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Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene was immediately fact-checked on X after urging her followers to drink raw milk, which is linked to a number of foodborne illnesses.
“Raw Milk does a body good. Make America Healthy Again!” Greene posted on the social media platform on Sunday along with an image of a mason jar filled with the liquid.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states on its site that “pasteurization is crucial for milk safety, killing harmful germs that can cause illness” and that “consuming raw milk can lead to serious health risks, especially for certain vulnerable populations.” Raw milk has been thrust into the spotlight with growing popularity, especially on social media, despite the health risks.
Iowa, Montana, North Dakota, Alaska, Greene’s home state of Georgia, and Wyoming have all passed laws or changed their rules to allow the selling of raw milk on farms or in shops since 2020, Politico noted in March.
An FDA study looking at figures from 2016 and 2019 found that 4.4 percent of Americans said they had drunk raw milk within the past year, but that number is now likely to be higher.
As Republicans have become less trusting of government institutions, the appeal of raw milk has grown on the right.
Greene was quickly mocked on X for her post pushing the notion that raw milk is better for you.
Commentator Brian Tyler Cohen wrote: “The thing that conservatives don’t get while wallowing in victimhood is that nobody cares what you drink or eat. Your way of life isn’t under attack; that’s a story you tell yourself to justify ‘fighting back’ against a nonexistent enemy.”
Journalist Justin Baragona said Greene was “Chugging bacteria and pathogens to own the libs.”
In 2016, several West Virginia lawmakers and state Capitol staff fell ill after drinking raw milk as they celebrated passing legislation that removed restrictions, experiencing fever, vomiting and diarrhea, The Independent reported at the time.
Source: independent.co.uk
