How Legal is Raw Milk in Colorado?

Have you ever wondered if it would be healthy to use milk directly from the cow without being processed for a bowl of cereal? As it turns out, it's actually currently illegal to sell milk from an animal for human consumption in Colorado, though an effort to reverse that particular law is currently making headway.

What Does Colorado Law Say About Selling Raw Milk?

According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment:

The sale of raw cow, goat or sheep milk for human consumption is illegal in Colorado.

The CDHPE must adhere to certain regulations including one upheld by the Federal Government which requires milk products designed for human consumption to be certified Grade A pasteurized.

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However, this may be changing in the near future as an effort to legalize the sale of raw animal milk in Colorado was recently approved by the state's Senate Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee.

Will the Sale of Raw Milk be Legalized in Colorado?

If passed, Senate Bill 43 would allow the sale of raw milk in Colorado but with certain stipulations. For example, the seller of such a product would first need to register with the CDHPE and pass the department's rigorous inspections. Furthermore, if the product is approved, it will still not be allowed to be sold in grocery stores but only at residences, farmer's markets, and by roadside vendors.

In addition, the product would be required to display adequate labeling so that consumers would be fully aware that the milk is not pasteurized, but raw.

Supporters of the bill have made arguments that pasteurization removes valuable nutrients from animal milk and other states including Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, Kansas, and Texas have already passed similar measures.