The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has searched the Amos Miller farm in Upper Leacock Township after illnesses were reported when people allegedly consumed raw dairy products from that facility, according to news reports. The search took place on Thursday, January 4, 2023.
Mr. Miller has been in litigation with the federal government for years because of alleged violations in food safety guidelines and food and meat inspection. Last year a consent decree was filed against the farm for allegedly avoiding USDA inspections and selling uninspected, misbranded meat.
At that time the company was permanently enjoined, and, “Miller’s acknowledges that it has violated the injunction and agrees to pay fines for denying access to inspectors, and will either adhere to procedures for distributing the frozen inventory or destroy it. They will also denature or destroy the fresh carcass meat if MIller’s can’t sell it to a pet food manufacturer, and will stop internet advertising their meat for sale until the products comply with federal and state laws.” The issues with the government go back to 2019.
The Agriculture Department told Lancaster Online that it was notified by health officials in New York and Michigan about illnesses in underage people who allegedly drank raw eggnog and ate other raw dairy products from the Miller Organic Farm. Tests were positive for Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) bacteria, according to those officials. The search warrant was for illegal raw milk and raw milk products, including eggnog.
Symptoms of an E. coli infection usually begin a few days, up to a week, after consuming food that is contaminated with this pathogen. Patients suffer from a mild fever, possible nausea and vomiting, and severe and painful abdominal cramps, along with the characteristic bloody diarrhea.
In some patients, especially those under the age of five, hemolytic uremic syndrome can develop after this infection. Symptoms of HUS include little or no urine output, easy bruising, lethargy, pale skin, bleeding from the nose and mouth. HUS is a medical emergency and anyone with those symptoms needs to see a doctor as soon as possible.
