June 2006

June 28, 2006
Associated Press
Joe Milicia
MOUNT HOPE, Ohio — Arlie Stutzman was busted in a rare sting when an undercover agent bought raw milk from the Amish dairy farmer in an unlabeled container.
Now, Stutsman is fighting the law that forbids the sale of raw milk, saying he believes it violates his religious beliefs because it prohibits him from sharing the milk he produces with others.
“While I can and I have food, I’ll share it,” said Stutzman, who is due in Holmes County Common Pleas Court on Friday to tell a judge his views. “Do unto others what you would have others do unto you.”
Last September, a man came to Stutzman’s weathered, two-story farmhouse, located in a pastoral region in northeast Ohio that has the world’s largest Amish settlement. The man asked for milk.
Stutzman was leery, but agreed to fill up the man’s plastic container from a 250-gallon stainless steel tank in the milkhouse.Continue Reading Amish-Raw milk

Unlicensed cheese-maker ordered to halt operations
By RICK OLIVO Staff Writer
The Daily Press
Monday, June 26th, 2006
Cheese curds infected with the Campylobacter bacteria are now being blamed for over 100 suspected cases of illness in places as far away as Oregon.
The contaminated cheese curds were manufactured by an unlicensed Highbridge cheese-maker using unpasteurized milk, says the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services.
Wesley Lindquist was ordered to cease the production of curds and any other dairy products following the outbreak, which apparently began shortly after Memorial Day when a number of visitors were in the Ashland area for graduations and other events. Over 40 confirmed cases of illness have been identified as coming from the tainted curds, and many others from different areas of the state and even other states have also become ill.Continue Reading Bad cheese curds now responsible for over 100 illnesses

BY JOHN SCHMELTZER
Chicago Tribune
CHICAGO – Antibiotic-free foods are not necessarily safer, according to an Institute of Food Technologists study to be released Monday.
The study, conducted by a panel of food scientists and microbiologists, aims for the heart of the marketing campaigns in the last decade by organic food advocates who have suggested there is an overuse of antibiotics and that antibiotic-free foods are better for human consumption.
One such group is the Organic Trade Association, based in Greenfield, Mass., which represents many of the nation’s organic food producers. The association cites 10 studies from 2000 and 2001 of antibiotic use in farming to support its stand that antibiotics have been abused by American farmers.Continue Reading Antibiotic-free food not necessarily safer for people, study says

Unlicensed cheesemaker told to halt production
By JESSE GARZA
jgarza@journalsentinel.com
Posted: June 22, 2006
More than 40 people have become ill after eating unpasteurized cheese curds produced by Wesley Lindquist of Highbridge, state health officials said Thursday.
Test results from six of those people confirmed the presence of Campylobacter jejuni bacteria, a statement from the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services said.
The bacteria cause nausea, diarrhea, abdominal cramping, fever and vomiting. On rare occasions, those affected develop more severe complications such as temporary arthritis or paralysis, generally after the initial symptoms have disappeared, the statement said.Continue Reading Homemade curds sicken dozens

State health officials are advising people to avoid eating unpasteurized cheese curds produced by Wesley Lindquist of Highbridge in Ashland County.
The cheese curds have been connected to an outbreak of campylobacter jejuni, a form of food poisoning. More than 40 people have become ill with symptoms including nausea, diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping, fever…

KidsHealth.org
Jun 20, 2006
You probably have lots of concerns about the foods you give to your child. Is it a nutritious meal? Will your child eat it? Is there too much fat? But one thing that may not cross your mind as you’re slicing and dicing in the kitchen is food safety.
Why is food safety so important? Proper food preparations are necessary to prevent your family from becoming sick from food-borne illnesses caused by bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter and Listeria (which can cause symptoms such as diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, and dehydration). Food safety precautions include knowing how to select foods in the grocery store, how to store them, how to cook them, and how to clean up afterward.Continue Reading Food Safety for Your Family

June 6, 2006
National Center for Infectious Diseases
Each year, people become ill from drinking raw milk and eating foods made from raw dairy products. Unlike most of the milk, cheese, and dairy products sold in the United States, raw milk and raw dairy products have not been heat treated or pasteurized to kill germs. Although many states outlaw the sale of these items, many people including dairy producers, farm workers and their families, and some ethnic groups continue to drink raw milk and eat foods made from raw dairy products. Several types of raw cheeses such as feta, brie, queso fresco, sheep’s and goat’s milk cheese have been illegally sold in the United States.
Germs in These Products Cause Thousands of Illnesses
Raw milk and raw dairy products may carry many types of disease-causing germs such as Campylobacter, Escherichia coli, Listeria, Salmonella, Yersinia, and Brucella. When raw milk or raw milk products become contaminated, people who eat the contaminated foods can get sick. Here are a few examples of outbreaks that have been reported since 2000:Continue Reading Raw milk and cheeses: health risks are still black and white

County has 13 possible cases of bacterial illness
June 7, 2006
The Daily Press (Wisconsin)
Rick Olivo
Ashland County and state public health officials are investigating an outbreak of a diarrheal illness that is possibly related to an unpasteurized dairy product.
According to Ashland County Health Officer Terry Kramolis, one person has been confirmed with an infection by the Campylobacter bacteria, which can cause nausea, diarrhea, abdominal cramping and occasional vomiting. On rare occasions, the illness has more severe complications such as temporary arthritis or paralysis, generally after the initial symptoms have disappeared.
“Currently, 13 people from Ashland County have probable Campylobacter infections,” Kramolis said. “And several people have been hospitalized.Continue Reading Health officials investigate suspected outbreak of Campylobacter

DON THOMPSON
Associated Press
Jun. 02, 2006
SACRAMENTO – Spoiled milk was likely responsible for an outbreak of gastroenteritis that sickened more than 1,300 inmates and 14 employees at 11 state prisons last month, officials said Friday.
The inmates and employees had symptoms between May 16 and 26 that included fever, headaches, diarrhea, cramping and vomiting caused by campylobacter, a bacteria.
Investigators were never able to find the bacteria in food and milk samples, and they said milk processing equipment tested clean at the Deuel Vocational Institution farm in Tracy, which supplied milk to the 11 prisons.Continue Reading Spoiled milk apparently sickened 1,300 inmates at 11 prisons

DON THOMPSON
Associated Press
SACRAMENTO – Spoiled milk was likely responsible for an outbreak of gastroenteritis that sickened more than 1,300 inmates and 14 employees at 11 state prisons last month, officials said Friday.
The inmates and employees had symptoms between May 16 and 26 that included fever, headaches, diarrhea, cramping and vomiting caused by…