- Target:
- Georgia Department of Agriculture
- Region:
- United States of America
Recent passage of House Bill 1175, the Raw Dairy Act, in the state of Georgia has placed the continued existence of small goat dairy farms at risk. Expensive testing for Brucellosis and TB, required of animals that produce raw milk for human consumption, is also required of animals that produce milk for pasteurization and cheese making in a "one size fits all" approach in certifying and regulating Grade A dairies in the state of Georgia. Pasteurization kills brucellosis and TB, that can exist in raw milk and may make human consumers ill, rendering pasteurized cheese products free of these bacteria.
The financial burden of this year over year herd wide testing requirement is too much for the small dairies and micro creameries to bear..
We are requesting Georgia exempt dairies from tagging and testing for Brucellosis and TB when milk production is intended for production of pasteurized cheese products only.
We, the undersigned, request the State of Georgia consider separate designations for dairies producing liquid raw milk for human consumption & dairies producing milk to be pasteurized and used exclusively for cheese making. The later to be exempt from year over year, herd-wide tagging and testing for Brucellosis and TB, as these bacteria are killed by the pasteurization process.
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The Save Georgia's small Goat Farms petition to Georgia Department of Agriculture was written by Pamela Barry and is in the category Law Reform at GoPetition.