On-farm raw milk sales are legal in Massachusetts under 330 CMR 33.00. A state permit is required and sales are restricted to the licensed farm. No delivery, retail store, or farmers market sales.
Massachusetts permits on-farm raw milk sales under 330 CMR 33.00 (Retail Sale of Raw Milk from the Farm), administered by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. Farms must obtain a state Raw Milk Permit and submit to periodic inspections and testing. Herd tuberculosis and brucellosis status must be maintained, bacterial plate counts and somatic cell counts must meet prescribed limits, and raw milk must be labeled "UNGRADED RAW MILK — USE BEFORE (date)" in red lettering on white or yellow containers. Raw milk sold under the permit may only be purchased at the licensed farm premises; delivery to consumers, sales at farmers markets, and retail store sales are not authorized.
Massachusetts has a well-established on-farm raw milk market. Licensed farms operate in most counties, with concentrations in central and western Massachusetts, the Pioneer Valley, and the South Shore region. The state does not permit off-farm distribution of any kind, which means consumers must travel directly to a permitted farm to make a purchase. Bills to expand the framework to include delivery, farm stand sales, and farm cooperatives (including S.540 and related measures) have been introduced in the Massachusetts Legislature in recent sessions but have not advanced into law. Raw milk labeling regulations in Massachusetts have been cited as among the most specific in the Northeast.
Official government documents and legal resources for Massachusetts
Massachusetts regulation governing on-farm raw milk sales, setting labeling, testing, herd health, and inspection requirements. Sales permitted only at the licensed farm premises.
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