shed in their milk organisms which are pathogenic to human beings and cause diseases…only pasteurized milk and milk products should be sold. Furthermore, the AVMA supports laws requiring pasteurization of all milk to be sold…”

    o Food and Drug Administration (FDA): “In light of research showing no meaningful difference in the nutritional value or pasteurized and unpasteurized milk, FDA and CDC have also concluded that the health risks associated with the consumption of raw milk far outweigh any benefits derived from its derived consumption… The U.S. Food and Drug Administration… strongly advises against the consumption of raw milk.”

    o American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): “Children…should never drink raw milk or consume products made from raw milk, such as cheese or yogurt.”

    · Medical and Public Health/Livestock Response Costs

    o There is limited information available concerning the total costs of a raw milk outbreak. We do know that E. coli 0157 can cause death and often kidney damage. An E. coli 0157 outbreak in Connecticut in 2007 was linked to raw milk sold. The average medical cost for a hospitalized case patient was $72,904. The average cost per case-patient incurred by government investigative and response activities was $3,491. Other E.coli individual costs from raw milk outbreaks have been documented up to $550,000.

    Respectfully,
    Vickie Zeier on behalf of the Missoula County Commissioners


    ReplyDelete
  7. Sent the following email to Senator Larsen:

    Senator Larsen,
    Missoula County strongly opposes HB 245 - Revise laws related to raw milk - because the "herd share" amendment requires no testing, no inspection, no sanitation requirements and no limit on the amount of raw milk that can be sold publicly. This is a loophole that provides no protection at all to even the public who choose some form of raw milk to be available. The diseases of today are much more virulent than the ones that caused Montana's last large raw milk outbreak in Missoula which infected over 100 individuals. Even back then, there were some protections in law. Please continue to oppose HB 245.
    Respectfully,
    Vickie Zeier

    ReplyDelete

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