EDITORS/NEWS DIRECTORS

Backers of raw milk are pushing to make the potentially dangerous product more widely available and easier to obtain, even as outbreaks have sickened people across the nation.

More than three dozen bills supporting raw milk have been introduced in statehouses, The Associated Press found. A growing number of states are making it legal to sell.

Top government officials and internet influencers are helping drive this momentum. U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. downed shots of raw milk at the White House last May and previously promised to halt “aggressive suppression” of the product. On social media, posts about raw milk have surged in recent months, often touting unproven claims about its health benefits.

All this alarms public health officials, who have long warned that unpasteurized milk frequently harbors risky germs. The current outbreak — tied to raw milk cheddar cheese from California-based Raw Farm — has sickened nine people with E. coli, half of them children younger than 5. One victim developed a serious complication that can impair kidney function for life.

Pasteurization kills those germs by heating the milk, commonly to at least 161 degrees Fahrenheit (71.7 degrees Celcius) for at least 15 seconds. Experts say it has no significant impact on milk’s nutritional quality.

Below you can find state-by-state information on raw milk legislation and reporting tips on how to chronicle trends in your area.

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READ AP'S COVERAGE

Push for raw milk intensifies across the US, despite illness outbreaks and scientists’ warnings

Takeaways from AP’s report on the push for raw milk intensifying

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FIND MY STATE: RAW MILK LEGISLATION

During current legislative sessions, AP found, more than 40 bills have been introduced in statehouses as of late April that would make it easier to buy, sell or consume raw milk.

Some would allow raw milk to be sold for human consumption for the first time. Others seek to manage, guide or expand already allowed sales.

Such legislation is being considered in 18 states, listed below, including those led by Republicans and Democrats.

A list of all bills that were introduced can be found on the online bill-tracking platform Plural, at this link.

You can click on the bill number to read the text of the legislation and view additional information, such as the primary sponsors. If you click on the three vertical dots to the right of the word “share,” you will see an option to “view source,” which will take you to the state legislative website for that particular piece of legislation. There, you can usually find a detailed history of the bill.

If your state legislative websites allow, you can search bills there with keywords such as “raw milk” or “pasteurize.”

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States with proposed legislation:

HAWAII

IDAHO

ILLINOIS

IOWA

MICHIGAN

MINNESOTA

MISSISSIPPI

MISSOURI

NEW JERSEY

NORTH CAROLINA

NORTH DAKOTA

OHIO

OKLAHOMA

PENNSYLVANIA

RHODE ISLAND

SOUTH DAKOTA

TEXAS

UTAH

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FIND OUT IF YOUR STATE HAS HAD AN OUTBREAK

Have there been any recent outbreaks in your area? Check the list kept by The Center for Dairy Research in Wisconsin, which tracks raw milk recalls and outbreaks.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also have outbreak trackers, but they may not be as current.

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CONSIDER THESE REPORTING THREADS

— What kinds of bills on milk safety did lawmakers in your state propose this year? Speak to the legislative sponsors, as well as those who opposed those bills. Was the legislation developed in partnership with any local advocacy groups, and what do they say about it? What do medical groups, public health experts and dairy farmers say about the legislation?

— Talk with people who drink raw milk and those who won’t drink it. Why have they made those choices? What do they think about efforts to make raw milk more available?

— If there’s been a recent outbreak in your area, delve more deeply into its ramifications. Track how many people were affected. Were any consumers seriously sickened or hospitalized? Has anyone died because of an outbreak? Talk with local health officials about how residents can avoid getting sick.

— Reach out to lawyers who handle food safety cases and see if they can connect you with people sickened by outbreaks involving raw milk or raw milk products. If you find people, ask them about the experience and what advice they may have for others.

— In places where raw milk is already legal, how has that changed the local dairy business? Are traditional dairies selling pasteurized milk feeling pressure to offer raw milk too? What kind of demand are local dairy farmers and retailers seeing for raw milk?

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READ ADDITIONAL AP COVERAGE

Wave of anti-science bills pushed by Kennedy allies hits statehouses, endangering health protections

9 sickened in E. coli outbreak tied to raw milk and cheese

Health officials warn against raw milk after newborn’s death

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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