LANSING – State Representative John Espinoza (D-Croswell) today introduced a comprehensive plan to update the state's milk laws, a move that will protect consumers and ensure that Michigan's milk producers can remain competitive in the industry.
"This plan updates regulation of our milk supply, which is important to ensuring that Michigan milk remains a safe product for our own consumers as well as for buyers in other states," Espinoza said. "With Michigan being among the top 10 states in milk production, we must ensure that our farmers and processors can get safe products to market. By working with dairy farmers and regulatory agencies, we have come up with common-sense legislation that protects the consumer as well as Michigan's economy."
Michigan has about 2,500 dairy farms and plants that process milk or milk products. In 2006, Michigan ranked 9th nationally in milk production, generating almost $1 billion in farm sales from the production of 7.1 billion pounds of milk. Almost one-third of that was sold outside of Michigan.
The key component of Espinoza's plan is updating pasteurization requirements and equipment testing methods. Currently, Michigan follows federal rules that were passed in 2001. Adopting the standards used by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will protect milk consumers and preserve Michigan's milk industry's interstate commerce. Espinoza's plan, which has bipartisan support, also:
- Clarifies licensing requirements and ends duplication when a facility is licensed under state food law;
- Requires new and remodeled milk processing plants to include protection from contamination by nearby animal production facilities;
- Creates a dairy and food safety fund for enforcement of state milk laws; and
- Adds conditions under which the state Department of Agriculture may summarily suspend a license.
"This plan will bring Michigan in line with the current regulations and technology involved in this major industry, which will protect the thousands of jobs connected to milk production in our state," Espinoza said.