Pasteurization required for commercial milk under Decree 616/2006. Traditional raw milk sales at local markets and directly from farms are widely practiced with minimal enforcement.
Raw milk (leche cruda) for commercial consumer sale is not authorized under Colombian federal regulations. Decree 616/2006 (Reglamento Técnico sobre los Requisitos que debe cumplir la Leche para el Consumo Humano) requires pasteurization or equivalent heat treatment for all milk sold commercially. The National Food and Drug Surveillance Institute (INVIMA / Instituto Nacional de Vigilancia de Medicamentos y Alimentos) and the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA / Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario) jointly oversee dairy safety and quality.
Traditional sales of raw milk at local markets and directly from farms are widespread across Colombia, particularly in rural areas and secondary cities. Informal farm-to-consumer and farm-to-market sales are a cultural norm throughout the country's dairy regions, including Cundinamarca, Antioquia, Boyacá, and Nariño, and operate with minimal regulatory enforcement.
Official government documents and legal resources for Colombia
Colombian technical regulation establishing quality and safety requirements for milk for human consumption, including the pasteurization requirement for commercially sold milk.
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Belgium’s FAVV circular specifically governs raw milk vending machines, requiring placement within 80km of the producing farm and daily milk replacement. Bilingual guide to rauwe melk and lait cru in Belgium.
Spain requires raw milk direct sales to be packaged nationally. Catalonia went further with Decreto 163/2018, authorizing farm gate sales, retail, and automated vending machines: three years before the national framework caught up.
Founder of the Slow Food movement, the Ark of Taste, and Terra Madre, Carlo Petrini spent four decades defending artisanal food traditions, raw milk cheeses, and the right to good food worldwide.
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Where to find raw milk vending machines across Europe by country, with local search terms and directory links. Covers Italy, France, Slovenia, Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands, Germany, and England.
Raw milk in France is available at the farm gate, from automated vending machines, and on the shelves of organic grocery stores, including Biocoop nationwide.
