Raw milk produced by Kimberton Farms Dairy and sold at the Kimberton Whole Foods co-sops in Pennsylvania has been removed from store shelves after a number of illnesses were reported by consumers who drank the milk, according to the Chester County Health Department. Those sickened have reported food poisoning symptoms that include bloody diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal cramping.
Kimberton Farms Dairy, of Kimberton, Pa., also known as Camp Hill Village or Kimberton Hills supplied the milk to Kimberton Whole Foods co-op which sold the product at its Kimberton and Downingtown stores. The product has been removed from those locations.
Raw milk, milk that has not been pasteurized, can carry many types of disease-causing germs such as Campylobacter, E. coli, Listeria, Salmonella, Yersinia, and Brucella. These bacteria can cause severe illness with symptoms listed above. Sometimes hospitalization is required. Those most at risk include small children, pregnant women, and others with compromised immune systems. For more information, see the fact sheet produced by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Or, check out the raw milk information compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The Chester County Health Department is working together with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and neighboring county health departments on an investigation of this food poisoning outbreak. They urge any consumers who drank the milk and developed symptoms to see a health care provider and anyone who has purchased the milk not to drink it.
