Williams Valley Family Farm raw milk has been recalled because it may be contaminated with E. coli bacteria, according to the Washington state Department of Health. The dairy is located in Clayton, Washington.
There is no post on the Department of Health agency’s website about this recall, but an email alert has been distributed. No reports of illness due to the consumption of this raw milk have been reported to the company or to public health officials as of October 14, 2021.
The milk was shipped to retail locations in eastern and western Washington state. Public health officials will provide more distribution details when they become available. It is legal to sell raw milk at the retail level in that state.
The raw milk was distributed in gallon and half-gallon containers. The use/freeze/sell by dates are Best By October 20, 2021 through October 28, 2021. The recall was started after routine sampling by the Washington State Department of Agriculture revealed the presence of Shiga toxin-producing E coli in retail raw whole milk dated October 20, 2021.
If you purchased this Williams Valley Family Farm raw milk, do not drink it and do not use it in cooking because of the possibility of cross-contamination. Discard the milk even if some has been consumed and no one got sick; the bacteria can clump in tiny particles and is not always evenly distributed in the milk. You can return the raw milk to the store where you purchased it for a full refund, or you can dispose of the milk by discarding it in a sealed or double bagged container in a secure garbage can with a tight lid.
Symptoms of an E coli infection can include a mild fever, nausea and vomiting, severe and painful stomach and abdominal pain and cramps, and diarrhea that is bloody. Symptoms usually start two to five days after exposure to this pathogen.
