The Stoltzfus Family Dairy at 6300 Skinner Road in Vernon, New York is voluntarily recalling batches of chocolate milk that were improperly pasteurized, according to news reports. Pasteurization is the processing of briefly heating milk to high enough temperatures to kill pathogenic bacteria such as Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella; it makes the milk safe to drink.
The recalled milk is Creamline chocolate milk. The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets announced this recall last week; routine department inspections uncovered this problem. If the milk was not heated to a high enough temperature to kill pathogenic bacteria, someone may get drink it and get sick. However, no illnesses have been reported by consumers to date in connection with the recalled Creamline chocolate milk.
The chocolate milk was sold in plastic 12 ounce, 1 quart, 1/2 gallon, and gallon containers. It had the container codes 8-16-18 and 8-24-18. The milk was sold by the dairy in 13 counties in New York state. They are: Cayuga County, Chenango County, Cortland County, Fulton County, Hamilton County, Herkimer County, Madison County, Oneida County, Onondaga County, Oswego County, Otsego County, Seneca County, and Yates County in that state. No more information was provided, such as stores that carried the milk, or if it was sold at farmers markets or directly from the dairy itself.
If you purchased this chocolate milk, do not drink it or use it in cooking. Discard the milk in a sealed or double bagged package, or take it back to the place of purchase for a refund.
