More than 20 people in Florida are suffering from bacterial infections after drinking raw milk, a product championed by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The Florida Department of Health issued an alert Monday warning that raw milk sold in north and central Florida had been linked to a wave of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli. The infection can cause gastrointestinal issues and can lead to kidney failure in young children.
At least 21 people, including six children under age 10, have already fallen ill with Campylobacter and E. coli infections in the region. Seven were hospitalized, and two reported severe complications from the infections.
Florida Health Department officials say all 21 individuals consumed raw milk from the same farm.
The alert did not identify the farm, but warned that its “sanitation practices… are of particular concern due to the number of cases.” The Daily Beast has contacted the Florida Department of Health for information about the farm.
Consuming raw milk, or milk that has not undergone the standardized pasteurization process of being heated to destroy pathogens in the fluid, poses significant health risks.
The product is illegal to sell for human consumption in several states, including Florida. In Florida, it can only be legally sold as animal food, and all containers must be clearly labeled as not for human consumption.
The CDC warns that raw milk consumers risk infection from a host of harmful bacteria, including Campylobacter, E. coli, Listeria, and Salmonella.
Despite the risk of infection, raw milk has become a favorite among MAHA-adjacent influencers and politicians, who have falsely claimed the product is more nutritious than pasteurized milk.
Secretary Kennedy even took shots of raw milk in the White House earlier this year, while filming a May episode of wellness influencer Paul Saladino’s podcast.
In November, raw milk from Raw Farm, RFK’s preferred brand, was recalled from California grocery stores after state health officials detected bird flu in a retail sample of the product.
At the time, Raw Farm CEO Mark McAfee—whom RFK had asked to join his cabinet as a “raw milk adviser” if he won the 2024 presidential election—called the recall a “political decision” intended to stop raw milk from thriving.
The HHS Secretary himself has a storied history with food-related illness. In 2024, Kennedy revealed doctors had found a dead worm in his brain, which may have taken residence up there after he consumed raw or undercooked food.
Kennedy has said the worm ate part of his brain matter, but insists he has fully recovered.
Upon receiving his brain worm diagnosis, Kennedy also learned he had mercury poisoning, likely from consuming too much fish.
According to the former presidential candidate, his neurologists believe both food-related conditions may have contributed to serious cognitive and memory issues.
The increasing popularity of raw milk has prompted several states to adopt more lax policies surrounding the distribution of the risky drink.
In the last three years alone, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, North Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming have all legalized sales of the product.
Raw milk is now legal to sell for human consumption in some form or another in all but five states and Washington D.C.
Though the Florida Department of Health warned its residents about the risk of disease on Monday, its alert stopped short of advising residents to avoid the drink altogether.
Instead, the alert suggested residents “use this information to make informed decisions about their health and sources of raw milk.”
The Daily Beast has contacted the Department of Health and Human Services for comment on the string of raw milk-related infections.
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