Anyone hear of Organic Milk causing E-Coli poisoning???

[denna]

DHs uncle is a ped in the San Bernadino area. He recently had a case of a young boy w/ severe e-coli poisoning. The hospital was just able to link the poisioning w/ some organic milk the child had been drinking? Anyone hear of this happening before?

[randomkid]

I'm guessing it may be related to this story. It mentions a case in San Bernandino. If milk is pasteurized, I don't think it would be a risk.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14961688/

[brittone2]

It was *raw* organic milk from a company known as Organic Pastures. Raw milk is legally sold in CA.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14961688/

The only link they found with these children was that they all consumed raw dairy in the week(s) prior to getting sick so it was assumed that the raw milk was the cause.

However, all tests of the actual milk were *negative* for e. coli, so it may be that the cases were not related to consumption of the milk. As a result, I believe it is now being sold again. Info on the testing, etc. is below.

http://www.organicpastures.com/


The dairy industry is very powerful, and the powers that be do not like farmers selling raw dairy as it cuts out the "middle man" by not being pasteurized, etc. There has been a lot of tension between the farmers that sell raw dairy and conventional dairy sellers, so IMO there can be some politics involved in what happened complicating the issue further.

[EllasMum]

Wasn't there an outbreak of e-coli a few years ago (maybe 10? not sure of dates, sorry) that was linked to unpasteurized apple juice? I think it was in Seattle? If e-coli can be transmitted through unpasteurized juice I don't see why milk would be any different... scary. I have an uncle who is a world expert on food preservation so I have heard some scary stories about unpasteurized foods. Yikes. Hope no more kids come down with e-coli - in San Bernadino or elsewhere. My heart goes out to their families.

[brittone2]

All unpasteurized products are not equal though. I know with apple juice/apple cider, sometimes producers use "drops" (apples that have been on the ground) and that massively increases the risk of the unpasteurized product causing food-borne illness.

Similarly, IMO, unpasteurized dairy from a commercial, large scale operation doesn't carry the same risks as that from a small scale, cleanly handled farm that is devoted to raw milk.

Also, food borne illness routinely pops up from things like sprouts from salad bars, the recent spinach scare, listeria from hot dogs and processed meats, etc. and most people don't live in fear of those items.

We actually use some raw dairy here, and statistically if the milk is well-handled/tested you are less likely to get sick from consuming it than you are from a salad bar.

[EllasMum]

True. I do recall hearing that the apple juice e-coli outbreak was, in fact, linked to dropped apples that came in contact with deer droppings.

I guess if one plans to use unpasteurized/raw dairy products (particularly with children/elderly), it is wise to investigate the source - like you suggested, small farms devoted to raw products are probably safer. It is unfortunate that outbreaks like this one give raw products a bad name, as they do have many health benefits when handled/processed carefully.

[brittone2]

ITA :) I just don't like to see people scared off by an incident that isn't reflective of all raw products, kwim? and in this case who knows for sure where exactly the e coli came from since the actual tests were negative.

Thanks for understanding what I meant :)

[Melanie]

Raw AND organic, not just organic.

[Dee150]

Sorry to hijack....Beth, is there a website or other resource that lists small farms selling organic milk? I have been trying to find one in Illinois but haven't had any success. Thanks in advance!

[brittone2]

are you looking for raw organic or just organic?

If you are interested in raw organic, it isn't legal in every state, although in some states people opt to buy a "cow share" (part owner of the cow) which entitles them to consume the milk however they wish. I live in NC where it is technically illegal and is sold as "pet milk" to protect the farmer. Some states make it legal and mandate testing. THe Weston A Price Foundation can possibly help you out http://www.westonaprice.org/splash_2.htm and that site has a link on the left hand column to the "real milk" campaign.

This site has a lot of local, grass fed meat sources, but some info available on organic/raw milk. YOu might try contacting some of these farms to see if they know of anyone.
http://www.eatwild.com/products/illinois.html

The big catch is that if the milk is pasteurized, the farmer tends to lose a lot of control over things, so it can be hard to find local, pasteurized milk sold without a "big name" attached to it. Most farmers are forced to sell to the big dairies and therefore lose a lot of personal control over quality, price, etc.

If you have to buy a nationally known dairy brand of milk, Organic Valley is available in a large portion of the US and they have a good reputation (far better than say Horizon). They are a co-op of farmers, and their treatment of animals and adherence to "real" organic standards is pretty well respected.

[Dee150]

Thank you so much for this info! I was looking for raw organic- we currently buy pasteurized organic milk. I used to get Organic Valley mostly for the reasons you mentioned - for a few mos. (a year almost?), it has been hard getting pastrzd. - its all "ultra" pastrzd. Now I get Trader Joe's milk. Aside from my original / natural distrust of foods with very long shelf lives, I read that the ultra variety is heated to even higher temps. and potentially lose more enzymes than plain pastrzd. and that these enzymes help with our bodies being able to digest/process the milk. I have been looking for 'raw' for many years now (thoughnot in a focused way!). My DS seems to have some 'reaction' to milk (not so with yogurt)- not an allergy, but a skin rash, so I'm even more motivated now to try raw milk for him.

Thanks again.

[JenniferMC1971]

Hi, I'm in Evanston IL and our farmer's market sells organic milk that is pasteurized, but the seller said it was pastuerized just to the extent of the law (not over-pasteurized in other words.) So if you can't find raw milk at least this milk is closer to what you're looking for. Also, it's non-homogenized, so it's closer to its natural state. It's called Traders Point and soon it will be in Whole Foods. Here is a link to their website:

http://www.tpforganics.com/new/

-Jennifer

[denna]

Evanston! My DH is from Evanston, and we are planning on buying a home there in a couple of years :)...