Food Poisoning Law Blog : Food Poisoning Lawyer & Attorney : PritzkerLaw : Food Safety, Outbreaks & Recalls

At least  51 people in four states have contracted Campylobacter infections after drinking tainted raw milk  produced by The Family Cow Farm in Chambersburg, Pa., according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

The strain of Campylobacter jejuni found in unopened samples of Family Cow raw milk matches the outbreak strain, lab tests have confirmed. For those who became ill, the onset of illness ranges from January 17 to January 30. The confirmed case count by state is as follows: 42 in PA,  4 in MD, 2 in NJ and  3 in WV

In Pennsylvania, the outbreak has spread through 11 counties. Confirmed case count by Pa. county is as follows: Adams (1), Allegheny (1), Bucks (3), Chester ( 2), Cumberland (3), Dauphin (1),  Delaware (4), Franklin (18), Lancaster (5),  Wyoming (1), York (3).

The dairy resumed production on Monday after the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture released this statement: The Family Cow has passed  a final inspection by the department of agriculture. They can resume production and bottling of raw milk. An inspection by the department will be conducted late today, February 6, 2012.

Symptoms of Campylobacter infection included diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain, and fever. Symptoms usually appear two to five days after ingesting the organism. A culture of a stool sample is necessary to confirm the diagnosis. Most people who contract a Campylobacter infection, called campylobacteriosis, recover completely within 2 to 5 days, some Campylobacter infections can lead to serious complications including: meningitis, heart attack, hemolytic uremic syndrome, respritory distress, gall bladder inflammation, urinary tract infections, proctitis, arthritis, blood poisoning, severe dehydration and Guillain-Barrè syndrome, a type of paralysis.

If you have legal questions about and illness or hospitalization associated with this outbreal contact the food safety lawyers at PritzkerOlsen for a free consultation.

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Raw milk sold at farmers markets in Portland, Maine will not be required to carry a warning, the city council decided last night.

The city’s health department had recommended that warnings citing the health risks of raw milk be posted on placards or handouts where raw milk was sold, but the council voted against the proposed measure calling it “unfair and arbitrary.”

Raw, or unpasteurized, milk can carry dangerous pathogens such as Salmonella, E.coli, Campylobacter and Listeria, which is why many medical and scientific organizations including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, all recommend that milk intended for human consumption be pasteurized.

The CDC reports that raw milk accounts for the bulk of dairy-associated foodborne illness outbreaks and estimates that raw milk causes an average of eight foodborne illness outbreaks every year.

So far this year, an ongoing multistate outbreak linked to raw milk produced on a Pennsylvania farm has sickened at least 43 people with Campylobacter infections, according to state health officials. From 2009 through 2011, there were 29 foodborne illness outbreaks linked to raw milk or raw cheese. And between 1998 and 2009, there were 93 reported outbreaks of foodborne illness linked to raw milk and raw milk products, according to the CDC. Those outbreaks sickened a total of 1,837 people, hospitalizing 195 and killing two.

If you have legal questions about an illness or hospitalization associated with raw milk, contact the food safety lawyers at PritzkerOlsen P.A. for a free consultation.

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Franklin County, Pennsylvania, accounts for half of the 36 Pennsylvania Campylobacter illnesses that are so far linked  to an outbreak associated with raw milk from a dairy farm in the county seat of Chambersburg. Franklin County is the No. 2 dairy producing county in Pennsylvania and it includes the towns of Mercersburg, Green Castle, Waynesboro and Shippensburg.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health said late Monday in its latest update on the outbreak  that Maryland, New Jersey and West Virginia also have detected illnesses from the outbreak strain of Campylobacter, a pathogen that can lead to respiratory failure and acute muscular paralysis. In all, there were 43 confirmed cases when the state issued its report. Investigators believe more cases will be reported in the coming days.

A public health laboratory in Maryland confirmed last week that two unopened containers of raw milk from The Family Cow dairy in Franklin County contained the bacteria Campylobacter jejuni. And many of the outbreak patients told investigators they had consumed raw milk from The Family Cow before getting ill.

The outbreak and its cause are under investigation by national food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., Fred Pritzker, the firm's president and founder, currently represents a Pennsylvania family in a raw milk Campylobacter lawsuit. He can be contacted via the Web or by calling 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free). Our legal group has won millions for victims of food poisoning while also actively working in various campaigns to defeat foodborne illness.

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Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey and West Virginia have all been affected by an outbreak of Campylobacter jejuni associated with raw milk from The Family Cow dairy farm in Chambersburg, Pa. The official count of 38 laboratory confirmed illnesses at week's end was expected to grow.

Because raw milk is not pasteurized, disease-causing organisms like Campylobacter, which grow in the intestines of cows and other animals, can translocate, survive the bottling process and multiply once inside a plastic jug or any other container. Children, the elderly and people who have weakened immune systems are most at risk for serious illness. Campylobacter infections, in particular, can lead to a life-threatening complication known as GBS, or Guillain-Barre' Syndrome.

In The Family Cow Campylobacter outbreak that began in mid-January, half of the victims have been under the age of 18. The ages of all case patients range from 2 to 74 and some individuals have been hospitalized. GBS can cause acute muscular paralysis and respiratory failure. By far, the largest number of illnesses (31) are in Pennsylvania, where Family Cow raw milk is sold at health food stores and drop points around Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, eastern Pennsylvania and the south-central region.

National food poisoning law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., is conducting its own investigation and has noted a special finding by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.The DHMH Laboratories Administration has confirmed the presence of Campylobacter jejuni in two unopened raw milk samples purchased from this farm. This scientific link between the outbreak and Family Cow raw milk will be an important element in any outbreak-related Pennsylvania raw milk lawsuit.

Fred Pritzker, founder and president of PritzkerOlsen, is scheduled to debate the question of raw milk safety at Harvard University Law School Feb. 16. His firm is one of the very few in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation and he has collected millions of dollars for victims of food poisoning while also actively working on causes to stop bacterial contamination of our food supply.

Families and individuals harmed in the current raw milk outbreak in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey and West Virginia can contact a food illness lawyer at PritzkerOlsen or call the firm directly at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free). Case consultations are free and clients are not required to pay unless and until a claim is secured for them.

PritzkerOlsen attorneys currently represent the family of a 67-year-old man from Mars, Pennsylvania, who was paralyzed as a result of drinking raw milk tainted with Campylobacter. Allegheny County is the location of that Pennsylvania raw milk lawsuit. 

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Up to a dozen people in Pennsylvania and Maryland who drank raw milk from the Family Cow dairy near Chambersburg, Pa., are now confirmed case patients in an outbreak of Campylobacteriosis, a disease that can not only cause fever and diarrhea but can lead to respiratory failure and acute neuromuscular paralysis.

Local media reports quote the Pennsylvania Health Department as saying the outbreak has grown from six known cases to 12 since the outbreak was detected last week. Three of the initial cases were in Pennsylvania and three were in Maryland. 

The two states issued a public health advisory last week that remains in effect: Consumers should not drink any Family Cow raw milk purchased since January 1. The dairy voluntarily suspended production last week when the illnesses came to light. The implicated milk is sold in plastic containers of various sizes labeled with the Family Cow brand and "raw milk.'' It is sold at more than 20 health food stores in Pennsylvania and at more than 25 drop points around Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, south-central Pennsylvania and eastern Pennsylvania.

Law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., represents a family from Mars, Pennsylvania, in a Campylobacter raw milk lawsuit filed in 2010 in Allegheny County. The firm is investigating the Family Cow outbreak and accepting cases from individuals and families who have been harmed. Authorities in Pennsylvania and Maryland have not said if any of the current victims were hospitalized. Campylobacter infection can lead to a life-threatening disease known as GBS, or Guillain Barre Syndrome.  A good food poisoning lawyer will pursue a claim that covers not only initial medical bills, lost wages and other immediate costs, but also all future harms, including money for anticipated medical treatment, pain and suffering, loss of earning power, loss of companionship and other long-term effects.

In the initial phase of Campylobacter infection, symptoms usually occurs in two to five days after ingesting the bacteria. Patients often do not require specific medical treatment unless they become severely dehydrated or the infection spreads from the intestines. But in those cases, a person's breathing can shut down and they can lose motor function and become paralyzed.

Click here to contact an attorney from PritzkerOlsen or call the firm directly at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free). Consultations are at no cost to callers and our firm requires no payment from you until your claim is won, Our law firm is one of the very few in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation and we have collected millions of dollars for survivors of contaminated food.

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Family Cow raw milk associated with a Campylobacter outbreak in Pennsylvania and Maryland was sold, among other places, at the Healthy Grocer in Camp Hill, Pa., and at various drop points and health food stores across the state.

The Family Cow website lists 29 total drop points for the milk around Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, south-central Pennsylvania and eastern Pennsylvania. At least 25 health food stores are listed as retailers of the farm's products.

Customers reported having high fever, diarrhea and the chills and health officials have confirmed that three people in Pennsylvania and three people in Maryland became infected by Camplyobacter bacteria, a dangerous pathogen emitted from cows and other animals in their feces. Campylobacter is one of several enteric bacteria associated with raw milk food illness outbreaks.

The Family Cow dairy of the Chambersburg area issued a news release advising customers with raw milk marked with a "best by'' date in January to discard it. The dairy advises customers who have milk with a “best by” date in February to hold the milk until testing reports come in. More results are expected Monday. Sales have been halted until at least Tuesday.

 A broader warning has been issued by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Department of Health: Consumers should discard any product purchased from this farm since January 1, 2012.

 The implicated milk is labeled “raw milk” (meaning, not pasteurized) and is sold under “The Family Cow” label in plastic gallon, half gallon, quart and pint containers. 

National food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., is investigating this outbreak and accepting cases from families and individuals who have fallen ill. The firm currently represents a Mars, Pennsylvania, family in a raw milk Campylobacter lawsuit filed in 2010 in Allegheny County. In that case, a healthy 67-year-old man who drank contaminated raw milk suffered respiratory failure and acute neuromuscular paralysis from a complication of Campylobacter infection known as Guillain Barre syndrome, or GBS. 

Source: The Patriot-News

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A Pennsylvania and Maryland Campylobacter outbreak has been linked to raw milk from the Family Cow Dairy Store in Chambersburg, Pa. At least six people are ill, three from each state, and health officials in Pennsylvania and Maryland have issued a warning about raw milk purchased from the Family Cow since January 1, 2012.

It's illegal to sell unpasteurized milk in Maryland, but some consumers told authorities they have purchased the milk at pre-determined drop-off points.

Campylobacter jejuni is one of several harmful bacteria associated with unpasteurized milk. An infection from this pathogen can lead to several forms of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). Some of the more commonly encountered effects of GBS are limb and respiratory weakness, loss of reflexes and paralysis. Miller Fisher syndrome is a subtype of GBS.

A Pennsylvania Campylobacter raw milk lawsuit was filed in 2010 by local counsel in Allegheny County. The case is headed by national food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker and attorneys from his firm, PritzkerOlsen, P.A. The victims of raw milk contamination in that case are a husband and wife and the defendants include the raw milk producer and the retail store that sold the product. The case revolves around very serious injuries to the husband, who suffered acute neuromuscular paralysis from the neck down.

Mr. Pritzker and his staff are investigating the Family Cow Dairy Store outbreak and accepting cases from those who were sickened. Call for a free case consultation at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or leave your contact information and a lawyer will call you to discuss your claim and answer any questions. PritzkerOlsen is one of the very few legal groups in the U.S. practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation and has collected millions for victims of food poisoning.

• Bucks
• Cumberland
• Dauphin
• Delaware
• Franklin
• Lebanon
• Montgomery
• Philadelphia
• York

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National food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker has been invited to participate in a debate about raw milk at Harvard Law School’s Food Law Society on February 16, 2012.

Raw milk, or milk from cows, sheep or goats that hasn’t been pasteurized, has become a hot topic. Enthusiasts nationwide are seeking ways to ease purchasing and production restrictions, despite warnings from health officials about its inherent danger.

Proponents say raw milk contains healthful microorganisms that pasteurized milk does not, and that drinking it can aid digestion, boost the immune system and ease the symptoms of allergies and asthma.

While there is no scientific evidence to support these claims, there is ample evidence that pasteurization saves lives by killing dangerous pathogens such as Salmonella, E. coli, Campylobacter and Listeria.

Raw milk products account for the bulk of all dairy product-associated foodborne illness outbreaks reported to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Over the 36-year period between 1973 and 2009, a whopping 82 percent were caused by raw milk or cheese made from raw milk. Between 1998 and 2009, raw milk and raw milk products caused 93 reported outbreaks of foodborne illness, according to the CDC. Those outbreaks sickened 1,837 people, 195 of whom required hospitalization, two of whom died. Almost 80 percent of the outbreaks involved at least one child or teenager. In 2011, there were at least 10 foodborne illness outbreaks linked to raw milk.

Mr. Pritzker has represented victims of raw milk outbreaks, including the family of a man who became paralyzed from the neck down after drinking raw milk that was tainted with Campylobacter.

Many medical and scientific organizations recommend pasteurization for all milk consumed by humans; these include CDC, the Food and Drug Administration, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, and others.

Despite its risks, the sale of raw milk is legal in some states. The science and safety or raw milk will be covered at the Harvard debate.
Participants will include:

Fred Pritzer, founder of PritzkerOlsen Law Firm
Dr. Heidi Kassenborg, director of the Dairy and Food Inspection Division of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Sally Fallon Morell, president of Weston A. Price Foundation
David Gumpert, author of The Raw Milk Revolution.

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Production at Organic Pastures, California’s largest producer of raw milk, was halted last week after an E.coli outbreak that sickened five children was linked to the dairy’s raw milk. While owner Mark McAfee maintains his milk is healthful and risk-free, this is not the first time the dairy has had trouble with food safety issues.

Over the last 15 months, the Fresno County Department of Health has inspected Organic Pastures 10 times. Of those, four were routine inspections where “significant violations” were found that required mandatory re-inspection. Some of these violations were for unsanitary conditions, such as a broken toilet, lack of hot water for hand washing in the bathroom sink, manure on barn walls and exit ramps and under barn mats, all of which were cited in a report from August 24, 2010. Other reports site the lack of a concrete pad at a docking station and beneath a mobile barn.

• On September 12, 2008, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CFDA) issued a recall for raw cream manufactured at the dairy after tests showed it was contaminated with Campylobacter.
• On September 7, 2007, the CFDA issued a recall for raw cream manufactured at the dairy after Listeria monocytogenes bacteria turned up on a routine inspection.
• On September 21, 2006, the CFDA issued a recall after four children contracted E. coli infections after consuming raw milk products from the dairy.

Campylobacter, Listeria and E. coli are all dangerous pathogens that can cause serious sometimes fatal infections. With all foodborne illnesses, children are among those most a risk for serious complications, including hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) which can lead to kidney failure.

A press release on the Organic Pastures website states:

“It is a common goal of Organic Pastures and the California Department of Public Health to
rapidly investigate any linkage between these cases and raw milk. Each month CDFA tests
all Organic Pastures’ products for pathogens, in addition Organic Pastures uses a third party for pathogen testing multiple times per week. All these tests have been negative. It
has been reported to us by the California Department of Public Health that as of today all
products collected from the ill patients have been negative for E. Coli 0157:H7.”

A review of all CFDA inspections does support the claim that the dairy is inspected each month. Four of the 10 inspections during the last 15 months were mandatory re-inspections. Had they not been required, the dairy would have had six inspections during a 15 month period.

In a USA Today story, McAfee says that because California has no test evidence that shows children drank contaminated milk, he finds the case "highly suspicious." But as Steve Lyle, of the CFDA countered in the story that "milk is perishable, so the product consumed by the children was not available for testing" by the time they got sick "and that's typically to be expected."

Anyone experiencing abdominal cramping or bloody diarrhea after consuming raw milk products should seek immediate medical attention. Anyone with questions regarding an illness or hospitalization associated with this outbreak should contact the national food safety law firm PritzkerOslen P.A. for a free consultation.

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One of the troubling issues about the sale of raw milk is that consumers are not adequately warned about the risks. I represent people sickened by raw milk due to contamination with Campylobacter jejuni, E. coli O157:H7 and other dangerous pathogens. Raw milk can cause kidney failure, paralysis and death. I know because I have stood by the bedsides of people who innocently drank raw milk and ended up hooked up to life support fighting for their lives.

The FDA has reported yet another outbreak associated with raw milk, this time raw milk from Tucker Adkins Dairy of York, South Carolina that health officials believe was contaminated with Campylobacter. The Tucker Dairy raw milk associated with the outbreak was distributed in North Carolina by a courier. Three people in North Carolina have confirmed cases of campylobacteriosis and there are additional "probable" cases in North Carolina.

The sale of the Tucker Adkins Dairy raw milk may have been illegal. Although retail sale of raw milk is legal in South Carolina, it is illegal to distribute raw milk in final package form for direct human consumption in interstate commerce. Retail sale of raw milk for human consumption is also illegal in North Carolina.

Until we can guarantee no innocent party will ever be harmed by raw milk, the sale of raw milk, including through herd-share arrangements, should be banned. Since that is probably not going to happen, sellers of raw milk should be required by law to post information about the risks of consuming raw milk, including the risks of kidney failure, paralysis and death. This warning should be posted on every bottle of raw milk sold and on every raw milk product.

Food safety attorney Fred Pritzker represents campylobacteriosis victims nationwide. He can be reached at 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or by submitting our free consultation form.

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Our Campylobacter attorneys are investigating an outbreak of campylobacteriosis in three people who consumed raw milk from Tucker Adkins Dairy in York, South Carolina. The three confirmed cases and another five probable cases are from three different households and each case reports that prior to becoming ill they consumed raw milk that was obtained from Tucker Adkins Dairy on June 14, 2011, according to the FDA.  The onset of illness in these cases occurred in mid June. One person was hospitalized.

"We are currently representing people seriously sickened by raw milk and raw milk products," said attorney Fred Pritzker. "None of our clients realized that raw milk can contain dangerous pathogens, including Campylobacter and E. coli. Sellers of this dangerous product should be held accountable for the harm done."

The raw milk associated with the illness was in one-gallon containers and was distributed in North Carolina by a courier. It is unknown whether the raw milk may have been distributed in other states.

Symptoms of campylobacteriosis may include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, headache and body ache. Most healthy individuals recover quickly from illness caused by raw milk. However, some people may develop Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS).  

If consumers of raw milk are experiencing one or more of these symptoms after consuming raw milk or food products made from raw milk, they should contact their health care provider immediately.

If you or a family member is diagnosed with campylobacteriosis, contact our attorneys for a free consultation.

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16 people, including at least 9 children, were sickened by raw milk contaminated with Campylobacter jejuni served at a 4^th grade school event in Wisconsin. The same strain of Campylobacter was found by health officials in unpasteurized milk (raw milk) produced at a local farm, according to officials from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and Western Racine County Health Department.

A parent served raw milk from the farm at the school event. This highlights one of the problems with raw milk: most people do not know that raw milk is a dangerous product that can cause serious injury and death. We are currently representing a man who drank raw milk contaminated with Campylobacter, developed Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and is now paralyzed. He can’t even breathe on his own.  

The public needs to be educated about the dangers of raw milk.  We have had raw milk advocates comment on this blog that raw milk is safe and health officials who point to raw milk as the source of an outbreak are lying. The evidence proves them wrong. This is what the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture had to say about the investigation into this outbreak:

Stool samples submitted to the WRCHD by ill students and adults were sent to the State Laboratory of Hygiene where they tested positive for the bacteria.  Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) food inspectors collected milk samples from the bulk tank at the farm, which tested positive for Campylobacter jejuni. Further testing by the State Hygiene lab showed the bacteria strain from the stool samples and the milk samples matched. Additionally, interviews with event attendees revealed that consuming the unpasteurized milk was statistically associated with illness. Health officials said that this combination of laboratory and epidemiologic evidence indicates that the illnesses were caused by the unpasteurized milk consumed at the school event.

To contact PritzkerOlsen law firm, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit our free consultation form.

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A celebration for fourth graders at North Cape Elementary School in Franksville, Wisconsin is associated with at least 16 cases of food poisoning. Raw milk served at the event may be the source of the illnesses. The Western Racine County Health Department has not pinpointed raw milk as the source, but the investigation is ongoing.

Raw milk is a dangerous product. Past outbreaks have been caused by raw milk contaminated with one or more of the following pathogens:

• Campylobacter
• E. coli
• Listeria
• Salmonella.

Our attorneys are representing a man who drank raw milk contaminated with Campylobacter bacteria. He developed Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) and is now totally paralyzed, except for minimal movement of his head and the ability to blink his eyes. He was placed on ventilation equipment and is still unable to breathe on his own.

Our attorneys are also representing several people, children and adults, who were sickened by raw milk cheese contaminated with E. coli O157 that was served at Costco stores during cheese tasting events. One of our clients developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and almost died.

Given the dangers associated with raw milk, it should never have been served to fourth graders without their parents’ consent. Raw milk and raw milk products, for example cheese, should never be served at events where a child or anyone could consume it without knowing what it is or how dangerous it is.

Attorney Fred Pritzker can be contacted at 1-888-377-8900.

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 A Pennsylvania raw milk farmer may be shut down for good if the U.S. Justice Department succeeds in gaining a permanent injunction against him for allegedly violating food safety laws, repeatedly.

The complaint was filed at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for misbranding and distribution of of unpasteurized milk for human consumption in interstate commerce. The alleged violator is Daniel L. Allgyer, owner of the Rainbow Acres Farm in Kinzers, Pennsylvania.

Raw milk can contain a wide variety of harmful bacteria, including Listeria, E.coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Yersinia, and Brucella. 

 “Drinking raw milk is dangerous and shouldn’t be consumed under any circumstances,”  Dara A. Corrigan, FDA’s associate commissioner for regulatory affairs, said in a news release. “FDA has warned the defendant on multiple occasions that introducing raw milk into interstate commerce is in violation of Federal law.”

FDA investigators determined during an inspection of Rainbow Acres Farm that the farm was producing, packaging, selling, and distributing unpasteurized and unlabeled milk for human consumption in interstate commerce. FDA issued a warning to Allyger April 20, 2010, but the farm "continued to operate in violation of federal law,'' the press release said.  

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Raw milk is one of the riskiest of all foods a family could eat. That's the message a public health epidemiologist and veterinarian who works for the U.S. Public Health Service provides in a well-researched opinion written for FoodSafety.Gov.

Casey Barton Behravesh knows first hand as a vet how animals and their germs can contaminate all kinds of foods. Her job also is to investigate E. coli outbreaks and other outbreaks of foodborne illness caused by contaminated food or contact with infected animals. She has watched how many people have erroneously come to believe that unpasteurized milk contains extra nutrients or can solve health problems. The reality is that raw milk can cause devastating illness with long-term, disabling effects. Children and older adults are most at risk. 

This medical professional says that another prevailing myth spread by raw milk enthusiasts is that healthy animals don't carry germs that contaminate raw milk. But in her training as a vet and health investigator, Ms. Behravesh can assure people who read her commentary that  outbreaks of illness related to raw milk have been traced back to both grass-fed and grain-fed animals. Raw milk supplied by “certified,” “organic,” or “local dairies'' has no guarantee of being free of harmful pathogens that are carried benignly in the intestines and fecal matter of cows, goats, sheep and other animals. The micro-organisms can't be kept out of milk and pasteurization is the only foolproof way to kill them. 

If you or a loved one has become sick from drinking raw milk that you believed couldn't hurt you, contact a food poisoning attorney at PritzkerOlsen, P.A. at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or by completing our contact form. Our firm has filed raw milk lawsuits on behalf of many who have become seriously ill, paralyzed or ravaged in other ways from E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Listeria and Campylobacter.

Here's an excerpt from Ms. Behravesh's public health warning: 

"Getting sick from raw milk can mean many days of diarrhea, stomach cramping, and vomiting. Less commonly, it can mean kidney failure, paralysis, chronic disorders, and even death. The seriousness of the illness is determined by many factors, such as the type of germ, the amount of contamination, and the person’s immune defenses.

"Speaking of immune defenses… it’s important to remember that some people are at higher risk of getting sick from drinking raw milk. The risk is greater for certain age groups, such as infants, young children, and older adults. It’s also particularly risky for pregnant women (and their unborn babies) and those with weakened immune systems, such as people with cancer, an organ transplant, or HIV/AIDS.

"Though some people are at higher risk of getting sick from raw milk, even healthy adults and older children can get seriously ill. Those who recover often suffer from life-long medical consequences.  

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A Vermont group advocating for the use of raw milk to make butter, cheese and other solid fare received a warning letter from the state agriculture agency that its demonstration classes are against the law. The group, called Rural Vermont, canceled the classes in lieu of paying fines, but voiced objections. 

Raw milk is a nationally recognized public health threat that leads to outbreaks of E. coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter and other potentially deadly human pathogens. Vermont adopted a law in 2009 legalizing raw milk sales of up to 160 quarts daily, but farms can only directly sell to consumers for "fluid consumption.'' 

In Pennsylvania last year, a man who legally bought raw milk from a 'healthy" foods retailer was left paralyzed from an infection of Campylobacter -- one of several victims of an outbreak that officials linked to the raw milk producer, Pasture Maid Creamery. The man is represented in a raw milk lawsuit by national food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A. The firm is one of the few in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation and has collected tens of millions of dollars for victims of food poisoning while also working to prevent outbreaks.

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Raw milk has become attractive to some Americans looking for food products that are natural or at least not heavily processed. But because raw milk and other unpasteurized dairy products pose a risk of severe illness, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been reaching out to educate consumers about health hazards.

The latest effort is a collection of three dramatic videos grouped together on a website called "CDC -- Real Stories of the Dangers of Raw Milk.'' One is from a California woman whose 7-year-old son fell ill. Another is from a single mom from Connecticut who was sickened after trying raw milk  because she had trouble digesting lactose. A third is about a Missouri family who tried goat's milk with horrible results.

E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella and Campylobacter are three of the pathogens that can contaminate raw milk and potentially kill those who become severely infected.  National food safety law firm PritzerOlsen, P.A., currently represents a Pennsylvania man who was paralyzed from complications of Campylobacter that he contracted from consuming contaminated raw milk. Many studies have shown that pasteurization does not significantly change the nutritional value of milk – pasteurized milk is rich in proteins, carbohydrates, and other nutrients. Heat slightly affects a few of the vitamins found in milk--  thiamine, vitamin B12, and vitamin C-- but milk is only a minor source of these vitamins.

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Four Cryptosporidium illnesses have been traced to raw milk produced on the Hartmann Farm in Gibbon, Minnesota -- the same place where state health investigators said an outbreak of E. coli 0157:H7 emerged in May and June, sickening at least eight people.

Besides associating Mike Hartmann's farm with four cases of Cryptosporidium parasites, the latest outbreak includes three drinkers of raw milk who suffered infection from Campylobacter jejuni bacteria, the Minnesota Department of Health said in a press release.The health department's Kirk Smith told the Star Tribune newspaper that four of those who got ill specifically in the lastest outbreak named the Hartmann farm as the source of their raw milk, and there is genetic evidence that the three other cases were also linked to the farm, Smith said.

No one was hospitalized in the latest outbreak. The late May and June outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 sickened eight people, some of whom were hospitalized. "We're concerned that people are continuing to get sick after consuming products from this farm," Smith said. "We're also concerned that some people who became ill were given the Hartmann dairy product by friends or neighbors who did not tell them the source."

Hartmann's attorney, Zenas Baer, told the Star Tribune that state health officials have so far released only "very skimpy evidence" tying the latest illnesses to his client's farm in Sibley County. 

Cryptosporidium is a parasite that causes crypotsporidiosis, an infection known as "Crypto," that causes severe diarrhea, sometimes lingering off and on for a month. It can cause severe illness in individuals who have weakened immune systems. Many species of Cryptosporidium exist that infect humans and a wide range of animals, but the type in this outbreak is parvum, according to the health department. 

Cryptosporidium lawyers at PritzkerOlsen, P.A., are investigating this outbreak and monitoring reports from the health department to determine if more illnesses arise. The Minnesota Department of Health and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture are among the best foodborne illness experts in the country and their information is highly valued by federal agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Proving causation in a Cryptosporidium lawsuit is dependent on the kind of exact science practiced by Minnesota health agencies and interpreted by legal experts with years of experience in foodborne illness litigation.

PritzkerOlsen attorneys is one of the few law firms in the country practicing extensively in the area of food poisoning litigation and we have collected millions of dollars for victims of pathogenic bacteria and parasites like Crypto. Families affected by Crypto, E. coli or Campylobacter -- which can lead to Guillain Barre' syndrome -- can call the firm for a free case consultation at 1-888-377-8900 (TOLL FREE) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page. 

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In the video below, Brendan Flaherty, a Campylobacter lawyer in Minnesota, discusses Campylobacter food poisoning and a case our firm is litigating that involves raw milk.  Our client consumed raw milk contaminated with Campylobacter and developed Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS).  Our client remains paralyzed to this day.

Hartmann Dairy Farm Linked to Campylobacter and Criptosporidium Infections

Outbreaks of campylobacteriosis and criptosporidiosis in Minnesota have been linked to raw dairy products from the Hartmann Dairy Farm in Gibbon, MN, Sibley County. According to epidemiologists with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), three people are infected with Campylobacter jejuni, the bacterium that causes campylobacteriosis. In addition, four people are infected with Cryptosporidium parvum, a parasite that causes cryptosporidiosis, also known as "Crypto."

Laboratory tests found that the Cryptosporidium parasites and Campylobacter bacteria in most of the ill people were genetically identical to organisms found in animal and environmental samples taken on the Hartmann farm this past summer during an investigation of an E. coli outbreak linked to raw milk from the farm.

“We’re concerned that people are continuing to get sick after consuming products from this farm,” said Kirk Smith, the health department's Foodborne Diseases Unit supervisor. “We’re also concerned that some people who became ill were given the Hartmann dairy product by friends or neighbors who did not tell them the source.”

Our Minnesota personal injury lawyers have a national practice in the area of food poisoning litigation.  To contact Attorney Brendan Flaherty or another attorney at our law firm, please call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit our online form for a free consultation.

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Another Minnesota raw milk outbreak is under investigation and state health officials have discovered an association between the outbreak and the Hartmann dairy farm in Sibley County. The outbreak involves three people infected with Campylobacter jejuni and four people stricken with the parasite Cryptosporidium parvum. 

A state health department press release said the illnesses were reported to the Minnesota Department of Health by health care providers, as required by law. When state health investigators contacted the sick people to inquire about potential causes, the ill people reported that they had consumed raw milk.  Those who named a source of the milk named the Hartmann farm, the press release said.  Laboratory tests found that the Campylobacter bacteria and Cryptosporidium parasites in most of the ill people were genetically identical to organisms found in animal and environmental samples taken on the Hartmann farm this past summer. 

The Hartmann farm was implicated in May and June as the source of an outbreak of  Minnesota E. coli O157:H7 infections. As a part of this earlier illness outbreak, the state ordered the owner to stop selling milk until he addressed the unsanitary conditions on his farm. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture also directed him to comply with the state law that allows for the sale of unpasteurized milk only on the farm at which the milk was produced. It is not clear how the seven new ill people acquired their raw milk.. 

“We’re concerned that people are continuing to get sick after consuming products from this farm,” said Kirk Smith, the health department's Foodborne Diseases Unit supervisor. “We’re also concerned that some people who became ill were given the Hartmann dairy product by friends or neighbors who did not tell them the source.”

Law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., is investigating this outbreak and is accepting cases from families sickened by the bacteria or parasites. To talk to a food safety lawyer at the firm, call 1-888-377-8900 or complete the free consultation form on the side of this Web page.

Common symptoms of Campylobacter infection include fever, diarrhea (sometimes bloody), abdominal pain, malaise, and vomiting. Symptoms last for about a week in most people but can last for up to three weeks in 20 percent of cases. In addition, Campylobacter infection occasionally results in complications such as arthritis and Guillain Barré syndrome, which is characterized by sudden onset of paralysis. Cryptosporidium infection is marked by watery diarrhea, vomiting, cramping, abdominal pain, and weight loss. Symptoms often last two weeks but may wax and wane for a month or more. Cryptosporidium infection can be life threatening in people with weakened immune systems. 

Kirk Smith noted that in addition to the illnesses associated with the Hartmann farm, MDH has identified 47 other people since January 1, 2010 who became ill after drinking raw milk from a variety of sources throughout the state; none of these 47 cases was part of an identified outbreak (no two cases reported the same source). Most of the individual cases have been in children or young adults, he said. 

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A second child has been hospitalized with severe illness after drinking unpasteurized goat milk  from Billy Goat Dairy in Longmont, Colorado.

That is the report from Boulder County Public Health, which noted that the first child hospitalized on June 27 remains hospitalized.

Lab tests have confirmed that non-pasteurized milk products from Billy Goat Dairy are associated with illness in 30 people, according to the health agency.

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The number of E. coli O157:H7 and Campylobacter illnesses in people who reported drinking raw goat milk from Billy Goat Dairy in Longmont, Colorado, has grown from 16 to 24.

CBS 4 television news in Denver quoted a Boulder County health official with the revised number of cases in this Colorado raw milk outbreak. The station said the dairy remains closed by the health department for violations "for issues like sanitation and labeling.''

It is illegal to sell unpasteurized milk in Colorado because of the human health risk due to pathogens. But health officials have reported that Billy Goat Dairy complies with the law by distributing its raw milk products to customers who own buy shares in dairy animals.

At least two children have been hospitalized in this outbreak.

Serious cases of Campylobacter infection can lead to permanent paralysis and Guillain-Barre' syndrome. Law firm Pritzker Olsen currently represents a Pennsylvania man in a raw milk lawsuit related to paralysis he suffered from Campylobacter.

Serious cases of E. coli O157:H7 infection can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) or thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) -- diseases that can lead to stroke, brain damage, hearth problems and damage to the central nervous system.

To contact Pritzker Olsen for a free consultation, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the online contact form on the side of this Web page. Our firm is a national leader in foodborne illness litigation with direct experience in E. coli raw milk outbreaks and Campylobacter raw milk outbreaks.

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Health officials in Longmont, Colorado, have ordered Billy Goat Dairy to halt distribution of its raw milk products as part of an investigation into an outbreak of Campylobacter and E. coli O157:H7.

Since June 10, 16 people who reported drinking raw milk from the dairy have become ill, including two children who were hospitalized. Boulder County Public Health is reporting that one of the children remains hospitalized.

Young children are especially prone to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) caused by infections of E. coli O157:H7 and other foodborne pathogens. More than half of children with HUS develop acute kidney failure and some may require a kidney transplant later in life. Injury from this disease can be even more far-reaching, affecting brain, heart and central nervous system functions.

To consult an E. coli lawyer about your family's legal rights in cases of HUS and foodborne illness, call law firm Pritzker Olsen at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the online contact form on the side of this Web page. Our firm is a leading practitioner of food poisoning litigation and is actively involved in efforts to prevent outbreaks that cause HUS and other potentially deadly illnesses.

In the United States this year, contaminated raw milk has been associated with at least 10 outbreaks of food poisoning. In the the Billy Goat Dairy raw milk Campylobacter and E. coli outbreak, the dairy operates a goat share program in which individuals buy a share of a goat and in return receive raw, unpasteurized milk.

Lab tests have confirmed the presence of Campylobacter and E. coli 0157 in Billy Goat customers who have reported illness after drinking the product. Both types of bacteria are found in the intestines of animals and can be passed in their feces; contaminating surfaces in milking and bottling areas. 

When milk is pasteurized, these pathogens are killed. In raw milk, the organisms survive and can't be detected through eyesight, smell or taste of the product.

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Food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker knows first hand as a witness to severe food poisoning cases that raw milk is a dangerous product that should not be sold to the public under any circumstances.

Virtually every health department, federal, state and local, recommends against its use. It has no proven benefit over pasteurized milk. It is particularly dangerous for young children, people with compromised immune systems and the elderly.

For those reasons -- and to protect Wisconsin's mainstream dairy industry from image problems --Governor Jim Doyle has vetoed a bill passed by the Legislature that would have allowed raw milk trade on state dairy farms, albeit with regulation and pathogen testing.

 “I cannot ignore potential harmful health effects of consuming unpasteurized milk that have been raised by many groups… I recognize that there are strong feelings on both sides of this matter, but I must side with public health and the safety of the dairy industry,'' the governor said in his veto message.

His leadership will prevent tragic outbreaks of foodborne illness that Pritzker sees over and over as a lawyer for victims of food poisoning.

His latest case involving raw milk is a Campylobacter lawsuit  filed in the Court of Common Pleas in Allegheney County, Pennsylvania.

The lawsuit alleges that 67-year-old James Orchard became paralyzed from a Campylobacter infection that he suffered from unpasteurized Pasture Maid milk that health investigators later found to be contaminated.

According to the complaint, Mr. Orchard and his wife purchased the milk March 16 from McGinnis Sisters Special Foods store in Mars, Pennsylvania. 

While Mrs. Orchard became seriously sick and sore, her husband began to experience a loss of sensation and movement. As his infection developed into Guillain-Barre syndrome, he became totally paralyzed except for minimal movement of his head and the ability to blink his eyes.

If you or a loved one is in need of an experienced food poisoning lawyer, call Pritzker Olsen at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page. One of our lawyers will provide you with a free case consultation and explain how we don't get paid until your case wins.

Our firm believes foodborne illness is preventable and we are actively involved in efforts to reduce the threat of E. coli, hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), Campylobacter, Salmonella, Listeria, Botulism, Shigella, Norovirus and other pathogens that contaminate food.

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Food safety advocates scored a victory today when Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle vetoed legislation that would have permitted sales of raw milk on state dairy farms.

Doyle was under pressure from advocates of unpasteurized milk who protested loudly about  liberty and choice. But public health professionals in every corner of the state lobbied for continued prohibition against public sale of raw dairy products because disease-causing bacteria is inherent without pasteurization as a kill-step.

Joining the medical lobby was Wisconsin's $26 billion dairy industry, which feared image problems from inevitable raw milk outbreaks of Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7, Campylobacter and Listeria.

Food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen was on the winning side of the debate, arguing in editorials that the state's obligation is to prevent food poisoning whenever possible, saving lives. If Governor Doyle had signed the raw milk bill, he would have gone against the scientific advice of his own state health department, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration.

Besides protecting the state's consumers, Doyle set an example for other states besieged by activists who push legalization of raw milk based on junk science and free-choice rhetoric.

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As Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle decides whether to sign a bill legalizing raw milk sales in Wisconsin, health officials in Utah are dealing with two separate clusters of illness linked to drinking the unpasteurized dairy product.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports that 15 people became ill from Campylobacter and Salmonella stemming from two different state-licensed dairies.

The nine reported cases of Campylobacter infection are among residents in Weber, Davis and Cache counties. In Utah, Salt Lake and Wasatch counties, at least six raw milk drinkers have suffered from Salmonella infection.

The information comes from Julia Hall, food-borne epidemiologist for the Utah Department of Health. She told the newspaper that risks of getting disease from raw milk are inherent. Besides Salmonella and Campylobacter, unpasteurized milk can be laden with microscopic E. coli O157:H7 bugs or Listeria without tainting the  taste or smell of raw milk.

Said Hall:  "Even with strict state regulations in place, there is no guarantee that raw milk is free of disease-causing bacteria."

Anyone in Utah who has consumed raw milk in recent days and is experiencing symptoms should contact a health-care provider. For answers to legal questions about bacterial infection from raw milk sold by licensed Utah dairies, call food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page for a free case consultation.

The two Utah raw milk dairies associated with the current outbreaks are as follows:

• For Campylobacter, samples tested positive with high coliform counts from Ropelato Dairy, 4019 W. 1800 South in Ogden. Ropelato's license to sell raw milk has been suspended, said Larry Lewis, spokesman for the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food.
• For Salmonella, investigators have associated the illnesses with Redmond Dairy, in central Utah. Raw milk from the dairy was sold at stores in Heber City and Orem. The dairy's St. George store was not linked to the outbreak. 

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Pritzker Olsen law firm has filed a lawsuit through its local counsel in Pittsburgh on behalf of James and Maureen Orchard, a couple sickened last month by Campylobacter  from raw milk produced by Pasture Maid Creamery LLC of New Castle, Pennsylvania.

The Pasture Maid Creamery lawsuit was filed in the Court of Common Pleas in Allegheney County. It alleges that 67-year-old James Orchard became paralyzed from a Campylobacter infection he suffered from unpasteurized Pasture Maid milk that health investigators later found to be contaminated.

According to the complaint, Mr. Orchard and his wife purchased the milk March 16 from McGinnis Sisters Special Foods store in Mars, Pennsylvania, where they live. The retailer is named in the suit along with the creamery and its owner, Adam Dean.

While Mrs. Orchard became seriously sick and sore, her husband began to experience a loss of sensation and movement. He developed Guillain-Barre syndrome and became totally paralyzed except for minimal movement of his head and the ability to blink his eyes. He was placed on ventilation equipment and is still unable to breathe on his own in a Pittsburgh area hospital. Mr. Orchard requires around the clock intensive care.

Fred Pritzker, the Orchards’ attorney said, says the case tragically illustrates how unsafe raw milk is.

“Raw milk is a dangerous product that should not be sold to the public. Virtually every health department, federal, state and local, recommends against its use,'' Pritzker said. "It is particularly dangerous for young children, people with compromised immune systems and the elderly.''

According to the complaint, the Pennsylvania Department of Health found Campylobacter bacteria in raw milk samples from Pasture Maid.  On March 25, 2010, the Pennsylvania Departments of Health and Agriculture advised consumers to discard Pasture Maid brand raw milk and recommended that Pasture Maid Creamery stop selling the product.

On April 5, 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture suspended Pasture Maid’s permit to sell raw milk for human consumption. Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized -- a flash heating process that destroys pathogens like Campylobacter and E. coli O157:H7 with high temperature.

Pritzker Olsen law firm, headquartered in Minneapolis, MN, represents individuals and families nationwide in cases involving foodborne illness. The firm is involved in virtually every major foodborne illness outbreak and has obtained some of the largest verdicts and settlements in foodborne illness cases. Attorney Fred Pritzker can be reached at 1-888-377-8900 (TOLL FREE) or by completing the contact form on the side of this Web page.

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 A 67-year-old Pittsburgh area man remains paralyzed and under intensive care at UPMC Presbyterian hospital after being sickened by raw milk produced by Pasture Maid Creamery of New Castle.

The Campylobacter infection suffered by James Orchard developed into Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), a disorder that attacks the central nervous system. National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen is representing Mr. Orchard and his wife, Maureen, who also was sickened by the raw milk.

"Nobody can give you a timeline. With everyone, it's different. And he needs extensive physical therapy, and what that will entail, we have no idea," Maureen Orchard told WTAE-TV.

WTAE-TV Team 4 investigator Jim Parsons featured the case, which has gained national attention at a time when a vocal minority of raw milk ethusiasts is pushing for state restrictions to be lifted on the sale of unpasteurized dairy products.

In Pennsylvania, the sale of raw milk and other dairy products is permitted  if produced by a licensed farm. In the Orchards' case, the contaminated milk was purchased at the McGinnis Sisters food store in Mars, Pa. 

Paul Hoge, from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, said state law allows dairy farms to sell raw milk, but he doesn't recommend buying it. The state agriculture department has suspended Pasture Maid's milk production permit.

Health inspectors had detected Campylobacter at the dairy operation and in the milk bottles purchased by the Orchards. Stool samples confirmed it was Campylobacter that made Mr. Orchard sick.

As Team 4 reported, this was not the first time Pasture Maid drew the attention of Pennsylvania officials.

Unbeknownst  to the Orchards, just a year earlier, in February 2009, the Pennsylvania Departments of Health and Agriculture advised consumers who purchased raw milk from Dean Farms DBA Pasture Maid Creamery, LLC, to immediately discard raw milk purchased there due to potential bacterial infection.

Team 4 said it left several messages for farm owner Adam Dean, but those messages were not returned.

Pritzker Olsen is preparing a raw milk Campylobacter lawsuit in the case and is accepting additional clients from others sickened by the contamination. For a free case consultation, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page. 

Our firm is actively involved in various efforts to prevent foodborne illness, including advocacy for a public ban on raw milk sales. Over the years we have collected millions for victims of food poisoning.

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The Wisconsin state Senate has made the terrible mistake of approving legislation that will legalize sales of unpasteurized milk to the public. The measure passed 25-8 and will go to the Assembly next week for a floor vote.

In approving the bill, the Senate rejected the medical advice of The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, state and county health officials in Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Farm Bureau.

It is a scientific fact that raw milk is unsafe for human consumption because it can contain microscopic pathogens such as E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella,  and Campylobacter. Pasteurization kills these organisms without affecting the nutritional qualities of milk.

Just this week in Pennsylvania, a 67-year-old man is paralyzed and on life support after suffering complications from an infection of Campylobacter from raw milk. The family of the man, James Orchard, has retained national food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen to represent them. Pritzker Olsen founder and president Fred Pritzker is preparing a lawsuit against the milk maker, Dean Farms doing business as Pasture Maid, LLC, a creamery located in New Castle, PA.

Mr. Orchard has been diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a disorder in which the body's immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system. One of the most common antecedent events to those who suffer from GBS is prior infection with Campylobacter.

On April 5, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture suspended the permit that allows Dean Farms to sell unpasteurized milk. The action came after testing found Campylobacter in its raw milk samples.

In Wisconsin, raw milk supporters have successfully used the argument of free choice, ignoring dangers that can't be protected against. For instance, the CDC has said that some cows excrete Campylobacter and other dangerous bacteria from their udders. Milk can also be contaminated by the farm environment, where bacteria from manure can spread and cause disease.

Wisconsin Senator Judy Robson, a retired nurse, was one of the few voices of reason:  "We don't appreciate public health until we don't have it,'' she said.

Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle has said he would sign a raw milk bill into law under the right circumstances, setting a horrible example for the rest of the country. 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PITTSBURG -- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- April 15, 2010 -- Pritzker Olsen, P.A., the national food safety law firm, has been retained by the family of a Pittsburgh-area man on life support after consuming raw milk adulterated with Campylobacter bacteria. 

James Orchard, a 67 year-old from Mars, Pennsylvania, was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a disorder in which the body's immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system. One of the most common antecedent events to those who suffer from GBS is prior infection with Campylobacter. Except for minimal head and eye movement, Orchard is totally paralyzed. 

Several days prior to the onset of his illness, Orchard and other members of his family, consumed raw milk purchased at the McGinnis Sisters Special Foods Store in Mars, PA on March 16, 2010. The raw milk was produced by Dean Farms doing business as Pasture Maid, LLC, a creamery located in New Castle, PA.

According to a recent press release from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, “the permit for Pasture Maid Creamery in New Castle, Lawrence County, to sell raw milk for human consumption was suspended April 5 after testing found Campylobacter in its raw milk samples.”

Stool samples obtained from Mr. Orchard also tested positive for Campylobacter. Milk from the bottles produced by Dean Farms doing business as Pasture Maid, LLC and purchased at the McGinnis Sisters store tested positive for the pathogen as well.

“The fact that the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture obtained positive samples from Pasture Maid at about the same time Mr. Orchard became ill coupled with his positive stool and milk samples makes the chain of causation very strong,” according to Attorney Fred Pritzker, president of the law firm.

This was not the first time Pasture Maid drew the attention of Pennsylvania officials. Just a year earlier, in February 2009, the Pennsylvania Departments of Health and Agriculture advised consumers who purchased raw milk from Dean Farms DBA Pasture Maid Creamery, LLC, to immediately discard raw milk purchased there due to potential bacterial infection.

Although some organizations and individuals fervently believe in the benefits of raw milk consumption, scientists and food safety advocates are virtually united in condemning its sale to the public. “Promoting the consumption of raw milk is the equivalent of promoting consumption of raw hamburger,” commented Pritzker. “It’s irresponsible and dangerous, no matter what advocates claim.”

Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized. Pasteurization, a “kill step,” destroys pathogens like Campylobacter. Raw milk is an important vehicle in the transmission of Campylobacter and other foodborne pathogens including:

Enterotoxigenic Staphylococcus aureus
Campylobacter jejuni
Salmonella species
E. coli (EHEC) (ETEC)
Listeria monocytogenes
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Mycobacterium bovis
Brucella species (abortus –cattle) (melitensis- goats)
Coxiella burnetii
Yersinia enterocolitica

Even after an initial outbreak of Campylobacter and the temporary suspension of milk sales in early 2009, both Dean Farms, DBA Pasture Maid Creamery, LLC and McGinnis Sisters Special Foods Store continued to sell and promote raw milk as a healthy food option.

“A summons and complaint brought on behalf of the Orchard family will be served and filed on Dean Farms DBA Pasture Maid Creamery, LLC and McGinnis Food Center, Inc. DBA McGinnis Sisters Special Food Stores in the next few days,” Pritzker said. “Companies that sell unsafe products have to be held accountable for the harms and losses they cause.”

Pritzker Olsen law firm, headquartered in Minneapolis, MN, represents individuals and families in cases involving foodborne illness. The firm is involved in virtually every major foodborne illness outbreak and has successfully obtained some of the largest verdicts and settlements in foodborne illness cases. Attorney Fred Pritzker can be reached at 1-888-377-8900 (TOLL FREE).

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An outbreak of Campylobacter associated with raw milk from Forest Grove Dairy has spread to Indiana and Illinois for a total of 17 confirmed cases. Additional unconfirmed illnesses are considered to be part of the outbreak, which began in Michigan.

Pam Pontones, an Indiana state epidemiologist, said all the sick people drank unpasteurized milk from Indiana's Forest Grove Dairy provided by Family Farm Cooperative of Vandalia, Michigan. She said no other common factor has been identified and investigators are asking any buyers of Forest Grove raw milk to submit the product for free laboratory testing. (Call 317-233-7360)

The Indiana State Department of Health announced in a press release that three outbreak cases are confirmed in Indiana. Meanwhile, the Kalamazoo Gazette newspaper is reporting that Michigan now has 13 confirmed cases and Illinois has one.

All three states have joined forces with the Food and Drug Administration in alerting consumers to this raw milk Campylobacter risk. Their joint investigation into the outbreak should address why Family Farm Cooperative and Forest Grove Dairy engaged in shipping raw milk across state lines.

Forest Grove Dairy received an FDA Warning Letter in 2007 for allegedly distributing unpasteurized milk in interstate commerce. 

Since 1987, the FDA has required all milk packaged for human consumption to be pasteurized before being delivered for introduction into interstate commerce. Pasteurization, a process that heats milk to a specific temperature for a set period of time, kills bacteria responsible for diseases, such asE. coli HUS, listeriosis, salmonellosis, campylobacteriosis, typhoid fever, tuberculosis, diphtheria and brucellosis. 

If consumers of raw milk are experiencing diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain or fever,  they should contact their health care provider immediately. For answers to legal questions, victims of this outbreak may call national food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen for a free case consultation at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free). To reach a lawyer online, complete the contact form on the side of this Web page.

Our firm is a leading practitioner of foodborne illness litigation and has represented victims of raw milk outbreaks, including those who became hospitalized and seriously ill. Over the years we have collected million for victims of food poisoning and have become recognized by news organizations as outbreak experts.

With Campylobacter, other symptoms may include nausea and vomiting. The illness typically lasts one week.  In persons with compromised immune systems, Campylobacter occasionally spreads to the bloodstream and causes Guilliain-Barre syndrome,  a serious life-threatening infection. 

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A nationwide warning against consumption of raw milk has been issued by the Food and Drug Administration as the FDA joins the investigation of a Campylobacter outbreak in south Michigan associated with raw milk sold through a herd- or cow-share program.

The federal agency says there were a total of 1,614 reported illnesses, 187 hospitalizations and two deaths from consumption of raw milk between 1998 and 2008 in the United States. On average in the decade, raw milk was linked to more than eight outbreaks per year of Campylobacter, E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella or other enteric disease, the FDA said.

Because not all cases of foodborne illness are recognized and reported, the actual number of illnesses associated with raw milk likely is greater.

For years, state and federal health officials have uniformly warned against consumption of raw, unpasteurized milk because it is at risk for unchecked fecal contamination that can result in potentially deadly intestinal illness in humans.

The latest warning, issued Friday by FDA in a national press release, coincides with a three-state investigation of 12 genetically matched Campylobacter illnesses in Michigan that public health officials have associated with raw milk from Forest Grove Dairy in Middlebury, Indiana. The product was sold in Michigan and Illinois by Family Farm Cooperative of Vandalia, Michigan, officials have said.

More than one sample of the milk has tested positive for Campylobacter and interviews with ill persons have shown that the milk was a common denominator in their diets.

Since March 1, 24 people in southeastern Michigan who have drunk milk from the dairy have fallen ill. That's what James McCurtis, spokesman for the Michigan Department of Community Health, told the Kalamazoo Gazette newspaper. Half the cases have not been confirmed with stool samples.

The FDA said in its press release that proponents of raw milk often claim that raw milk is more nutritious than pasteurized milk and that raw milk is inherently antimicrobial, thus making pasteurization unnecessary. But scientific comparisons have found no meaningful nutritional difference.

So, it was no surprise to read in the Kalamazoo Gazette that an attorney for Family Farm Cooperative rejects the notion that raw milk caused the current outbreak.

"I don’t agree (the disease outbreak) has been linked to the milk,” Stephen Bemis, the farm’s attorney, told the newspaper. 

National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen represents victims of raw milk food poisoning and actively supports legislation to keep raw milk out of commerce as a way to prevent catastrophic illness among consumers. If you or a loved one has been sickened in the current outbreak, contact a Campylobacter attorney at our firm by calling 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page.

Our law firm is one of the few in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness and we have collected millions of dollars for victims.

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At the risk of sounding like a broken record, yet another state health department is advising consumers about dangerous bacterial contamination found in raw milk.

The latest warning is coming out of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania departments of Agriculture and Health are urging consumers who purchased raw milk from Pasture Maid Creamery in New Castle, Lawrence County, to discard the product immediately. Campylobacter bacteria was found in a recent sample.

The testing was done in connection with a human illness investigation and more tests are pending.

Pasture Maid Creamery, owned and operated by Adam Dean, sells directly to consumers who sometimes provide their own bottles. The business is not related to Dean's Dairy in Sharpsville, Mercer County, which produces pasteurized milk for sale in supermarkets, the state press release said.

"The Agriculture Department recommended that Mr. Dean stop selling raw milk for human consumption. The dairy is providing additional raw milk samples to be tested for bacterial pathogens to determine subsequent action.''

Meanwhile, Dean told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that his milk is "extremely safe'' and that the state has not revoked his license to sell it.

Campylobacter in raw milk also is an issue this week in Michigan, Illinois and Indiana. Michigan officials traced an outbreak of Campylobacter infection in their state to raw milk from an Indiana farm sold through a distributor who also shipped it to Chicago and a few other cities in northern Illinois. 

Despite chronic outbreaks of illness capable of killing people, the sale of raw milk continues to be a public health threat and a costly burden to state health departments. When milk isn't pasteurized, there is no reliable safeguard against fecal contamination that harbors pathogens such as Campylobacter, E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella.

The lawyers at national food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen continually see the devastating effects of these disease-causing organisms while representing people who have ingested them. Our law firm is one of the few in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness and we have years of experience handling raw milk cases.

If you or a loved one has become sick after drinking raw milk, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page.

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The Illinois Department of Health is warning state residents they could get sick from raw milk and are especially concerned about raw milk distributed by a Michigan company that came from a certain dairy in Indiana..

Unpasteurized milk from Forest Grove Dairy of Middlebury, Indiana, is associated with an outbreak of Campylobacter in south and southeast Michigan that has sickened at least 18 people. Illinois issued its warning after learning Forest Grove Dairy raw milk was distributed across state lines from Michigan to Des Plaines, Downers Grove, Elgin and Chicago.

The distributor, which is involved in a so-called cow-sharing circle, is identified in the news release as Family Farms Cooperative of Vandalia, Michigan.

The Illinois Department of Public Health said the state and local health departments will be following up on any other reports of illness linked to raw milk consumption. They urge residents who have consumed raw dairy products and have become ill to contact a physician and be tested for Campylobacter infection.

National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen is answering legal questions from victims of this outbreak. To contact a Campylobacter attorney, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete a contact form on the side of this Web page.

According to a Food and Drug Administration document, federal regulators issued a Warning Letter to Forest Grove Dairy on Feb. 8, 2007, for "documented violations of the Public Health Service Act (PHS Act) and a Federal regulation promulgated under the PHS Act."

The letter -- obviously related to raw products -- said the dairy was the target of a joint investigation by the FDA, the Indiana Board of Animal Health, and the Michigan Department of Agriculture, 

"Our investigation determined that your firm distributes [redacted] and [redacted] in interstate commerce, in finished form for human consumption. Such distribution is a violation of the PHS Act, 42 U.S.C. § 271(a), and the regulation codified in Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), section 1240.61(a) The regulation prohibits the delivery into interstate commerce of [redacted] and [redacted] in final package form for direct human consumption unless they have been pasteurized.'' 

Phyllis Entis, a veteran microbiologist and food safety expert, has made a pointed observation about the Michigan Campylobacter outbreak and the situation in Illinois much to our liking.

While cow-share supporters drink raw milk because it ostensibly is a high-quality product supplied by a "known'' local farmer, she says the milk in this outbreak is not local, not fresh and not safe.

"Cow share programs are paper-pushing devices used to circumvent state laws prohibiting the retail sale of raw milk for human consumption and federal law against interstate shipment of raw milk for human consumption,'' Entis writes.

The Illinois warning is straight-forward, scientific and also to our liking:

Raw milk can cause serious infections. Raw milk and raw milk products (such as cheeses and yogurts made with raw milk) can be contaminated with bacteria that can cause serious illness, hospitalization, or death. Pasteurization is the best method of eliminating disease-causing organisms in milk and the only method routinely used in the United States.

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 The Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) is investigating an outbreak of Campylobacter among young children and others who drank raw milk from a cow-share program.

The Michigan Campylobacter outbreak started in early March and most of the eight confirmed victims are young children, including a 2-year-old. The oldest of the eight is 51.

An MDCH press release says all Campylobacter patients in the outbreak consumed raw milk from Family Farms Cooperative in Vandalia, Michigan.

 Persons who are ill with Campylobacter symptoms and have consumed raw milk recently should consult with their medical provider and ask about being tested for Campylobacter infection.

For answers to legal questions and liability concerning food poisoning from raw milk, contact national food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or by completing the contact form on the side of this Web page.  

MDCH said Family Farms Cooperative operates a cow share program where members own part of a cow and in return receive raw dairy products.  The milk for the program comes from a dairy farm in Indiana and is not availabe at retail. The plastic containers of raw milk have the following information on a green and white cap: "FOREST GROVE DAIRY, MIDDLEBURY, INDIANA; RAW COW'S MILK, WARNING-NOT PASTEURIZED, 128 FL OZ."  

Cow share programs are not inspected or regulated under Michigan law. The confirmed Campylobacter cases are in Macomb, Washtenaw, and Wayne counties.  No hospitalizations have been reported to date.

Dr. Gregory Holzman, chief medical executive for MDCH, has issued a public health alert over the outbreak. He gave the following statement: "Raw or unpasteurized milk and dairy products may carry many types of disease-causing germs such as Campylobacter, Salmonella and E. Coli.''

Campylobacter is a bacterial illness causing diarrhea (often bloody), fever, and abdominal cramps 2 to 5 days after exposure.  Illness may persist for 1-2 weeks. 

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An outbreak of at least five cases of Campylobacter in and around Saratoga County in New York has been associated with raw milk produced at Willow Marsh Farm in Ballston Spa, New York.

The farm is licensed by the state to sell raw milk but it has temporarily halted production after preliminary tests showed Campylobacter contamination, according to a press release from the state.

The New York State Department of Health and the State Department of Agriculture and Markets report that all five individuals who recently were diagnosed with Campylobacter enteritis had consumed raw milk from Willow Marsh Farm.

If final test results prove the connection, the farm won't be allowed to resume raw milk sales until monitoring shows no pathogens.

Campylobacter is a bacterial infection that can cause diarrhea, fever, abdominal pain, nausea, headache, and muscle pain. The illness usually occurs two to five days after ingestion and generally lasts for seven to ten days. This form of food poisoning can result in long-term health consequences.

State officials say that anyone who purchased milk from Willow Marsh Farm and still has the product should not consume it. Individuals experiencing gastrointestinal illness after consuming milk purchased from Willow Marsh Farm should contact their health care provider.

For answers to legal questions about compensation from food poisoning, contact national food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete our contact form on the side of this Web page. Our firm is one of the few in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness and we have collected millions for victims.

Campylobacter from raw milk is one of the risks associated with the practice of drinking milk that is not pasteurized. Many people think raw milk has healthful qualities, but science has proven it does not provide the protection of pasteurization, which eliminates all pathogenic bacteria, including Campylobacter without sacrificing milk's nutritional value.

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 A Wisconsin Campylobacter raw milk outbreak that hospitalized one person and sickened 34 others was caused by contaminated raw milk sold under a cow share program by Zinniker Family Farm of Elkhorn, Wisconsin.

That's what the Food Safety Division of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection reported today in a news release.

Steve Ingham, head of the division, said the evidence is "compelling'' linking the raw milk Campylobacter illnesses to the farm. All 35 individuals had consumed raw milk and 30 identified Zinniker Family Farm as the source.

In addition, testing showed that Campylobacter jejuniisolates from 25 of the patients had the same DNA fingerprint. The very same outbreak strain of Campylobacter was found in manure samples obtained from milking cows on the farm, the press release said.

Said Ingham: "So far we've been fortunate that the infections have not been life-threatening.''

The agency said 21 of those sickened in the outbreak are under the age of 18.

Ingham pointed out that Wisconsin law for more than a half century has required pasteurization of milk that is for sale. Some farmers believe otherwise, but they are mistaken, Ingham said. "Cow-share'' programs don't qualify as exempt, he said.

Helping with the investigation of the outbreak was the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

Because Zinniker sells its raw milk to a defined customer list, food safety officials don't believe there is much risk to the general public. However, Ingham said, the outbreak should discourage consumers from joining "cow share'' programs or other similar arrangements to buy unpasteurized milk. He described it as "inherently risky food.''

If you or someone you know has been sickened in this outbreak and are looking for advice on protecting your legal rights, food safety lawyers at Pritzker Olsen attorneys can help. Our firm is one of the few in the nation practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness and we have collected tens of millions for victims of food poisoning, including Campylobacter.

A Campylobacter attorney can be reached at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free). Or, to receive a free case consultation via the Internet, complete one of our online forms.

Campylobacter jejuni are bacteria that cause diarrhea, abdominal cramping, fever, nausea and vomiting. Rarely, an infection may lead to paralysis, which could require hospitalization and artificial respiration. 

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