Could a maverick raw milk farmer from California help RFK Jr. shape US health policy?

Robert Rodriguez, The Sacramento Bee on Dec 26, 2024

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As Mark McAfee — the maverick leader of California’s largest raw milk dairy — works on getting his Fresno County dairy out of bird flu quarantine, his name has surfaced as a possible advisor for the Food and Drug Administration on shaping raw milk policy in the United States.

The founder of Raw Farm credits a celebrity customer, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., for the consideration.

Kennedy is President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services that includes the FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among other agencies.

To McAfee, Kennedy is more than just a fan of his milk, he’s the person who may be in a position to change the course of raw milk’s future in the U.S.

McAfee, whose dairy has faced several product recalls since 2006, told The Bee he was encouraged by a member of Kennedy’s inner circle to apply for the role of FDA advisor on raw milk policy and standards.

“He wants the kind of milk that I am producing,” McAfee said. “I’m not looking for a job with FDA; I want to be able to work with them and advise them on raw milk standards.”

RFK Jr. and ‘Make America Healthy Again’

Attempts to reach Kennedy’s staff were unsuccessful. But one source with knowledge of the process and who asked not to be identified said McAfee is “under consideration.”

Kennedy’s path to confirmation by Congress is expected to be rocky. His early views on opposing vaccines has since softened but it still raises concerns from health officials.

Hoping to make his selection smoother, five Republican senators recently created a caucus to hype Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” movement that calls for making raw milk more accessible.

Raw milkers will say they can’t live without it and will do whatever they can to get it.

While McAfee’s dairy went into quarantine, the state also found bird flu virus in the company’s milk and dairy. A voluntary recall was initiated and the dairy was temporarily unable to ship milk.

Raw Milk customers

Many of the dairy’s customers rushed to their grocery stores to buy what was left on the shelves. They froze what they couldn’t drink.

Southern California resident Jessica Tapia is normally a Raw Milk customer. She said she was lucky to get a small supply of raw milk from a friend who receives a shipment from an Amish farm in Pennsylvania.

“People don’t understand: Raw milk is the only kind of milk we will consume,” Tapia said. “And if Raw Farms milk is not available, we will find another source. Raw milk people are warriors; we are fighters who have gone deep into health.”

Scientists and medical professionals caution, however, against drinking raw milk because of its potential to contain harmful bacteria and cause foodborne illnesses.

Food safety lawyer Bill Marler, who has sued McAfee several times, agrees with many of Kennedy’s views, including reducing childhood obesity and eating fewer ultra-processed foods.

“But when it comes to having a guy with a checkered history with raw milk help write policy,” Marler said, “that’s just crazy.”

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