A bill to partially deregulate the sale of raw, unpasteurized milk has been approved by the Arkansas Legislature and is headed to Gov. Sarah Sanders to be signed into law.

The bill was overwhelmingly approved by the State Senate on Monday. The State House of Representatives also approved the bill by a wide margin. Both chambers are controlled by the Republican party.

If signed by the governor, House Bill 1048 would allow farmers who produce unpasteurized goat milk, sheep milk or whole milk to sell the products at farmer’s markets and to deliver the product directly to customers. The law would not allow the retail sale of unpasteurized, raw milk.

Currently, the sale of raw milk is allowed at the farm wher it is produced. Such sales will continue to be allowed under the new law.

]The new law would not preclude “the advertising of incidental sales of goat milk, sheep milk, and whole milk that has not been pasteurized.” 

If signed by the governor, the law would allow anyone to sell up to 500 gallons of raw milk per month.

State Sen. Alan Clark, R-Lonsdale, and state representatives Mary Bentley, R-Perryville, Cameron Cooper, R-Romance, and Wayne Long, R-Bradford, filed the bill on Nov. 20, 2024.

The bill amends the language of a 2013 law that only allows farmers to sell limited quantities of unpasteurized milk directly from their farms while clearly labeling the product as unpasteurized.

The bill was filed after a North Little Rock market, Me & McGee, was turned in to the Arkansas Department of Health for selling raw milk under the guise that is was for pet consumption.

The sale of raw milk on an interstate basis is prohibited by federal law because of health concerns. Public health officials from virtually all 50 states say raw milk is dangerous because it can contain harmful bacteria including E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria and Campylobacter. Pasteurization kills bacteria and viruses in raw milk by heating it to 165 degrees for 15 seconds