ONE Lakes Entrance organic dairy operation stands to lose 70 per cent of their business overnight, after the new raw milk laws came into effect over the weekend.
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The Matthews family were selling raw and pasteurised milk, under the brand Miranda Dale Dairy.
Reg Matthews, who runs the operation with wife Diane, son Paul (pictured) and daughter-in-law, Vikki, said the additional restrictions on raw milk – including the last minute decision to add a bitter chemical – would lead to losses of $30,000 to $40,000 and has nullified their business plans.
A five-year breeding program completed last October saw the Matthews achieve their goal of being the first fully certified organic A2-A2 herd in Australia; but now they are getting ready to sell some of their about 100 Jersey milkers to make ends meet until the regulations are repealed or they can work out a viable business plan within them.
Mr Matthews has been involved with raw and organic milk for 40 years and said in that time he had never had health complaints about their milk.
"We've had hundreds of people say they can tolerate raw milk and their gut has settled down so they can now eat other foods they have had to avoid for donkey's years," Mr Matthews said.
He is upset that not only has the sale of raw milk been further tightened, but the knee-jerk response didn't even wait for the coroner's report into a three-year-old child's death that has purportedly prompted these measures.
"On December 28, we were told as of January 1 to stop selling raw milk, but were granted a month extension by Dairy Food Safety Victoria to update labels.
"And last Thursday, we were told at the stroke of midnight on Saturday night, we'd have to add a bitter chemical – and to do so, we'd lose out organic certification."
He advocates regulating, not banning, raw milk, as most countries do.
"I want three things: freedom of choice; sensible standards and regulations for raw milk and if we can't comply then get rid of us for good; and a joint parliamentary inquiry into how decisions restricting raw milk are made and the evidence they are based on."
He said it was unfair that consumers could no longer legally buy raw milk when there were so many other products available that were potential more harmful including seafood, eggs and even pasteurised milk and dairy products.
"The ban will drive the people to source raw milk underground where there will be fewer regulations."
He refuted the suggestion that selling raw milk put the entire dairy industry's reputation as a supplier of safe food products at risk, by highlighting his family had produced safe raw milk for decades by having healthy, pasture-fed cows and carefully controlled milking and packaging equipment.
He said it was a double standard that there were complaints and recalls of pasteurised milk products each year, but that didn't mean the whole industry was stopped.
