Rep. Zimmerman looks to expand sales of raw milk products amid Amos Miller case

• By Jaxon White/LNP | LancasterOnline

A Lancaster County Republican wants to expand the types of raw milk products that can be sold in Pennsylvania amid Upper Leacock Township farmer Amos Miller’s legal battle with the state Department of Agriculture over his unlicensed sale of raw milk.

State Rep. Dave Zimmerman, of East Earl Township, on Thursday introduced a bill to allow yogurts, ice creams, soft cheeses, butters and other products made from raw milk to be sold by farmers with a permit from the state.

“It’s meeting a demand that’s out there, that consumers are asking for,” said Zimmerman, who operated a dairy farm before being elected to the Legislature. “In some areas, these people are traveling a long way to find these products.”

Raw milk doesn’t undergo the pasteurization process, which involves heating milk to kill dangerous bacteria like salmonella, E. coli and listeria, which are responsible for causing multiple foodborne illnesses, including diarrhea, cramps, kidney failure and, in some rare cases, death.

Under current law, dairy farmers with a permit from the agriculture department are authorized to sell raw milk in liquid form and hard cheeses made from raw milk. Zimmerman’s proposal would require the new products to undergo the same testing regulations already required by the state for raw milk products.

“If there is no testing then we don’t know. If there is testing, then we at least know the products are safe,” said Zimmerman.

Zimmerman’s legislation comes as state agriculture regulators are suing Miller, claiming he endangers public health with his unlicensed selling of raw milk. Miller has been the subject of federal and state efforts to compel him to follow food safety rules since at least 2016.

Zimmerman said Miller’s case was not the inspiration for his bill. He said he simply wants to help dairy farmers meet public demand for raw milk products.

But state Rep. Keith Greiner, the Upper Leacock Republican whose district includes Miller’s farm, said Miller’s case “brought the issue into light” for him and was one reason he co-sponsored Zimmerman’s bill.

Greiner said he’s heard from many constituents who want to buy raw milk products and that he wants to support those consumers. “We should allow for the expansion of that.”

Zimmerman has criticized both Miller’s handling of his business and the state’s regulation of raw milk.

During a January interview with state Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding at the annual Pennsylvania Farm Show, Zimmerman trod carefully between denouncing Miller’s defiance of state rules while voicing support for raw milk products.

“I’m not sure where that fine line is of government being involved and the freedoms of individuals like that,” Zimmerman said.

In a January 17 Facebook post, Zimmerman specifically addressed Miller’s refusal to cooperate with state officials. “Is it too much to ask our farmers to follow these basic requirements to ensure food safety?”

Zimmerman added that some regulations “should be changed,” but that allowing those who ignore regulations to continue without any punishment would “violate our justice system.”

Though some commenters responded to defend Miller, Zimmerman said Thursday that he has not heard any pushback from his constituents about his comments.

A Department of Agriculture spokeswoman said Thursday the agency would not comment on Zimmerman’s legislation because its staff had not received a copy of the bill. LNP | LancasterOnline was given a copy by Zimmerman’s office.

Zimmerman said he also hopes that his legislation could help revitalize Pennsylvania’s dairy industry, which in March was topped by poultry as the state’s leading agriculture sector.

“Hopefully, this will give our dairy farmers an opportunity to have a dairy farm and have it be profitable because it’ll increase the additional marketing opportunities,” he said.

Zimmerman’s bill now needs the support of House Democrats, who hold a majority in the chamber, if it stands a chance of passing in the General Assembly. Luzerne County state Rep. Eddie Pashinski, a Democrat who chairs the House Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee, did not respond to a request for comment.