Unsanitary Conditions Can Lead to Contamination of Raw Milk with E. coli O157:H7
E. coli outbreaks linked to raw milk can be caused by unsanitary conditions that exist during the milking process. An example of this is a 2005 E. coli outbreak linked to raw milk from a farm in Washington State. The outbreak-strain of E. coli O157:H7 was found in the farm’s raw milk and in environmental samples, including "seven environmental samples collected from the floor of the farm milking parlor," according to a CDC report on the outbreak.
Unsanitary conditions were found at the farm by state health officials investigating the outbreak:
During inspections of the farm, officials from the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) noted mud and manure accumulation in the entrance to the milking parlor and on the rubber mats covering the dirt floors of the parlor. The bucket used for milk collection had direct contact with these surfaces. Inspectors also noted inadequate hand-washing facilities and improper procedures for cleaning milking equipment and handling fresh milk.
It is critical that farmers supplying raw milk for human consumption keep milking areas impeccably clean. If not, people may get sick. And when elderly people and children end up on dialysis and fighting for life because they consumed raw milk, the farmers who didn't take the time to clean up the milking area should compensate those sickened and their families.
