The Florida Department of Health is warning about the risks of drinking raw, unpasteurized milk after 21 people, including six children under the age of 10, were sickened by E. coli and campylobacter bacteria linked to raw milk from the same farm. Seven people have been hospitalized, and two have developed severe complications.
“Sanitation practices in this farm are of particular concern due to the number of cases,” the department said in a news release. Officials did not identify the farm, but indicated its products were available in Northeast and Central Florida.
The health department told CBS News it continues to investigate the reported infections, and said it “does not comment on ongoing or active epidemiological investigations.”
Although it is illegal to sell raw milk for human consumption in Florida, it can be sold in the state if it’s labeled as a pet food. Raw milk has been promoted by online wellness influencers and raw food advocates, boosting sales in recent years, but public health officials say it can be risky.
The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say raw milk can carry life-threatening bacteria, such as E. coli, campylobacter, listeria or salmonella.
These can cause symptoms including diarrhea, vomiting and stomach cramps. Severe cases can result in a condition called hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS, which can lead to kidney failure.
Since 1987, 143 outbreaks have been linked to raw milk or raw milk products, some involving miscarriages, stillbirths, kidney failure and even deaths, according to the FDA.
Pasteurization — a process of heating the milk — kills these bacteria. Pasteurization is required by federal law for any milk sold across state lines. Some individual states also restrict or ban the sale of raw milk, but others allow it.
In an interview with CBS News Miami earlier this year, Mark McAfee, founder of one of the world’s largest raw milk producers and head of an advocacy group called the Raw Milk Institute, claimed raw milk offers health benefits such as bioactives that boost the immune system. McAfee sells his raw milk legally in California, where no state law prohibits its sale.
But the CDC says such claims are unfounded. “Pasteurized milk offers the same nutritional benefits without the risks of raw milk consumption,” the agency says.
The Florida Department of Health noted in its statement that “many people consume raw milk safely.” But it also advised, “Floridians should be aware of potential risks associated with consumption, which may vary depending on the source of milk. The producer’s handling of raw milk and milking procedures are vital in prevention of contamination.”
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