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

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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Health officials in Pennsylvania and Maryland are investigating a raw milk Campylobacter outbreak that has sickened up to 20 people who drank unpasteurized milk from the Family Cow dairy store in Chambersburg, Pa.

Campylobacter sickens more than 2.5 million Americans every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Here are five things everyone should know about Campylobacter:

1. The Most Common Causes of a Campylobacter infection
Drinking unpasteurized milk, or eating raw or undercooked meat or poultry are the most common causes of a Campylobacter infection, called campylobacteriosis.

2. A Little Goes A Long Way
Just one drop of juice from raw chicken meat is enough to infect a person, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Cutting poultry or meat on a cutting board and then using the unwashed cutting board or utensil to prepare vegetables or other foods is one way to become ill.

3. Symptoms of an Infection
For those with an infection caused by Campylobacter, symptoms including diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain, and fever will appear two to five days after ingesting the organism. A culture of a stool sample is necessary to confirm the diagnosis.

4. Serious Complications
While most people who contract 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.

5. It Can Be Fatal
Campylobacter infections can be fatal. The CDC estimates 124 Americans die from Campylobacter infections every year.

If you have legal questions about an illness caused by a Campylobacter infection, contact a food safety lawyer at PritzkerOlsen P.A. for a free consultation.

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Massachusetts has lifted its ban on raw milk from Twin Rivers Farm in Ashley Falls after testing found no trace of brucella and the farm's owner received confirmation that his own illness was not Brucellosis.

The health alert was issued last week when the farm owner's doctor notified officials that preliminary tests were positive for brucellosis, a rare infection that starts with flu-like symptoms. Because raw milk can be an vector for this type of food poisoning, Massachusetts health officials erred on the safe side by alerting the public not to drink milk from the farm. Now the farm is cleared.

Robert Kilmer, owner of Twin Rivers Farm in Ashley Falls, told the Boston Globe the stigma of being considered to have something like brucellosis is terrible for a dairy owner. "We are very careful to keep any infectious disease out.”

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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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Health officials in Massachusetts are trying to determine if tainted raw milk was the source of a case of brucellosis, a disease so rare in the U.S. that a 1999 New Hampshire case prompted a bioterror investigation.

Brucellosis is caused by the Brucellla bacteria and is normally seen in countries that do not have good public health or animal health programs. It's been decades since the bacteria has been found in Massachusetts livestock, state agriculture officials said. Drinking raw milk or eating unpasteurized milk products is one way humans can contract brucellosis and a number of other serious illnesses.

Here's a look at raw milk outbreaks and recalls during 2011:

November 2011 Three customers who drank raw milk from Cozy Vale Creamery, Tenino, Wash. contracted E.coli infections. The dairy recalled raw milk after E.coli was discovred in the milking parlor.

November 2011 Five children who drank milk produced by Organic Pastures in Fresno, Calif, contracted E.coli infections.

October 2011 Two people are sickened after drinking raw milk tainted with Campylobacter produced on Jerry Dell Farm in Freeville, NY.

September 2011 Pride & Joy Creamery, Granger Wash., The diary issued a recall after Shiga-toxin producing E. coli was discovered in a sample during random testing by the health deaprtment.

July 2011  Three confirmed cases of Campylobacter infection linked to raw milk at Tucker Adkins Dairy, York, S.C.

June 2011 At least seven people in Alaska are sickened after drinking raw milk produced on a Mat-Su Valley farm that was ainted with Campylobacter.

June 2011 Three people contract Q Fever after drinking raw milk contaminated with Coxiella burnetti from a Livingston County, Michigan farm.

June 2011 Sixteen people in Wisconsin contract Campylobacter infections after drinking raw milk at a school event.

April 2011 Four people in Texas are sickened including one woman who was hospitalized with a Salmonella infecttion after drinking raw milk.

Feb 2011 Raw milk is recalled from the The Country Market in Wash. after E.coli 0157:H7 is found.

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 An astute doctor recognized that persistent flu like symptoms in a Massachusetts man could be brucellosis, prompting state public health officials to investigate Twin Rivers Farm in Ashley Falls. The patient purchased raw milk from the farm in late December and officials are urging any other customers to discard the product. It is not sold at retail stores.

Brucellosis is an infectious disease primarily from animal to animal, but it can be acquired by humans through consumption of raw milk. The disease can become more serious and infect the central nervous system or organs and can cause long-lasting or chronic symptoms that include recurrent fevers, joint pain, and fatigue.

State epidemiologist Dr. Alfred DeMaria said no other human infections have been reported. Tests for the bacteria brucella in the man who is suspected of having the bug are expected to be complete next week.

Brucellosis is not very common in the United States, where 100 to 200 cases occur each year, but brucellosis can be very common in countries where animal disease control programs have not reduced the amount of disease among animals. The U.S. has worked hard to do that.
 

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A Massachusetts man diagnosed with brucellosis, also known as Malta Fever, may have contracted the infection after drinking raw milk.

Brucellosis is an infection caused by Brucellla, a bacteria that is usually transmitted from animal to animal, but can be transmitted to humans who consume raw milk, or milk that has not been pasteurized. It’s been decades since the bacteria has been found in Massachusetts livestock, agriculture officials said.

Investigators are still trying to determine the source of the infection and are not certain that it is raw milk. Results of preliminary tests to confirm the infection are expected back next week.

The patient purchased raw milk from Twin Rivers Farm in late December. The Western Massachusetts dairy, which only sells raw milk at its on-site store and does not distribute it to retail operations, has discontinued raw milk sales pending the test results. Health officials are urging anyone who bought raw milk on the farm to discard it.

Brucellosis is a rare disease, less than 200 cases occur in the U.S. each year, according the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

According to the Massachusetts Department of Health:

Brucellosis is a systemic disease with acute or insidious onset characterized by sustained, intermittent, or irregular fever of variable duration. Symptoms include headache, weakness, chills, profuse sweating, joint aches, depression, weight loss, and generalized aching. Localized and chronic localized infections of organs (including the liver and spleen) can occur.

Complications affecting the bones and joints are common (they occur in 20–60% of cases), with sacroiliitis occurring most frequently. Involvement of the genitourinary system, including orchitis and epididymitis, occurs in up to 20% of cases in males. Neurologic symptoms can occur in up to 5% of cases. The disease may last for days, months, or occasionally longer, if inadequately treated. Most cases recover, but some individuals develop significant disabilities. 

If you have legal questions about brucellosis, contact the foodborne illness attorneys at PritzkerOlsen P.A. for a free consultation.

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The E. coli O157:H7 strain discovered in environmental samples taken from Cozy Vale Creamery matches the strain that has sickened three people, including 2 children, according to a Washington State Department of Agriculture official.

On November 23, the Tenino, Washington-based diary issued a recall of raw milk products after routine tests by the agriculture department found E.coli O157:H7 in the milking parlor and processing areas of the dairy.

During the last three months, three Cozy Vale customers have contracted E. coli O157:H7 infections, but E. coli was never discovered in routine testing of the milk. 

Symptoms of E.coli poisoning include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea that is often bloody and vomiting. Some infections are mild, but others are severe or even life-threatening. Children are among those who are especially at risk. In some cases, they can develop a potentially life-threatening complication known as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) which causes kidney failure.

The recalled raw milk products include raw whole milk, raw skim milk and raw cream with “best if used by” dates up to and including December 6. The milk and cream were sold in pint, quart, half-gallon and gallon containers were sold at the on-farm store at 7018 Churchill Road, and at the following locations:

Marlene’s Market, 2951 S. 38th St., Tacoma, WA
Marlene’s Market, 2565 S. Gateway Center Pl., Federal Way, WA
Mt. Community Co-op, 105 Carter St., Eatonville WA
Olympia Food Co-op, 3111, Pacific Ave., Olympia, WA
Olympia Food Co-op, 921 Rogers, Olympia, WA
Olympia Local Foods, 2442 Mottman Rd S.W., Turnwater, WA
Yelm Co-op, 404 1st St., Yelm, WA

Contact our law firm for a free consultation.

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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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Mark McAfee, the owner of Organic Pastures in Kerman, Calif., says the raw milk his dairy produces has never been a health threat and is not the source of the E. coli outbreak that has sickened five children, according to a story in the Fresno Bee.

On Tuesday, the California Department of Food and Agricultural issued a recall and quarantine of Organic Pastures raw dairy products, after health officials discovered that five children who contracted E. coli infections had all consumed raw milk from Organic Pastures before becoming ill.

The sale of raw milk, or milk that has not been pasteurized, is legal in some states including California. With its products in 400 stores and a customer base of about 75,000 people, Organic Pastures is California’s largest producer of raw milk and raw milk products.

On Wednesday, McAfee appealed the recall and quarantine saying he is sure his dairy products are not the source of the outbreak and that there is no risk in consuming them. “There is no current threat and there has not been a threat," McAfee told the Fresno Bee. Instead, he said, the source may have been raw milk products from another dairy. McAfee’s appeal was denied. E. coli has not been detected in laboratory testing conducted thus far on of samples from Organic Pastures.

Symptoms of E. coli poisoning include abdominal cramping and bloody diarrhea. Children are among those most at risk and can in some cases, including this outbreak, develop a serious complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) which can lead to kidney failure.

Health officials urge anyone who developed symptoms after consuming raw milk to seek medical attention. Those with legal questions about an illness or hospitalization associated with this outbreak should contact the E. coli team at the food safety law firm PritzkerOslen for a free consultation. 

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This week, as New Jersey state senators ponder proposed legislation that would legalize the sale of raw milk, California food safety officials are recalling and quarantining Organic Pastures raw milk products after five children who drank raw milk from the dairy contracted E. coli infections. Three of the children were hospitalized with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious complication of E. coli infections that can damage the kidneys and central nervous system and cause kidney failure, seizures, coma, and stroke.

Raw milk is milk that hasn’t been pasteurized. Proponents say drinking it can aid digestion, boost the immune system and ease the symptoms of allergies and asthma. There is no scientific evidence to back these claims. There is, however, a mountain of evidence that consuming raw milk can be dangerous and that pasteurization saves lives.

Raw milk is responsible for one of the deadliest outbreaks of foodborne illness in U.S. history, the 1911 streptococcus outbreak that killed 48 people and sickened more than 2,000,according to Preventative Medicine and Hygiene, by Milton Joseph Rosenau.

Raw milk products account for the bulk of all dairy product-associated outbreaks of foodborne illness 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. Raw milk and raw milk products caused 93 reported outbreaks of foodborne illness between 1998 and 2009, according to the CDC. Those outbreaks sickened 1,837 people, 195 of whom required hospitalization, two of whom died.

“It is important to note that a substantial proportion of the raw milk-associated disease burden falls on children; among the 93 raw dairy product outbreaks from 1998 to 2009, 79% involved at least one person less than 20 years old.”

Most illnesses associated with the consumption of raw milk are caused by E. coli: O157, Campylobacter, or Salmonella, all of which can create serious, sometimes fatal infections. For all foodborne illnesses, children are among those considered most at risk.

The United States has been aware of the dangers of raw milk since the turn of the last century when the diseases it spread included: tuberculosis, typhoid fever, diptheria, scarlet fever, septic sore throat, malta fever and foot and mouth disease, according to Preventative Medicine and Hygiene. Between 1907 and 1911, raw milk caused five outbreaks that sickened more than 4000 people in the Boston area alone, according to Rosenau’s research. In Washington, during the same time period, 10 percent of all typhoid fever cases were traced to raw milk.

Those outbreaks were the impetus for improving the safety of milk through pasteurization. Pasteurization began in the 1920s and was widespread by 1950, according to the CDC:

“It led to dramatic reductions in the number of people getting sick from diseases that had previously been transmitted commonly by milk. Most public health professionals and health care providers consider pasteurization to be one of public health’s most effective food safety interventions ever!”

Many medical and scientific organizations recommend that consumers drink only pasteurized milk. They include: the 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. 

Sources: Preventative Medicine and Hygiene, by Milton Joseph Rosenau.

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Pride & Joy Creamery, LLC of Granger, Washington, has issued a recall of raw milk because testing of the raw milk by the Washington Department of Agriculture (WSDA) discovered that the product was contaminated with Shiga-toxin-producing E. coli.

WSDA and other public health officials are exploring the possibility that there has been human illness linked to this milk.

The recalled milk is sold only in gallon, half gallon and quart containers and bears the expiration dates of 9/30/2011 and 9/31/11. It was sold from an on-farm store at 2145 Liberty Road in Granger, WA and from the following retail outlets in King, Pierce, Snohomish and Skagit counties:

• Sno-isle
, 2804 Grand Avenue
, Everett, WA 98201
• Truhealth
,18001 Bothell-Everett
, Suite 109
,Bothell, WA 98012
• Marlenes Market
,2951 S. 38th ST.
Tacoma, WA 98409
• Marlenes Market,
 2565 s. Gateway Center Place
Federal Way, WA 98003
• Skagit Valley Food,
 202 S. 1st Street
Mt. Vernon, WA 98273
• Manna Mills,
 21705 66th Ave, West
Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043
• Madison Market
,1600 Madison
Seattle, WA 98122
•  Nature’s Market, 
26011 104th Ave, SE
Kent, WA 98030
• Sunshine Corner, Nutrition
15220 SE 272th, Suite F
Kent, WA 98042

E.coli infections can severe diarrhea, stomach cramps and bloody stool. Symptoms generally appear three to four days after exposure, but can take as long as nine days to appear. Health officials are recommending that anyone experiencing these symptoms contact a health care provider. Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), is a serious complication of E. coli poisoning in which red blood cells are destroyed and the kidneys fail. Infants, children, pregnant women, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems are especially at risk.

 Source: http://agr.wa.gov/News/2011/pridejoycreameryrecall.aspx

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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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Three Michigan residents contracted Q fever after consuming raw milk. They each acknowledged obtaining raw milk from a Livingston County farm, where they participate in a dairy herd share program. Herd or cow share programs are where members own part of a cow and in return receive raw dairy products. These programs are not inspected or regulated under Michigan’s dairy laws, and these products are not available at retail stores.

Q fever is caused by the bacteria Coxiella burnetii. This organism is common in farm animals such as cattle, sheep and goats. Infected animals shed the organism in their urine, feces, milk and birthing fluids. Q fever causes serious illness, including:

• Meningitis, an inflammation of the membrane surrounding your brain and spinal cord
• Endocarditis, an inflammation of the membrane surrounding your heart
• Pneumonia
• Acute respiratory distress
• Miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth, low birth weight, intrauterine growth retardation

In this case, one of the people sickened developed Q fever meningitis and required prolonged hospitalization.

“Our experience with raw milk cases is that consumers are not informed of the inherent dangers of the product,” said Attorney Fred Pritzker. “This has got to change. If legislatures are going to legalize the sale of raw milk via herd share agreements, they need to require disclosure prior to signing the agreement.”

Dr. Dean Sienko, interim chief medical executive for MDCH, has voiced the same concern:

The public should be aware that raw milk and other unpasteurized dairy products have not been heat treated and, therefore, pose a potentially serious risk to human health. Unpasteurized milk and dairy products may contain many types of disease-causing germs, such as E. coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter.

Two of the people sickened are in Washtenaw County and one in Monroe County. All three individuals are women in their 30s or 40s.

Acute symptoms of Q fever typically develop within two-three weeks after exposure. Typical symptoms include high fevers (up to 104-105F), severe headache, joint and body aches, fatigue, chills/sweats, non-productive cough, chest pain, nausea and vomiting.

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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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Last week I was invited to Vancouver, British Columbia to speak to a group of Environmental Health Officers from the Fraser Health Authority. They were interested in how we select and prove foodborne illness cases (and how their work as sanitarians impacts on what we do).

As often happens in such presentations, the conversation turned to raw milk. Under Canadian law, it is apparently illegal to sell or purvey raw milk in any fashion (unlike in the US where many states allow some commercial raw milk sales). One of the officers of the Department raised an interesting question about raw milk in the context of personal freedom vs. governmental regulation of a potentially dangerous commodity. He asked me whether it is appropriate to regulate a commodity like raw milk if a consumer, knowledgeable about its risks and dangers, nevertheless chooses to drink it. In other words, treat it like “informed consent” in the context of a medical procedure: there is utility with attendant risk. If the risks are fully explained and the consumer/patient judges there to be sufficient utility to justify the risk, why should the government intrude?

So let’s assume a consumer goes to a dairy intending to purchase raw milk and is handed a form that fully and fairly sets out all the risks associated with raw milk. The consumer reads the form, signs the waiver and purchases raw milk. If s/he later gets sick, no one can complain (and no lawyer can sue on their behalf) because the consumer made an intelligent choice and is now fully responsible for the harms and losses that occurred.

Okay. But like most anti-government conceptual bullshit, the execution of the concept and the real-world implications of it are something else altogether.

So what happens, for example, when the bottle of raw milk that was “intelligently and knowingly” purchased ends up in the consumer’s refrigerator and is then poured on two bowls of corn flakes, one eaten by the 10-year-old child of the purchaser and the other by his neighbor/friend who was at the house on a sleep-over and later developed Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome and has life-long medical problems as a result(these facts are virtually the same as a real case, by the way)? Or what about another raw milk proponent who is sickened despite his knowing and intelligent waiver and then proceeds to incur over $1 Million in medical expenses (which we as a society end up paying directly or indirectly)?

Here’s my take: Until we can guarantee no innocent party will ever be harmed by raw milk and no one other than the person who chooses to drink it will have to subsidize the harm resulting from it, we should follow the wisdom of our friends north of the border and not allow anyone to buy it.

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 The Hartmann Dairy farm in Gibbon, Minnesota, was implicated by state health officials as the source of an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections in May and June. Eight E. coli infections were part of the Hartmann Dairy outbreak.

At the time, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) ordered owner Mike Hartmann to stop selling raw milk until he addressed the unsanitary conditions on his farm. MDA 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. Those restrictions remained in effect.

Now officials are wondering how seven new ill people acquired raw milk from the Hartmann farm that has been tied to four cases of Cryptosporidium parvum, a parasite, and three infections of Campylobacter. These illnesses occurred in months following the Hartmann E. coli outbreak.

Federal and state regulators have said raw milk carries a risk of disease because it hasn't been through the germ-destroying pasteurization process. Microscopic pathogens from the cows' manure inevitably contaminates raw milk and a kill step is required to wipe them out. 

In its announcement about the latest Hartmann dairy outbreak, the Minnesota Department of Health said it has identified 47 other people who became ill in the state since 1 Jan 2010, after drinking raw milk from a variety of other sources throughout the state -- not the Hartmann Dairy. Most of those cases have been young adults or children, the department said.

Law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., is investigating the latest Hartmann Dairy 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 (TOLL FREE) or complete the free consultation form on the side of this Web page. 

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Selling raw, unpasteurized milk is illegal in many states, but not in Washington.

If a producer or processor is properly licensed with the state Agriculture Department and the raw milk carries a consumer warning label about the associated health risks, sales are legal.

But as the Dungeness Valley Creamery E. coli outbreak demonstrates, legal doesn't mean safe.

Here is an excerpt from a press release issued Tuesday by the Washington State Department of Agriculture in Olympia, Washington: 

"Three recent E. coli infections in Washington have been linked to drinking raw, unpasteurized milk. As a result, the Washington state departments of Health and Agriculture are reminding consumers of the potential health hazards of these products.

The patients all report drinking raw milk produced by the Dungeness Valley Creamery in Sequim. No E. coli has been found in samples from the dairy's current batch of milk, but during an investigation at the dairy, WSDA found the same bacteria that caused one of the illnesses.''

E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially lethal pathogen, especially dangerous to young children, older adults and others with weakened immune systems. Each year in the United States, the bacteria causes about 90 deaths, 3,000 hospitalizations and 100,000 infections.

In more than 5 percent of cases, patients develop hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a life-threatening condition that is the leading cause of kidney failure in children and carries the risk of many serious health problems ranging from strokes, diabetes, heart damage and central nervous system disorders.

Pasteurization of milk kills E. coli and other harmful pathogens. If you or a loved one has become sick after drinking raw milk, contact a physician immediately. For answers to legal questions, call an E. coli lawyer at Pritzker Olsen Attorneys, 1-888-377-8900 (toll free). Our firm is one of the few in the country practicing extensively in the area of food poisoning litigation and we have recovered millions for E. coli victims. To contact us online, complete the form on the side of this web page.

Despite scientific proof to the contrary, many people believe raw milk is more nutritional than pasteurized milk. But here are facts from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that set the record straight:

• Raw milk DOES NOT kill dangerous pathogens by itself.
• Pasteurizing milk DOES NOT cause lactose intolerance and allergic reactions.
• Both raw milk and pasteurized milk can cause reactions in people sensitive to milk proteins.
• Pasteurization DOES NOT reduce milk’s nutritional value.
• Pasteurization DOES NOT mean that it is safe to leave milk out of the refrigerator for extended time.
• Pasteurization KILLS harmful bacteria and SAVES lives 

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The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection has issued a consumer alert against consumption of milk products from a licensed, on-farm bottling plant that may not have been properly pasteurized.

The consumer alert  was announced by the agency this week in a press release. It applies to whole milk, chocolate milk, skim milk, heavy whipping cream, half and half, buttermilk and eggnog in a variety of sizes from Blue Marble Family Farm of Barneveld, Wisconsin.

The products have "sell-by" dates of November 27 and later and are believed to have been distributed primarily in southern Wisconsin, including the Madison area, according to the Wisconsin State Journal newspaper. The dairy plant number 55131 is on the label.

The state's unsafe raw milk press release said lab tests from a routine inspection showed the presence of an active enzyme that is normally destroyed by pasteurization.

Wisconsin food safety officials say they are unaware of any illnesses caused by these products, but the consumer warning is another opportunity to remind you and your family that pasteurization of milk is critical to killing disease-causing bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7, Campylobacter and Listeria.

Some people continue to believe that pasteurization harms milk and that raw milk is a safe and healthier alternative. Victims of raw milk outbreaks represented by national food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen Attorneys would tell you differently. Our firm handles cases for victims of unsafe raw milk and can be reached at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or online by completing the contact and information form on the side of this web page.

Earlier this year in Wisconsin, for instance, public health officials associated 35 confirmed cases of Camplyobacter jejuni in southeastern Wisconsin to consumption of raw milk produced by Zinniker Family Farm in Elkhorn. On person was hospitalized. 

Here are some common myths and proven facts about milk and pasteurization from the Food and Drug Administration:

• Raw milk DOES NOT kill dangerous pathogens by itself.
• Pasteurizing milk DOES NOT cause lactose intolerance and allergic reactions. Both raw milk and pasteurized milk can cause reactions in people sensitive to milk proteins.
• Pasteurization DOES NOT reduce milk's nutritional value.
• Pasteurization DOES NOT mean that it is safe to leave milk out of the refrigerator for extended time.
• Pasteurization KILLS harmful bacteria and SAVES lives.

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Wisconsin's last big Campylobacter outbreak caused by raw milk occurred in 2001 and warranted special attention from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the current WI raw milk outbreak of Campylobacter jejuni, officials are investigating where the unpasteurized milk came from that sickened at least 13 people. State law prohibits the sale of raw milk. More illnesses are expected to be confirmed soon and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection is urging anyone who has raw milk to discard it.

National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen attorneys recalls the 2001 Wisconsin Campylobacter outbreak as a large one. According to the CDC, 75 people living in Northwestern Wisconsin were victimized by contaminated milk produced on a Grade A organic dairy farm in Sawyer County.

The farm had 36 cows and distributed unpasteurized milk from the herd to people who bought into the farm's cow leasing program. The farm also gave away unpasteurized milk to tour groups. At the time, health investigators discovered that 70 of the 75 victims had consumed raw milk from the dairy farm and four others were mothers of children who were sick from it.

According to a CDC review of the outbreak, the victims ranged in age from 2 to 63 and none of them came down with Guillain-Barre' Syndrome, a complication of Campylobacter infection that can cause paralysis.

The CDC review of the 2001 raw milk outbreak said unpasteurized milk is an important vehicle for Campylobacter, E. coli O157:H7, Brucella, Salmonella and Listeria. The review also stated that Wisconsin would try to prohibit cow leasing programs for the sake of food safety and public health. 

"Persons who drink unpasteurized milk and milk products might believe that these products taste better, provide greater nutrition than pasteurized products, and/or decrease the risk of for various medical conditions,'' the CDC wrote. "However, the benefits of consuming unpasteurized milk and milk products have never been validated scientifically.''

If you or a loved one has been sickened in the current Campylobacter milk outbreak in southeastern Wisconsin and want to protect your legal rights, call a Campylobacter attorney at Pritzker Olsen, 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free). Pritzker Olsen is one of the few law firms in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation. We are involved in practically every major outbreak of food poisoning and have collected tens of millions for victims.

To receive a free case consultation from one of our lawyers, follow this link to our consultation contact forms and submit one of the forms online.  

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 The state of Wisconsin is investigating to find the source of raw milk that has led to 13 confirmed cases of Campylobacter jejuni, a pathogen that has the potential to cause serious illness and even death.

More cases are expected to be confirmed soon, as there are other people sick in households where people are confirmed victims of the Campylobacter food poisoning. Tests are pending.

The announcement was made by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. The onset of illnesses in this Campylobacter outbreak range from Aug. 14-20.

With Campylobacter, infections can be passed from one person to another.

Raw, or unpasteurized milk cannot be legally sold in the state of Wisconsin because of the chronic health risk posed by bacterial contamination -- usually stemming from the cow's feces or other animal feces. People get around the law sometimes by selling shares in a cow used for raw milk production. The theory is that if you own your own cow, you can do what you want with the milk.

State officials are cautioning residents in the southeastern area of Wisconsin, where the outbreak is occurring, to discard any unpasteurized milk they may have in their refrigerators.

National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen attorneys has represented victims of Campylobacter who have suffered serious illness, including Guillain-Barre' Syndrome, a nerve cell condition that causes muscle weakness and in some cases paralysis. We urge any ill person who drank raw milk or believes they may have contracted Campylobacter from someone else to see a doctor.

Our law firm is involved in practically every major outbreak of foodborne illness and we are one of the few groups of lawyers in the country who practice extensively in the area of food poisoning. Over the years we have collected tens of millions of dollars for victims. A Campylobacter lawyer at our firm is ready to help you at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free). To receive a free case consultation from one of our attorneys via the internet, complete one of our online contact forms.

Campylobacter symptoms start with muscle pain, fever and headache. Those symptoms are followed by diarrhea, stomach pain and nausea. The first symptoms usually occur two to five days after infection.

The disease is one of the most common of all foodborne illnesses and healthy adults can often endure it without medical treatment. But young children, the elderly and people who have weakened immune systems are at higher risk for complications that could require hospitalization.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a new food safety warning against consumption of raw milk and any products made from it.

The CDC's latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report reviewed an October 2007 outbreak of illness caused by Campylobacter jejuni to illustrate that unpasteurized milk and cheese and other products made from it carry the risk of infection from milkborne pathogens.

"To minimize the risk for illness associated with milkborne pathogens, unpasteurized milk and milk products should not be consumed, especially among populations at high risk of infection complications (the young, pregnant, elderly and immunocompromised),'' the CDC report said.

According to the CDC, an epidemiological investigation by health officials found an association between illness in 67 fair-goers in rural Kansas and consumption of cheese made at the fair from unpasteurized milk. Even though samples of the cheese tested negative for Campylobacter jejuni, isolates of the bacteria from two of the ill persons were proven to have the same genetic fingerprint, the CDC said.

The outbreak arose Oct. 26, 2007, when the Kansas Department of Health and Environment received a confirmed report of two ill persons who came from different families in the same closed community in rural Kansas.

Over the next three days, another 17 members of the community reported stomach illnesses. The CDC said everyone involved reported eating fresh cheese made from raw milk on Oct. 20 at the same community fair.

Of 101 people who ate the cheese, 67 became ill, the CDC said. Campylobacter symptoms usually start two to five days after infection and the illness usually lasts a week to 10 days. The first symptoms are muscle pain, headache and fever followed by diarrhea, stomach pain and nausea.

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(Updated information: According to news reports, a spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture said at least one sample of the raw milk from Hendricks Farms & Dairy that was submitted by a consumer who got sick, has tested positive for Campylobacter.)

Since September 1, at least seven confirmed cases of Campylobacter have been associated with drinking raw milk from Hendricks Farm & Dairy in Franconia, PA, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The people sickened live in unrelated households in Pennsylvania and in a neighboring state. Other individuals in these households have also experienced similar gastrointestinal illness, but they have not tested positive for Campylobacter.

In response to this Campylobacter outbreak, the state Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has suspended Hendricks Farm and Dairy's raw milk permit and instructed the farm’s owner to stop selling raw milk for human consumption until the permit is reinstated. The only product affected by this suspension is the farm's fluid raw milk.

Raw milk has been associated with foodborne outbreaks throughout the country. If you contracted Campylobacter (campylobacteriosis) after consuming raw milk, contact our office for information about a lawsuit to recover compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering and other damages. To contact our law firm, please call 1-888-377-8900 (toll-free), e-mail attorney Fred Pritzker, or submit our online form for a free consultation.

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