What is Fresh Milk?

Northeast States Association for Agricultural Stewardship

An affiliate of The Council of State Governments’ Eastern Regional Conference

5 McCobb Road Dresden, ME 04342 • Phone: (207) 737-4717 • Fax: (207) 737-2280

 Press release:

What is Fresh Milk?

 Contact: Marge Kilkelly

 (207) 737-4717

When is a gallon of milk really fresh milk? That’s what a group of northeast ag legislators want their constituents to know.

Buying a gallon of fresh milk in the northeast not only supplies families with a high quality food, but also supports local, northeast agriculture, right? Well, that is not always the case.

According to Assemblyman Darrel Aubertine NY, “ Milk that has been partially dehydrated and shipped cross country is sometimes rehydrated here and sold to northeast consumers as fresh milk”.

“ Ultra High Temperature processed or UHT milk, has a shelf life of about 70 days. It can be processed and stored for days, then shipped and now, sold as fresh milk”, said Sen. Bobby Starr, VT

Aubertine and Starr are among a group of legislators who regularly discuss dairy issues facing the

northeast. The group is staffed by the Council of State Governments. Currently Vermont, New York and New Hampshire legislators have filed legislation that would create a labeling program for milk indicating that it is either Fresh (VT,NH, NY) Milk or Fresh Northeast Milk. Northeast milk would have to be produced in any one of the 10 northeast states from Maine to Delaware.

 Rep. Jay Phinizy NH, Chair of the Northeast States Association for Ag Stewardship, (NSAAS) is hopeful that other northeast states will develop a similar process. “ We need to work together to not only support our dairy farms but also assure that consumers know what they re buying,” he said, “ families buying milk, need to know if it is fresh milk from our local farms or highly processed milk from away, they can buy either one with confidence, but they ought to know the difference.”

 “ I have talked to constituents who think that Ultra Processed milk is actually better for them,” said

Senator Sara Kittell VT, ”they think it is still local milk but higher quality, they are shocked to think it may be from as far away as the west coast. Consumers who want to support their local farms need the additional information to help them make their buying decisions.”