Raw Milk E. coli Outbreak Not The First Time Organic Pastures Has Had Food Safety Issues
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.
