Valley Milk Simply Bottled goat milk is being recalled for possible Campylobacter contamination. The milk is raw, or unpasteurized. It is the subject of a statewide recall and quarantine order announced by California State Veterinarian Dr. Annette Jones. The quarantine order follows the confirmed detection of the pathogen in the farm’s packaged raw whole goat milk that was sampled and tested by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
The order applies to Valley Milk Simply Bottled Raw Goat Milk and DESI MILK Raw goat Milk that is distributed in half gallon (64 ounce) plastic jugs. The code date stamped on the containers is OCT 21 2022 through OCT 31 2022.
Consumers are strongly urged to dispose of any of these products they may have purchased. Retailers are ordered to pull this product from their shelves immediately. The current order does not include the farm’s raw cow’s milk.
Public health investigators found the Campylobacter in a routine sample collected at the Valley Milk Simply Bottled production and packaging facility in Stanislaus County, California. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this issue.
Symptoms of campylobacteriosis, the illness caused by this pathogen, usually start two to five days after exposure. People are usually sick for about a week. Symptoms include fever, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea, and may include join pain and swelling.
Most people who contract this infection recover without medical attention, but some, especially people with compromised immune systems, can become seriously ill with a life-threatening infection. And some patients can develop a complication called Guillain-Barre syndrome several weeks after recovery, which can cause paralysis.
If you purchased either type of this raw goat’s milk from Valley Milk Simply Bottled, do not consume it. You can throw it away in a double bagged container in a secure trash can, or you take take it back to the place of purchase for a refund. If you pour it down the drain, sanitize your sink using a mild bleach solution.
