HB 414: Raw Milk Amendments - Utah

Amended 2/14/2025 11:02:521 → Substitute #1 · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill substitutes a new version of Utah's raw milk regulations, updating terminology, clarifying enforcement procedures, and modifying penalty structures. The changes include renaming pathogens to more specific scientific terms, adjusting formatting for clarity, and reorganizing sections to improve readability while maintaining the core regulatory framework for raw milk sales and safety standards.

Scope change

No substantive change to the bill's scope or applicability; the bill continues to regulate raw milk sales, testing requirements, and enforcement procedures in Utah.

DEFINITION

Updated pathogen names to use more specific scientific terminology (e.g., 'shiga toxin-producing e. coli' instead of 'e.coli 0157:H7' and 'listeria monocytogenes' instead of 'listeria')

TECHNICAL

Reorganized section numbering and formatting to improve clarity and consistency throughout the document

Removed redundant text and consolidated similar provisions to reduce duplication

Corrected formatting inconsistencies in subsection numbering and removed bracketed deletion markers

ENFORCEMENT

Adjusted language around cease and desist orders and permit suspension procedures for clearer enforcement guidelines

Amended Excerpts 2/14/2025 11:02:521 → Amended 2/14/2025 11:02:521 · 6 edits

MODERATE

This bill amends Utah's raw milk regulations to strengthen food safety standards, particularly around bacterial testing thresholds and pathogen restrictions during foodborne illness outbreaks. The changes clarify definitions for raw milk products and self-owned retail stores, update testing requirements for bacterial and coliform counts, and establish stricter standards when producers are implicated in illness outbreaks.

Scope change

The bill expands enforcement capabilities and clarifies permit requirements for raw milk producers, particularly regarding testing protocols and pathogen restrictions during illness outbreaks.

REQUIREMENT

Updated bacterial count threshold from 20,000 to 40,000 colony forming units per milliliter before requiring testing during illness outbreaks

Updated coliform count threshold from 10 to 20 colony forming units per milliliter before requiring testing during illness outbreaks

DEFINITION

Added new definition for 'foodborne illness outbreak' requiring two or more cases from different households

Added new definition for 'self-owned retail store' requiring 51% ownership of property or voting shares

ENFORCEMENT

Reorganized section structure to clarify permit suspension procedures and pathogen testing requirements

TECHNICAL

Corrected formatting and line numbering throughout the bill text

Enrolled → Amended Excerpts 2/14/2025 11:02:521 · 3 edits

MINOR

This amendment clarifies and expands the list of prohibited pathogens in raw milk products, adds specific scientific terminology (STEC and e.coli 0157:H7), and modifies language regarding when cease and desist orders can be lifted to require proof of freedom from pathogens rather than just meeting standards. These changes strengthen public health protections by making pathogen identification more precise and ensuring stricter verification before resuming sales after an outbreak.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on raw milk regulation, but enforcement criteria were tightened to require explicit confirmation that products are free from specific pathogens before permits can be reissued or cease and desist orders lifted.

REQUIREMENT

Pathogen lists in bacterial and coliform count violations were updated to include specific scientific names (STEC and e.coli 0157:H7) alongside general terms like listeria and salmonella for greater precision in testing and enforcement.

ENFORCEMENT

Language requiring a producer to prove their raw milk product is free of listed pathogens was added to the conditions for lifting a cease and desist order, strengthening public health safeguards.

TECHNICAL

Minor formatting and line number adjustments were made to align the text with standard legislative markup conventions.

Introduced → Enrolled · 6 edits · Mar 19, 2025

MODERATE

This bill updates Utah's raw milk regulations by adding stricter testing requirements, clarifying definitions, and establishing new enforcement procedures for foodborne illness outbreaks. The changes include expanded pathogen testing thresholds, new rules for self-owned retail stores, and clearer standards for permit suspension and reissuance.

Scope change

The bill maintains the same scope of applying to raw milk producers and retail operations but adds more specific requirements for testing and enforcement.

REQUIREMENT

Added new pathogen testing requirements when bacterial or coliform counts exceed specific thresholds (40,000 and 20 CFU/mL respectively) or when producers are implicated in foodborne illness outbreaks.

Added requirements for third-party laboratory testing and established standards for when and how testing occurs during investigations.

Updated permit suspension and reissuance standards to require three consecutive clean tests or negative genome sequencing results before lifting restrictions.

DEFINITION

Reorganized and clarified term definitions, particularly for 'raw milk product' and 'self-owned retail store' to ensure clearer regulatory language.

ENFORCEMENT

Established new procedures for issuing cease and desist orders during foodborne illness outbreaks, including requirements for whole genome sequencing testing and public disclosure protocols.

Created a tiered penalty system with escalating fines ($300, $750, $1,500) for repeat violations of raw milk regulations.

Raw Milk Amendments

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