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No official record cited here confirms that a North Carolina Senate committee approved unpasteurized milk sales or distribution. North Carolina’s current statute still restricts direct-to-consumer sales of raw milk for human consumption. A 2025 House bill proposed a licensed-sales pathway, while a 2026 enacted law directed a commission to study possible retail sales and herd shares; neither establishes that those sales are now authorized.
What is the current rule for buying raw milk in North Carolina?
North Carolina General Statutes § 106-266.35(a)(1) states: “Only milk that is Grade ‘A’ pasteurized milk may be sold or dispensed directly to consumers for human consumption.” The statute limits raw-milk sales and dispensing to permitted milk haulers or regulated processing facilities. It also retains an exception for personal use or consumption by an independent or partial owner of a cow, goat, or another lactating animal. See the current codified statute.
What happened to H.B. 609?
H.B. 609, titled “Option for Raw Milk Consumption,” was introduced in the North Carolina House on April 1, 2025. Its proposed licensing framework would have allowed certain sales of Grade A raw milk and raw-milk products for personal use or consumption. The bill text proposed sales at the farm of origin or at a qualifying farm stand within 100 miles of the farm, subject to licensing and handling requirements. The official bill history lists House actions, including a re-referral to House Rules, Calendar, and Operations on April 1, 2025; it does not establish enactment.
Safeguards proposed in the introduced bill
These were provisions in the introduced proposal, not current legal requirements. H.B. 609 proposed annual farm licensing and inspection, animal-health certifications and veterinary examinations, water testing for farms not using public or municipal systems, regular milk sampling and pathogen testing, separation from pasteurized products, and conspicuous warning labels. It also proposed cooling raw milk to 40°F or less within two hours after milking, subject to a blend-temperature condition. The introduced text of H.B. 609 stated an intended effective date of January 1, 2026, but an intended date in a bill does not make the proposal law.
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- INCLUDES: Rennet tablets (5); citric acid (4 ounces); cheese salt (8 ounces); thermometer (1); butter muslin (1 yard); and detailed step-by-step instructions for making mozzarella and whole milk ricotta.
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What did S.B. 639 do?
S.B. 639 became Session Law 2026-11 on June 22, 2026. Its raw-milk-related provision directed the Agriculture and Forestry Awareness Study Commission to study the advisability of allowing herd-share arrangements and retail sales of raw milk and raw-milk products. That is a study assignment, not an authorization to sell or dispense raw milk to consumers. The official S.B. 639 record identifies the enacted measure and its study directive.
How the three legislative actions differ
| Action | Who acted and when | What it establishes |
|---|---|---|
| Current statute, G.S. 106-266.35 | North Carolina law, as codified | Restricts direct-to-consumer sales or dispensing for human consumption to Grade A pasteurized milk, subject to the statute’s stated provisions and ownership exception. |
| H.B. 609 | Introduced in the House on April 1, 2025; House history lists re-referral that day | A proposed licensed pathway for certain raw-milk sales; the located official history does not establish passage. |
| S.B. 639 / Session Law 2026-11 | Enacted June 22, 2026 | A commission study of the advisability of retail sales and herd-share arrangements, not permission for those sales. |
What is the difference between retail sales and a herd share?
A retail sale is a direct sale of milk to a consumer. A herd-share arrangement generally refers to a consumer having an ownership interest in a dairy animal or herd and receiving milk as an owner rather than purchasing it as an ordinary retail customer. North Carolina’s statute expressly provides an exception for personal use or consumption by an independent or partial owner of a lactating animal. S.B. 639’s direction to study herd shares does not itself settle how any particular arrangement is treated under current law.
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- This kit includes 3-ounce citric acid, 3-ounce cheese salt, 5 tablets of vegetable rennet, 1 yard butter muslin, a thermometer, and a recipe booklet.
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What the committee-approval claim can—and cannot—be said to mean
The official records described above establish a House proposal, an enacted study directive, and a current statute restricting direct-to-consumer raw-milk sales. They do not establish the title’s claim that a Senate committee approved sales or distribution. Without a specific official committee record showing that action, it should not be reported as confirmed or as a change in North Carolina law.
Quick Recap
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- INCLUDES: 4 packets of starter culture and 2 vegetable rennet tablets, enough to make four batches of delicious homemade cheese. You can also use all the packets at once to culture 5-10 gallons of milk in one big batch!
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- Our Basic Beginner Cheese making kit (Well, Not-So-Basic) kit contains all the ingredients (except the dairy products) you need to make 10-15 POUNDS of Cheese!
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