Arkansas Empowers Consumers with New Raw Milk Law
Arkansas leads the charge in food freedom with a new law expanding raw milk sales—empowering local farmers, informed consumers, and traditional nutrition advocates across the state.
Arkansas has taken a bold step toward consumer choice and agricultural freedom. In April 2025, the legislature passed Act 698, eliminating the 500‑gallon monthly cap on raw milk sales and allowing the sale of raw milk and derivative products—such as butter, cheese, yogurt, kefir, colostrum, and more—in farmers markets, natural food stores, and via delivery from farms cdph.ca.gov. This landmark law also replaces cumbersome signage requirements, introduces clear warning labels, and protects producers through required risk acknowledgment forms—all while maintaining important limits, including preventing resale, prohibiting interstate sales, and enabling farm inspections.
Why This Is a Victory for Health, Local Farmers & Personal Freedom
1. Revitalizing Local Agriculture
Farmers, particularly small-scale goat and cow dairies, can now expand their customer base and market products like raw milk cheese and kefir. This opens vital new revenue streams, supports local economies, and helps preserve heritage farming practices.
2. Supporting Food Sovereignty
By allowing raw milk sales at natural food stores and through farm delivery, Arkansas promotes direct, transparent connections between producers and consumers—reinvigorating trust and transparency in our food systems.
3. Harnessing Raw Milk’s Natural Benefits
Advocates highlight raw milk’s unaltered nutrient profile, complete with beneficial enzymes, probiotics, and potentially easier digestibility for lactose-sensitive individuals https://www.rawmilkinstitute.org/updates/letter-to-medical-professionals-about-raw-milk. Some European studies even link childhood raw milk exposure to reduced asthma, eczema, and allergies—possibly tied to early immune-system development https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7019599/.
4. Reduced Waste & Processing
Raw milk doesn’t require pasteurization, meaning smaller farms can avoid energy-intensive processing steps. This reinforces the principle of minimal processing and could decrease food waste across the supply chain.
Disclosure of Proven Health Risks
That said, lets briefly acknowledge “the legacy media consensus” of concerns:
Safety Hazards: Raw milk is 150 times more likely to carry pathogens like E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria, and Campylobacter compared to pasteurized milk—and is linked to hundreds of US outbreaks causing illnesses and hospitalizations each year the-sun.com
At-Risk Populations: Children, pregnant individuals, seniors, and immunocompromised persons are especially vulnerable to severe complications and even death from raw milk consumption https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7019599/.
Expert Advisory: The FDA, CDC, and local health bodies, including California’s Department of Public Health, all warn consumers about the potentially serious risks associated with raw milk apnews.com.
Balancing Transparency with Responsibility
Arkansas’s new law strikes a thoughtful balance: it empowers consumers and farmers while enforcing precautions to promote informed choices:
Warning Labels & Signage remind buyers of the risks.
Liability Waivers ensure consumers accept responsibility.
Farm Inspections give consumers direct access to production facilities.
Sign Size Reductions make labeling practical without being obtrusive.
To maximize safety, these provisions could be paired with voluntary third-party audits or certification programs for producers—setting clear standards without sacrificing freedom.
Final Take
Arkansas’s updated raw milk law is a progressive and pragmatic step forward. It empowers farmers, enhances consumer choice, and celebrates traditional food practices—all without sidestepping safety responsibilities.
With proper safeguards, transparency, and community education, Arkansas is forging a model that other states might follow: one that embraces agricultural freedom while prioritizing public health.