Happy Hollow Dairy Farm raw milk is being recalled because it may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria, according to the New York Department of Agriculture and Markets and news reports. That dairy is located in Springville, in western New York. No reports of illness have been reported to date in connection with the consumption of this raw milk.
Raw, or unpasteurized, milk has not been heat treated to kill potentially dangerous pathogens, including Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli, Salmonella, and Brucella. In the pasteurization process, milk is briefly heated to a temperature that will destroy bacteria.
The milk was collected by a state health inspector. There is zero tolerance for the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in milk in New York State. Until more sampling shows that the milk is no longer contaminated, the dairy cannot sell raw milk. In the state of New York, raw milk can be sold to the public, but only on the farm where it is produced.
The raw milk sample was confirmed contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes on April 6, 2021. If you purchased raw milk from Happy Hollow Dairy Farm, do not drink it. Throw it away or pour it down the sink. Be sure to sanitize your sink with a mild bleach solution if you discard the milk this way.
Symptoms of listeriosis, the illness caused by this bacteria, can take up to 70 days to appear. Symptoms of this illness include a high fever, severe headache, muscle aches, stiff neck, nausea, and diarrhea. Pregnant women are at higher risk for serious complications from listeriosis. The women may only feel mildly ill with what seems like the flu, but this infection can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature labor, and a serious infection in the newborn. If you drank this Happy Hollow Dairy Farm raw milk and have been ill with these symptoms, call your doctor.
