Health Law

Rural America Offers To Cure All (But E coli) With Raw Milk

By Marler Clark LLP

M.L. Johnson, writing in the Seattle Post Intelligencer, charts the rapid growth in Raw Milk dairies and she took time to speak with Bill Marler, the Seattle attorney representing children damaged by rural America's money making scheme.  She writes:

Seattle attorney Bill Marler is suing Organic Pastures, the nation's largest organic raw milk dairy, on behalf of two children who fell ill after consuming its products. Testing at the dairy farm near Fresno, Calif., did not detect the strain of E. coli that sickened the children, but a government report said the dairy was likely responsible.

Marler, who has sued other dairies as well, criticized states for bowing to pressure from farmers and allowing raw milk sales to go on - legally or not.

"My worry is that as it becomes more acceptable and becomes more commercialized, you know, it will reach a critical mass where all of the sudden you're going to get a whole bunch of little kids poisoned," Marler said. "And then everybody will throw up their arms and go, 'Whoa, we've got to stop this, we've got to pasteurize.'"

The rise in dairies that do not bother to pasteurize their milk is striking.  With claims of cure-all powers for Raw Milk,  Johnson reports that Washington State has seen the number of its Raw Milk operators grow to 22 , up from six in two years.   Raw Milkers in Massachusetts have more than doubled in five years, reaching 24.

And there is no doubt about the cure-all claims they are making as evidenced by this poster from Organic Pastures.   For the rest of Ms. Johnson's story, go here.

Full post as published by e.Coli Blog on April 09, 2008 (boomark / email).