Raw Milk Sickens Senators During Raw Milk Bill Festivities

Several United States senators become ill after consuming raw milk in celebration of the passing of a bill that allows West Virginia residents to consume unpasteurized milk. West Virginia Senator and bill sponsor Robert Karnes brought the milk in question into the Capitol building to share with fellow delegates, including senator Pat McGeehan, who appeared on a Charleston news segment to describe his ailment. According to the Charleston health department, “raw milk can contain dangerous bacteria and parasites,” and while McGeehan denies his troubles are milk-related, health officials are currently investigating the origin of the illness plaguing the group of senators. With the alternative dairy market skyrocketing, new vegan milk options—which in addition to rice, soy, coconut, and nuts is now made with innovative ingredients such as potato, pea protein, and cassava root—and dairy milk’s proven negative health effects, why would anybody chose to drink milk, especially raw, in 2016?