Imperialists in the Refrigerator

by Wendy McElroy
May. 30, 2012

Various American regulatory agencies have criminalized the sale and the distribution of raw milk, allegedly as a means of protecting the welfare of consumers. The government claims unpasteurized milk is dangerous because it has not been treated to eliminate pathogens such as E. coli.

Raw-milk enthusiasts counter by pointing to its health benefits and the fact that it has been safely consumed by humans for centuries. This is the wrong ground of argument. It assumes the government can properly ban a food if, in its judgment, the food carries an unacceptable health risk for your body.

The ban does not require your agreement; indeed, producers and consumers who refuse to negate their own judgment are severely and publicly punished in order to deter others who might rebelliously eat food. Nor does the risk need to be a direct or deadly contamination; some studies or some experts may merely point to increased indicators for possible illness in the future.

Once you cede the "authority" of the state to dictate food choices to individuals, then the entire argument against such bans has been conceded. No solid moral or political defenses remain. Nothing is left but the crunching of data to uncover health risks. And remember, state-funded statistics and studies will almost always lead to greater state control.

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