Pennsylvania Dairy Recalls Raw Milk

Agriculture Department Warns Consumers to Discard Raw Milk Purchased at Northeastern Pennsylvania Dairy Consumers who purchased raw milk from Gross Family Dairy in South Sterling, Wayne County, should discard it immediately due to the risk of Listeria.

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture today said raw milk collected during required routine sampling by a commercial laboratory on December 17, 2015, tested positive for the bacteria. No illnesses have been reported as a result of the potential contamination, but if people who consumed the raw milk become ill, they should consult their physician. Symptoms of Listeriosis can appear in four days or up to three weeks after ingestion.

Gross Family Dairy sells raw milk on their farm as well as in Stroudsburg, Monroe County, at Earthlight Natural Foods, the Stroudsburg Farmers Market and the Monroe Farmers Market. It also sells raw milk at Dutch’s Market in Greentown, Pike County; Everything Natural in Clarks Summit, Lackawanna County; and at Matt’s Farm Stand in Hamlin, Wayne County. The milk is sold in half gallons and pints, and was bottled December 20, with a sell-by date of December 30.

Agriculture officials have ordered the owner to stop sale of all raw milk until further notice. Two samples taken at least 24 hours apart must test negative for pathogens before the farm can resume raw milk sales.

Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized.

Pennsylvania law allows farms to sell raw milk, but requires the farms to be permitted and inspected by the Department of Agriculture to reduce health risks associated with unpasteurized products.

When an incident of contamination is discovered, the department’s milk sanitarian works with the raw milk permit holder to educate them on where the issue occurred and how to find a solution.

Symptoms of Listeriosis are fever, muscle aches, and sometimes gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea or diarrhea. If infection spreads to the nervous system, symptoms such as headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance or convulsions can occur. Infected pregnant women may experience only a mild, flu-like illness, but infections during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage or stillbirth.

For more information about Listeriosis, visit www.health.pa.gov.

Any person who consumed raw milk from Gross Family Dairy and has symptoms should consult their physician, visit their local health center or call 877-PA HEALTH (714-3258).

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NY state warns consumers about listeria in Gerald E. Snyder Farm’s raw milk Consumers in New York’s Allegany County and the surrounding area were told not to consume “unpasteurized” raw milk from the Gerald E. Snyder Farm, due to possible Listeria contamination.  The public health warning came from  Commissioner Richard A. Bail of  the New York Department of Agriculture and Markets.

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Canada: Raw milk cheese recalled due to Staphylococcus contamination

Portuguese Cheese Co. Ltd. is recalling St. Jorge and Queijo São Jorge raw milk cheese from the marketplace because they may contain the toxin produced by Staphylococcus bacteria. Consumers should not consume the recalled products described below.

The Queijo São Jorge raw milk cheese may have been sold in smaller packages, cut and wrapped by some retailers. Consumers who are unsure if they have purchased affected products should check with their retailer.

Recalled products

Brand Name	Common Name	Size	Code(s) on Product
St. Jorge	Raw Milk Cheese	Variable	Lot #914
Queijo São Jorge	Raw Milk Cheese	Approximately 9-10 kg	AEE0215 (appears on case only)

What you should do

Check to see if you have recalled products in your home. Recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the store where they were purchased.

Food contaminated with Staphylococcus toxin may not look or smell spoiled. The toxin produced by Staphylococcus bacteria is not easily destroyed at normal cooking temperatures. Common symptoms of Staphylococcal poisoning are nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping and fever. In severe cases of illness, headache, muscle cramping and changes in blood pressure and pulse rate may occur.

Ireland Recall of Raw Milk Corleggy Cheeses

Recall of Raw Milk Corleggy Cheeses Due to Detection of Verocytotoxigenic Escherichia coli (E. coli)

Summary
Product:	All varieties of Corleggy Cheeses including: Drumlin cheese (all flavours), Corleggy cheese, Cavanbert cheese, Creeny cheese; approval number: IE 1816 EC; all sizes.
Batch Code:	All batches and all expiry dates.
Country Of Origin:	Ireland

Corleggy Cheeses is recalling all batches of its raw milk cheeses due to the detection of verocytotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) in two batches of its cow’s milk cheese.  The cheeses are supplied to some restaurants and retail shops.  They are also sold directly at food markets.  Consumers are advised not to eat the affected cheeses.

Nature Of Danger:

VTEC may cause severe bloody diarrhoea and abdominal cramps, although sometimes the infection causes non-bloody diarrhoea or no symptoms. In some groups, particularly children under 5 years of age and the elderly, the infection can also cause a complication called haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) in which the kidneys fail.

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Raw Milk Recalled from Breezy Meadows Dairy due to Salmonella

Consumers who purchased raw milk from Ben K. Stoltzfus, Breezy Meadows Dairy, 2457 Stumptown Road, Bird-In-Hand, PA 17505 should discard it immediately due to Salmonella contamination.

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture today said raw milk collected during required routine sampling by a commercial laboratory on April 7, 2015 tested positive for the bacteria.

Breezy Meadows, owned by Ben K. Stoltzfus, sells directly to consumers at an on-farm retail store. The packaged raw milk is sold in one-gallon and ½-gallon plastic containers. Approximately 80 gallons of raw milk were sold between April 7 and April 15, 2015.  The plastic containers are not labeled.

Agriculture officials have ordered the owner to stop sale of all raw milk until further notice. Two samples taken at least 24 hours apart must test negative for pathogens before the farm can resume raw milk sales.

Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized.

Pennsylvania law allows farms to sell raw milk, but requires the farms to be permitted and inspected by the Department of Agriculture to reduce health risks associated with unpasteurized products.

When an incident of contamination is discovered, the department’s milk sanitarian works with the raw milk permit holder to educate them on where the issue occurred and how to find a solution.

Symptoms of Salmonellosis usually appear within 12 to 72 hours after consumption and include diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps and vomiting that can last anywhere from four to seven days.

For more information about salmonella, visit www.health.state.pa.us.

To date, the Pennsylvania Health Department is not aware of any illnesses related to these products. Any person who consumed raw milk from Breezy Meadows Dairy and has symptoms should consult their physician, visit their local health center or call 877-PA HEALTH (714-3258).

Listeria Contamination in Raw Milk from Dirie Farm

New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball today warned consumers in Sullivan County and the surrounding area not to consume unpasteurized raw farm milk from the Richard Dirie Farm due to possible Listeria contamination. The Dirie Farm is located at 1345 Shandelee Rd, Livingston Manor, New York, 12758.

A sample of the milk, collected by an inspector from the department’s Division of Milk Control and Dairy Services on April 7, 2015 was subsequently tested by the Department’s Food Laboratory and discovered to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. This Dairy had another outbreak of listeria last year.

On April 9, 2015, the producer was notified of a preliminary positive test result. He volunteered to suspend raw milk sales until the sample results were confirmed.  Further laboratory testing, completed on April 15, 2015, confirmed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in the raw milk sample.  The producer is now prohibited from selling raw milk until subsequent sampling indicates that the product is free of harmful bacteria.

Listeria monocytogenes is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, cancer patients, elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. People who are otherwise healthy may suffer only short-term, flu-like symptoms such as high fever, severe headaches, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, Listeria can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

It is important to note that raw milk does not provide the protection of pasteurization, which eliminates all pathogenic bacteria, including Listeria.

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Raw Milk Found to Contain Harmful Bacteria

A report published today by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) shows that raw milk can contain harmful bacteria and therefore, the consumption of raw (unpasteurised) milk increases the risk of developing foodborne illness.  The FSAI continues to recommend that the sale of raw milk for direct human consumption should be prohibited in Ireland and advises that the most effective way to protect public health is to ensure that all milk is effectively heat-treated (e.g. pasteurised or boiled), especially when served to infants, children, pregnant women, older people and those with a weakened immune system or those suffering from a chronic disease.

The report details the results of an FSAI microbiological survey confirming the presence of pathogens in raw milk and the in-line filters used in the milking equipment.  For raw milk samples, detection rates of Listeria monocytogenes and Campylobacter were 7% and 3%, respectively.  However, detection rates in milk filter samples were considerably higher at 20% and 22% 0pasturizationrespectively, which suggests a greater potential for contamination of raw milk.  In addition, Salmonella was detected in 1% of raw milk filters and 0.5% of raw milk samples, while E. coli O26 (VTEC) was detected in 6% of raw milk filter samples showing its potential to contaminate raw milk.

Dr Wayne Anderson, Director of Food Science and Standards, FSAI, states: “Almost all milk on sale in Ireland is pasteurised and pasteurisation is the simplest and most reliable method to ensure that milk is safe to drink.  While the market for raw milk is small, it remains a serious concern given the well-documented public health risks posed by the presence of pathogens in raw milk.  We are therefore recommending that raw milk should be avoided by consumers, but for those who still wish to drink it, they should, at a minimum, boil the milk before drinking it to kill any potentially harmful bacteria.”

Commenting on the ongoing risk to farm families who continue to consume raw milk in their own homes, Dr Anderson states: “The FSAI is aware that any ban on the sale of raw milk would not affect those farm families who choose to consume raw milk.  But farm families should be particularly aware of the risk to young children and pregnant women posed by drinking raw milk and also the fact that farm visitors may not be aware that they are consuming raw milk. We therefore continue to recommend the use of home pasteurisers to ensure milk is safe.”  

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Outbreaks from raw milk on the rise

Outbreaks caused by raw milk increased over a six-year period, according to a newly released CDC study. The study reviewed outbreaks caused by raw milk--milk that has not been pasteurized to kill disease-causing germs--in the United States that were reported to CDC from 2007-2012. The study analyzed the number of outbreaks, the legal status of raw milk sales in each state, and the number of illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths associated with these outbreaks.

More states are legalizing the sale of raw milk even though this leads to an increase in the number outbreaks. Findings also showed that the number of states that have legalized the sale of raw milk has also increased. In 2004, there were 22 states where the sale of raw milk was legal in some form; however, this number increased to 30 in 2011. Eighty-one percent of outbreaks were reported in states where the sale of raw milk was legal. Children were at the highest risk for illness from raw milk. About sixty percent of outbreaks involved at least one child younger than five years of age. Raw milk is a risk for human health. You cannot look at, smell, or taste raw milk to determine if it is safe. Cows and other animals can appear healthy and clean, but can still have germs, like Salmonella and E. coli, which can cause illnesses in humans.

Milk cannot be collected without introducing some bacteria-- even under ideal conditions of cleanliness. Unless the milk is pasteurized, these bacteria can multiply.

Even raw milk supplied by "certified," "organic," or "local" dairies has no guarantee of being safe. Raw milk from grass-fed animals is not considered safe either.

How does milk get contaminated?

Milk contamination may occur from:

• Cow feces coming into direct contact with the milk
• Infection of the cow's udder (mastitis)
• Cow diseases (e.g., bovine tuberculosis)
• Bacteria that live on the skin of cows
• Environment (e.g., feces, dirt, processing equipment)
• Insects, rodents, and other animal vectors
• Humans, for example, by cross-contamination from soiled clothing and boots

Is it true that raw milk has more enzymes and nutrients than pasteurized milk? While it’s true that the heating process of pasteurization does inactivate some enzymes in milk, the enzymes in raw animal milk are not thought to be important in human health. Some nutrients are somewhat reduced in raw milk, but the United States diet generally has plenty of other sources of these nutrients. For example, vitamin C is reduced by pasteurization, but raw milk is not a major source of vitamin C.