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Health See other Health Articles Title: Recall targets Fresno County raw milk producer By Cathy Locke One of only two companies permitted to sell raw milk in California has been hit with a state recall and quarantine order after five children who drank the milk, including one in Sacramento County, became ill. California State Veterinarian Annette Whiteford on Tuesday announced the statewide recall and quarantine of all raw milk products produced by Organic Pastures of Fresno County. The quarantine order followed a notification from the California Department of Public Health of a cluster of five children infected from August through October with the same strain of E. coli 0157:H7. In addition to the Sacramento County youngster, the children live in Contra Costa, Kings and San Diego counties. There have been no deaths, but three of the five children were hospitalized with hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious condition that can lead to kidney failure. The E. coli strain has not been detected in laboratory samples of raw milk from the Organic Pastures dairy, or in the Organic Pastures products collected from families of children who became ill. But state health officials said the recall and quarantine were ordered because the company's raw milk was the common link among the five children. Surveys indicate only about 3 percent of the public drinks raw milk in any given week, so finding that all these children drank raw milk, and absent other common foods or animal exposures, indicates the Organic Pastures raw milk is the likely source of the infection, according to a state Department of Food and Agriculture news release. But Kayleigh Lutz, a spokeswoman for the family-owned dairy, said, "This is not a factual recall. It's based on hearsay, on what patients have told doctors over an eight-week period." Lutz said Organic Pastures was the subject of a similar recall in 2006. After pulling the firm's raw milk products off store shelves, however, state investigators concluded the cause of the reported illnesses was not unpasteurized milk, but spinach. She said the company supplies raw milk to 400 stores, co-ops, buyers clubs and farmers markets statewide. The company and the state have issued notices to those outlets recalling all Organic Pastures raw dairy products, with the exception of cheese aged at least 60 days. In addition to raw milk, the order affects raw butter, raw cream, raw colostrum and a raw product labeled "Qephor." "If the order is working as it's supposed to, those products should not be on the shelves," said Steve Lyle, a spokesman for Department of Food and Agriculture. According to Organic Pastures' website, 15 stores in Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado and Yolo counties are affected, including Elliott's Natural Foods, Nugget Market, Sunrise Natural Foods, Sprouts and the Sacramento Co-op. State law requires that unpasteurized milk and raw-milk dairy products bear a label warning that they may contain disease-causing microorganisms. But Dale Cowan, manager of Elliott's Natural Foods in Citrus Heights, said he and many of his customers prefer raw milk for its nutritional value. Organic Pastures is the store's sole raw-milk supplier. "We get an order in Tuesday and within 48 hours, it's sold out," Cowan said. Raw-milk customers can't simply replace Organic Pastures products with another brand, Cowan said. The California Department of Food and Agriculture announced that milk and dairy foods safety experts have begun an inspection of all facets of operations at Organic Pastures dairy, from the cows to the bottling plant. Before the quarantine may be lifted, they said, the facility must meet all sanitation requirements under state law, and raw milk products will be tested to ensure compliance with regulatory standards. Symptoms of the E. coli 0157:H7 infection may include abdominal cramps and diarrhea, which is often bloody. Most people who are infected recover within a week, but some may develop complications that require hospitalization. Young children and the elderly are at highest risk for a potentially life-threatening complication known as hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can include kidney failure. People who develop symptoms of the infection after consuming unpasteurized milk or raw-milk products are advised to consult their health care provider. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest
#1. To: farmfriend (#0)
Booga, Booga, Booga! It's got to be the Raw Milk even though we can't find E. Coli in any of the sampled products. There's some good science for you. NOT! |
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