It never ceases to amaze me why people drink raw milk. Raw milk, as all should know, is unpasteurized. Pasteurization is the process by which milk, juices and other products are heated in order to kill off dangerous pathogens. Without pasteurization, bacteria that harm or even kill people remain in the milk. Pasteurization, a simple procedure that’s been used for about 150 years, is absolutely effective. Pasteurization does not affect the taste of milk. It does not reduce or degrade milk’s beneficial and nutritional qualities. Any claims that it does have been debunked by scientists and physicians. The only people who claim raw milk is good for you are people who ignore science. The only people who claim pasteurization makes milk less nutritious ignore science. This is … [Read more...]
Campylobacter Outbreak at Alejandro’s Taqueria in Fairfield, CA Sickens 32
A Campylobacter outbreak at Alejandro’s Taqueria in Fairfield, CA has sickened at least 32 people, according to the Solano County Department of Public Health. Those who became ill ate at the restaurant between May 26 and May 29. The restaurant was temporarily closed on June 8. Campylobacter bacteria is transferred via the fecal-oral route, meaning those who develop Campylobacter infections have ingested microscopic amounts of human or animal feces. Symptoms of an infection, called campylobacteriosis, include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever. Usually, these symptoms develop two to five days after exposure and last about a week. During this time, the diarrhea can become bloody and sometimes there is also nausea and vomiting. Infections in young children, seniors and those with … [Read more...]
New USDA Poultry Standards Aim to Reduce Salmonella, Campylobacter Illnesses
Campylobacter and Salmonella are common causes of food poisoning often associated with poultry. They're not considered legal adulterants so it's okay for companies to produce and sell poultry with some amount of these bacteria on them, but until now there weren't established limits on the the bulk of poultry products consumers buy. In 1996, the USDA set standards for Salmonella and Campylobacter on ground poultry sand whole birds, but last week it never had standards for poultry sold in pieces such as breasts, wings, and drumsticks despite the fact that poultry pieces account for 80 percent of consumer poultry purchases Salmonella and Campylobacter sicken about 3 million Americans every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). So why would any … [Read more...]
USDA Has New Guidelines for Controlling Salmonella and Campylobacter in Poultry
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS) has new guidelines to help poultry processors control Salmonella and Campylobacter. “These guidelines take into account the latest science and practical considerations, including lessons learned from foodborne illness outbreaks in the last several years, to assist establishments in producing safer food,” said USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety Al Almanza. “This new guide is one piece of FSIS’ Salmonella Action Plan and our effort to reduce Salmonella illnesses attributed to meat and poultry products by 25 percent in order to meet the nation’s Healthy People 2020 goals. By following the newer guidelines, poultry facilities can help us reach this important public health target.” Salmonella and … [Read more...]
Food Poisoning Kills 420,000 Each Year, Says WHO Study
Food poisoning kills 420,000 people every year, one third of them children under 5, according to a new study by the World Health Organization (WHO). Researchers from the organization looked at 10 years of data, studying 31 disease-causing agents that cause an average of 600 million illnesses each year. “These estimates are the result of a decade of work, including input from more than 100 experts from around the world. They are conservative, and more needs to be done to improve the availability of data on the burden of foodborne diseases. But based on what we know now, it is apparent that the global burden of foodborne diseases is considerable, affecting people all over the world – particularly children under 5 years of age and people in low-income areas,” said Dr Kazuaki Miyagishima, … [Read more...]
Organic Pastures Dairy Recalls Raw Milk for Campylobacter
The California Department of Food and Agriculture has announced a recall of raw milk produced at Organic Pastures Dairy of Fresno county after Campylobacter bacteria was found in raw whole milk. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with the consumption of this product. A quarantine order has been announced by California State Veterinarian Dr. Annette Jones. Organic Pastures Dairy brand Grade-A raw milk labeled with a code date of OCT 24 2015 is to be pulled from retail shelves. Consumers are strongly urged to dispose of any product remaining in their refrigerators. The bacteria was discovered as a result of product testing conducted as part of routine inspector and sample collection at the facility. Products from Organic Pastures Dairy of Fresno have been recalled … [Read more...]
Cryptosporidiosis Outbreak Associated with Raw Milk in TN
The Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) is investigating multiple gastrointestinal disease reports among people who consumed raw milk before they got sick. Two cases of cryptosporidiosis have been confirmed in people who live in the Chattanooga/Hamilton County Region. Both cases are associated with raw milk consumption from a dairy cow share program. In the last few months, other individuals have been interviewed about sporadic cases of Campylobacter and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), who also drank raw milk from different sources. TDH Commissioner Dr. John Dreyzehener said, "Consuming raw milk in the belief it's healthier than pasteurized milk is a perilous risk that shakes off the possibility of a range of serious and occasionally fatal illnesses for the individuals and … [Read more...]
CDC: Raw Milk Caused 85 Percent of Dairy Outbreaks in 2013
Raw milk products were the source of 85 percent of all food poisoning outbreaks linked to dairy products in 2013, according to report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A total of 20 dairy outbreaks were reported that year for which pasteurization information was available. Of those, 17 were linked to unpasteurized products. The other three were Listeria outbreaks linked to pasteurized soft cheeses. Campylobacter was the most common bacterial source of the raw milk outbreaks causing nine outbreaks, 114 illnesses and five hospitalizations. In the last nine months, there have been at least three Campylobacter raw milk outbreaks. The most recent outbreak has been linked to raw goat milk from Claravale Farms. Three children, all under the age of 5, have been … [Read more...]
Raw Milk Farmer Points Out Great Reason to Avoid Raw Milk
Raw goat milk produced by Claravale Farms in San Benito County has been linked to a Campylobacter outbreak that has sickened three small children, hospitalizing one of them. The outbreak follows to previous recalls for Campylobacter in raw dairy products from the farm, one in April 2105 and one in April 2012. The farm's website does not mention the current outbreak. But it does have news updates about the April recall. One of them states: "We have been cleared by the CDFA to sell milk again and are now back in the stores and farmers markets. Our problem turned out to be a single cow with Campylobacter living in the milk in her udder... So what these results mean is that the problem was in no way connected to our milking or processing procedures or our cleanliness standards or any other … [Read more...]
Most Food Poisoning Outbreaks Not Made Public
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is out with a new report about food poisoning outbreaks in 2013. There were 818 food poisoning outbreaks that year, 26 of them were multistate, but only seven of those appearing on the list were made public in 2013. The CDC defines an outbreak as two or more illnesses caused by the same source. The 818 outbreaks resulted in 13,360 illnesses, 1,062 hospitalizations, 16 deaths and 14 recalls. The 26 multistate outbreaks resulted in 1,530 illnesses, 403 hospitalizations and seven deaths. The seven multistate outbreaks that the CDC made public in 2013, resulted in 1,092 illnesses, 313 hospitalizations and two deaths. Comparing the multistate outbreaks listed in the new report to those disclosed is a little tricky. On its website, the … [Read more...]
