HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania health officials say the number of people stricken with illness after consuming raw milk from the same dairy has risen to 35 in four states.
The confirmed cases of campylobacter bacterial infection include 28 people in Pennsylvania, four in Maryland, two in West Virginia, and one in New Jersey.
Health officials said Thursday consumers should discard raw milk bought from the Family Cow farm in Chambersburg on or after Jan. 1. The farm has voluntarily suspended raw milk production.
An Agriculture Department spokeswoman said final test results of milk samples from the farm may be available Friday.
The federal Food and Drug Administration warns that raw, or unpasteurized, milk can contain harmful bacteria. Dairy farmers say demand is growing because of concerns about hormones in traditional dairy products.
Well this should bring out all the fanatics who deride laws made to protect them from tainted food products. I have nothing against drinking raw milk, it is a personal decision. However people are wrong when they say you cannot get very ill by doing so. They claim they trust the dairy farmer next door more than the local store whose milk products are supplied by farms that are required to follow pasteurization standards. The problem is, most of these people are ill equipped to judge whether or not the dairy next door is following proper milk handling procedures to avoid food borne illnesses. I am going to save this story for the next round of comments from misguided consumers who are outraged by local officials just doing their job when they require farms to follow the law.
Slowly harm the body with hormones, steroids and antibiotics or take the chance on becoming ill from raw milk. I can see both sides.
The hormone, steroid, and antibiotic issue is quite different from pasteurization. Still, pasteurization aside, I get your point and do not deny that there may be some long term harm from the chemical additives. I’ve made this point before with the organic growers amongst us, regardless of the chemicals and pasteurization etc life expectancy of people living on an American diet is far longer than it used to be. I know, I know, it’s probably taken a nose dive over the last couple of decades but I think you understand what I’m saying. I have no problem with folks drinking unpasturized milk but only as long as they are aware of the possible consequences. Buying it next door from your neighbor and friend is not a guarantee of healthiness.
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Compare this report of the consequences of raw milk sales to the irresponsible, cynical, nitwit conspiracy and food hygiene theories, of Farmer Brown and the Blue Hill Town meeting. Regulation of raw milk sales was always about promoting and insuring public health and never about deprivation of “rights” as put about by an alliance of cynical opportunists, nostalgia freaks, and delusional far right patriot nut jobs who feel blaming everything, real or imagined on state regulation is a useful public policy.