Bill would allow raw milk to be produced without a permit and sold off the farm in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — House Bill 179, which proposes changes to how raw milk is treated under Utah law, was approved by the House Health and Human Services Committee on Friday.

While raw milk production previously required a permit in Utah, H.B. 179 would only require that raw milk producers notify the health department of their intent to produce, rather than requiring them to obtain a permit.

H.B. 179 also changes some sale restrictions, allowing raw milk producers to now sell raw milk or raw milk products off-farm through retail owned by the producer, if specific conditions are met.

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These conditions include:

• Notification to the state (no permit required)

• Strict handling and refrigeration rules

• Pathogen-testing thresholds

• Animal health requirements

• Detailed labeling, including a sell-by date, the producer name and address, a warning that raw milk may be unsafe, and a species and allergen statement

If a raw milk product is linked to a foodborne illness, the state must issue a cease-and-desist order, and the producer must stop sales until the issue resolved.

If passed, the bill would make it so that raw milk can now be sold off the farm for the first time in Utah. Nonetheless, the state regulations for raw milk production would remain in place.

The bill passed the House Health and Human Services Committee, which means that it will still need to be voted on by the legislature and then signed by the governor before it can become law.

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