Family Cow raw milk and raw milk cheeses may have caused Salmonella illnesses, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and news reports. Officials are warning consumers to discard raw milk and raw milk cheeses produced by that dairy. The dairy is located at 3854 Olde Scotland Road in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. A recent spike in Salmonella illness reports prompted officials to look at the dairy. They found that a "substantial number" of 70 recent Salmonella patients said they ate Family Cow's products before getting sick. Samples of the Family Cow's products tested positive for Salmonella. The raw milk was packaged in pint, half gallon, and gallon containers. The raw milk cheeses sold in blocks include Cheddar, yellow Cheddar, garlic and chives Cheddar, Colby, … [Read more...]
Byers Organic Dairy Raw Milk Contaminated With E. coli
Byers Organic Dairy raw milk is being recalled since it may be contaminated with with Shiga toxin-proving E. coli (STEC) bacteria, according to Officials at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and Franklin County health officials. During routine samples, officials found the contamination. No illnesses have been reported to the dairy or to public health officials in connection with the consumption of this product. STEC bacteria produce Shiga toxins, which can travel to the bloodstream and cause damage to the kidneys. This condition is called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), and is a leading cause of kidney failure in children. The recalled milk was sold between July 8 and July 10, 2025, with expiration dates of July 22 and July 23, 2025. The milk was sold in plastic … [Read more...]
Meadow View Jerseys Raw Milk Campylobacter Outbreak
A Meadow View Jerseys raw milk Campylobacter outbreak has sickened an unknown number of consumers, according to news reports. That dairy is located at 172 South Farmersville Road in Leola, Pennsylvania. The milk is being recalled. There is no information about this recall and outbreak on the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture web site, but the public was informed via a press release. And there is no information about where this milk was sold, but last year the same farm recalled raw milk for Campylobacter contamination and listed where the milk was sold. This information may or may not be current. We don't know how many people are sickened, if anyone has been hospitalized, patient illness onset dates, or the age range. Any Meadow View Jerseys raw milk purchased since April … [Read more...]
Minnesota Starts Testing Raw Cow Milk for H5N1 Bird Flu
Minnesota is starting to test raw cow milk for H5N1 bird flu, according to a press release from the Minnesota Department of of Agriculture (MDA). The testing will start beginning the week of February 24, 2025. This is intended to identify where the virus is present, to monitor trends, and prevent its spread to dairy herds and poultry flocks around the state. MDA Commissioner Thom Petersen said in a statement, "H5N1 is an emerging disease in dairy cattle, and conducting disease surveillance supports the state’s ability to effectively respond to outbreaks and limit the potential impact on the livestock and poultry industries, as well as on public health." The notice stated that there are no concerns about the safety of the public milk supply, since all milk sold in stores to the … [Read more...]
Top 10 Outbreaks of 2024: Raw Farm Salmonella E. coli 165 Sick
The top 10 list of outbreaks of 2024 continues with the Raw Farm Salmonella E. coli Campylobacter outbreak that sickened at least 165 people. Twenty people were hospitalized. The outbreak was not publicized when it happened. The patients lived in four states, but only California was named by the California CDC. One of the problems with raw milk is that children, who are one of the groups most susceptible to serious complications from food poisoning infections, make up the greatest number of patients in these types of outbreaks. In fact, the median age in this outbreak was 7 years. Thirty-nine percent of the patients were under the age of five. There were three pathogens in the milk: Salmonella Typhimurium, Campylobacter, and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). Of 81 patients … [Read more...]