Mooove over, regular milk. Raw milk could be coming to Albuquerque grocery stores

It was a controlled substance for years. But now, finally, it’s legal.

It’s raw milk.

Monday night, the Albuquerque City Council voted 7-2 in favor of allowing raw milk, which is unpasteurized, to be sold in the city. The Bernalillo County Commission voted in September to allow the sale of raw milk in the unincorporated parts of the county.

Cheesemonger Lissa Knudsen, who spoke during public comment about the bill, said it would make New Mexico an “artisanal cheese-friendly state” and bring additional revenue to farmers.

“Cheese needs to age,” Knudsen said. “Producers need to have the resources to sit on their investment and wait for it to mature; having a way to sell fluid raw milk provides quick turnaround income that can be reinvested.”

Albuquerque isn’t the first New Mexico city to allow sale of the food item. State law already has provisions to allow for raw milk sales, including specific labeling and inspection requirements.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that raw milk can carry bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses. But Sarah Smith, a representative of the Raw Milk Institute who spoke at the Monday meeting, said the state guidelines for producers render raw milk made in New Mexico low-risk.

“I’m not personally a fan of raw milk,” said City Councilor Brook Bassan, who voted in favor of the bill. “But that doesn’t mean I’m not a fan of the free market. If people don’t like raw milk, don’t buy it.”

The Albuquerque ordinance requires grocery stores selling raw milk to get a sushi-grade permit, which requires additional inspections. State law requires raw milk producers to be inspected at least twice every six months.

Diane Dolan, government affairs manager for the city of Albuquerque, said if every grocery store in Albuquerque decided to sell the product, it would cost an estimated $15,000 per year in staff time to inspect and permit the facilities. But, Dolan told the Journal, the city is anticipating that many grocery stores won’t take advantage of the changes.

Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn, who voted against the measure with Councilor Isaac Benton, said claims that the raw milk industry is more humane and environmentally friendly than traditional dairy production are misleading.

“Cows are cows,” Fiebelkorn said. “They all produce methane. Methane is a problem for climate change.”

She also pointed to the high cost of raw milk, which she said can run three times that of a regular gallon of milk.

“This is just a money-making opportunity for the dairy industry,” Fiebelkorn said.