After an E. coli O103 outbreak in northwestern Missouri sickened three people, the Missouri Department of Agriculture suspended the plant license for Homestead Creamery of Jamesport. Three people in that state became sick after allegedly consuming cheese made at the creamery with unpasteurized, or raw, cow's milk according to CBS St. Louis. The facility was reinspected by the Missouri State Milk Board on Tuesday, January 22, and notified of the license reinstatement on January 23. Gena Terlizzi of the Missouri Department of Health told Food Poisoning Bulletin that there were one confirmed and two suspected cases of E. coli O103 in the northwestern part of the state. None of the cases required hospitalization and all have recovered. Fred Pritzker, a national food safety attorney who … [Read more...]
Did Raw Milk Cheese Cause E. coli Food Poisoning Outbreak in Missouri?
Public health officials have announced an outbreak of E. coli in northwest Missouri that has sickened several people. And a recall of aged raw milk cheese for possible E. coli contamination was announced yesterday. Are the two connected? We decided to take a look back at outbreaks caused by raw milk and raw milk cheeses to see how common they are. Most dairy-related food poisoning outbreaks are linked to raw milk, according to the CDC. A study reviewing dairy outbreaks from 1993 to 2006 found 121 outbreaks that caused 4,413 illnesses, 239 hospitalizations, and three deaths. Raw milk products were the cause in 60%, or 73 of the outbreaks. But far fewer people drink raw milk than pasteurized milk. The amount of pasteurized milk produced during that time period was 2.7 trillion pounds. … [Read more...]
