Health Law

Raw milk salmonella outbreak

By Drew Falkenstein

A salmonella outbreak linked to raw milk has occurred in Utah.  Heather May of the Salt Lake Tribune reported today on the outbreak:

Public health and agriculture officials are investigating six cases of salmonella they believe were caused by drinking unpasteurized milk.

Milk samples are being tested for the bacteria at the state's public health lab, with results due next week, said Lance Madigan, spokesman for the Utah County Health Department.

"It's a known issue that unpasteurized milk will carry a lot of different things, including Campylobacter, E. coli and salmonella," he said. "We're investigating other possibilities but that's the suspicion at the moment."

The sick range in age from a toddler to a 56-year-old, Madigan said. He doesn't believe anyone was hospitalized. Four live in Utah County and the other two are in Salt Lake County and Wasatch County.

The milk was bought in Orem and Heber at Real Foods Market, said Madigan. The stores stopped selling the milk last Friday.

Health officials haven't detected other cases since then. "It does appear to be contained," he said.

The milk is from Real Foods' farm, Redmond Heritage Farms, in Sevier County. Farm manager Brandon Foote noted the milk is tested monthly to ensure it is just as clean as milk that has been heated to kill bacteria.

"We're just working very cooperatively with the state to see if we can find anything," he said.

The Real Foods Market website includes a release form for customers who want to buy raw milk, acknowledging the risk of a food-borne illness.

Full post as published by Food Poison Blog on May 07, 2010 (boomark / email).