Page 98 - Summer 2017 Journal

Raw milk vending machines are operating safely in many European countries. There are more than one thousand raw milk machines in Italy alone.
The major focus was on safety of the milk and maintenance of hygienic conditions before and after dispensing it. If I had to guess, I would bet that a mom designed it!
After payment, the machine dispenses the milk into a glass or plastic container that the consumer can purchase on site (or into the con- sumer’s personal container). Once the machine has dispensed the milk, an ultraviolet light sanitizes the surface. There are usually paper towels nearby to wipe up any drips. One liter (about a quart) of fresh raw cow’s milk is avail- able for about one euro ($1.12 US). A consumer can purchase an unlimited amount of milk.
The vending machines only allow sale of raw milk over a twenty-four-hour period, at which point a new batch must replace the previ- ous batch. If the temperature of the storage unit changes, the farmers receive a message on their cell phone. In fact, a farmer can check the status of the milk machine at any time through a cell phone app. Inspectors also have easy key card access to the inner workings of the vending ma- chines at any time.8 Farmers own and maintain the machines, cutting out middlemen. Farmers can post information on websites letting the public know about the locations of their vend- ing machines, but consumers also can easily find them in areas where they already shop and consume food. There have been no confirmed reports of illness caused by the raw milk pur- chased at these machines from government officials or members of the public.10
A WORLDWIDE TREND
As an American who is aware of the restric-
tions and force applied by the U.S. government to prohibit the sale of raw milk, it was almost unbelievable to observe vending machines dispensing milk for customer after customer in Slovenia. I began to wonder about the extent to which raw milk was permitted elsewhere in Europe. After doing some research, I found that raw milk vending machines are operating safely in many European countries. For example, there are more than one thousand raw milk machines in Italy alone, including in Sardinia and Sicily.11 When blogger Sarah Pope and her family trav- eled to Italy, she observed that raw milk vending machines were stationed near schools.12
In addition to Italy and Slovenia, consum- ers can find raw milk machines in Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Lithuania, The Neth- erlands, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, the United Kingdom and more. Spain and Norway restrict the sale of raw milk at present, but it looks like they may ease regulations to permit vending machines.8
Since seeing that first mlekomat, sales and use of raw milk vending machines have increased to such an extent that they generate yearly marketing reports and forecasts in the millions of dollars. The popularity of raw milk machines has even spread beyond Europe to In- dia and elsewhere in Asia, Africa, New Zealand and elsewhere.8,13
INCOME FOR FARMERS
The European Union originally imposed
raw milk quotas on farmers but recently dis- continued them, which prompted an increase in milk production in many countries, accom- panied by falling prices. These factors, along with rising consumer awareness of raw milk as a natural food, actually created the conditions that have allowed raw milk vending machine sales to skyrocket.8 In fact, the machines hand- ily offered a solution for what might otherwise have become an unpleasant political situation for European officials. As farmers eagerly embrace this strategy for marketing their milk, govern- ments too have welcomed vending machine sales, sometimes attending events that put new machines into service and even drinking the milk themselves.14-15 Dairy farmers who also produce traditional raw milk cheeses, butter- milk, yogurt and chocolate milk are looking to vending machines as potential sales outlets for those products as well.8
A 2016 marketing research report estimated that the European raw milk vending machine market was worth U.S. $6.45 million in 2015 and will reach U.S. $17.97 million by 2024.8 During the forecast period from 2016 to 2024, the market is expected to surge at a compound annual growth rate of 12.5 percent. The report predicts that sales in Eastern European countries will rise by 9 percent over the same eight-year period. The report also covers market growth in
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Wise Traditions
SUMMER 2017