NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — Grocery shops say it’s a growing trend in Central Florida: More and more people are buying raw milk, but Florida law says it’s illegal to sell it for human consumption.
Despite that, one Volusia County dairy farmer says her business of selling raw milk is growing.
Here’s what you should know about her business, along with reservations the state has with raw milk:
1. Keely Exum, along with her husband, own Keely Farms Dairy.
2. They deliver raw milk to hundreds of customers around Central Florida.
3. Florida Law bans the sale of raw milk for human consumption, however, it can be sold as food for animals.
4. Keely Farms Dairy sells raw milk for animal food. Their label even warns, “Not for human consumption," but they can't control what customers do with it once they get it into their refrigerator.
5. The FDA warns milk can cause illness absent the pasteurization process that kills harmful bacteria, but others say raw milk has health benefits — saying it strengthens the immune system and is safe to drink if produced under sanitary and healthy conditions.