Campylobacter Lawyer & Attorney : Marler Clark : Campylobacter Blog

PAYSON — Utah County health officials issued a warning Wednesday about the outbreak of a food-borne illness that appears to be linked to a Payson dairy farm.

So far 15 people have tested positive for campylobacteriosis, an infectious disease caused by ingesting bacteria. Officials also say several others have reported symptoms similar to those caused by the bacteria.

The disease is not unusual and is rarely life-threatening, authorities say, but the recent outbreak is much larger than normal. "We basically have seen a fourfold increase" in the number of cases, said Lance Madigan, Utah County Health Department spokesman.

The disease usually causes diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain and fever within one to 10 days after exposure. Some experience nausea or vomiting, as well.

Keep reading here.

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Raw milk has been the source of numerous outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Campylobacter, and other outbreaks in recent years. Although advocates of drinking raw milk believe there are health benefits, the risks certainly outweigh them. An article from the Baxter Bulletin today highlights the debate over the purported benefits of raw milk versus the safety of our food supply and the duties of public health officials who must work to prevent outbreaks of Campylobacter and other foodborne illnesses: Advocates of raw milk are behind legislative efforts in Tennessee, Ohio, Kentucky and Nebraska to legalize selling raw milk. Moves to introduce legislation have begun in North Carolina and Maryland. Raw milk appeals to consumers who seek natural and unprocessed foods, to those with health concerns who believe it has curative powers, and most recently to a new wave of evangelical Christians who follow the teachings of Jordan Rubin's The Maker's Diet, a Bible-based diet of unprocessed foods. But this is a dangerous game, public health officials say. In June, more than 58 people in Wisconsin became ill with Campylobacter jejuni from unpasteurized cheese curds. In January, five people became ill with campylobacteriosis after drinking raw milk from a dairy in Larimer County, Colo. In December 2005, six children in Washington state were infected with a potentially deadly form of E. coli O157:H7 bacteria from drinking unpasteurized milk. No matter how clean the cows or the barn, all milk contains fecal material, says William Keene, senior epidemiologist in Oregon's Acute and Communicable Disease Program.

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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.

State health officials urge anyone who has exhibited these symptoms and who has recently consumed unpasteurized milk or dairy products to contact their health care provider.

Anyone who has cheese curds produced by Lindquist, which are distributed in unlabeled clear bags, should contact the Ashland County-City Health Department so further testing can be done on the dairy product.

Lindquist has been ordered to stop production of the cheese curds, as well as all dairy manufacturing activity.

According to Donna Gilson, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, the manufacturer was an "unlicensed cheesemaker using unlicensed facilities and unpasteurized milk" in what she called a "long-standing tradition" in Ashland County.

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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 and vomiting after eating the unpasteurized white cheese curds. Most started to become ill between May 24 and June 2.

People experiencing these symptoms who recently consumed unpasteurized milk or dairy products should contact their health care providers and notify the Ashland County Health Department. It is illegal to sell or distribute unpasteurized dairy products in Wisconsin.

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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:

2001: Outbreak of Campylobacter jejuni infections from drinking "raw" or unpasteurized milk.

2003: Outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections from eating unpasteurized queso fresco (a Mexican-style soft cheese)

2003: Outbreak of Salmonella infections from eating unpasteurized queso fresco.

2004: Outbreak of E. coli.O157 infections from eating unpasteurized queso fresco

These Illnesses Can Be Dangerous

Getting sick from one of these germs can lead to diarrhea, stomach cramps, fever, headache, vomiting, or exhaustion. The misery typically lasts anywhere from several hours to a week or more but most healthy people will recover.

These illnesses can be dangerous for people with weakened immune systems, such as the elderly, children, and people with cancer, an organ transplant, or HIV/AIDS. Germs found in raw milk and raw dairy products can be especially dangerous to pregnant women and their unborn babies.

Pasteurization Is Key to Making Dairy Products Safe

Heat-treating milk to kill germs is called pasteurization . Using heat to pasteurize milk was first suggested in the late 1800's as a way to decrease the amount of a germ that causes tuberculosis. Today, pasteurization is still our main protection from germs carried in milk and cheese.

Pasteurization is a simple process. In the United States, raw milk is collected from cows and heated to a high temperature for a short period of time. This destroys any harmful germs that may be contaminating the milk. After it is pasteurized, milk and products made from milk are safe for human consumption. Pasteurization does not harm the nutritional value of milk and cheese.

Playing It Safe

When shopping for milk or cheese, play it safe. Carefully read food labels to make sure a product is pasteurized. Purchase only products that are pasteurized or made from pasteurized milk.

These people should always avoid raw milk or raw dairy products:

Pregnant women or women considering pregnancy

Children under 5 years of age

The elderly

Persons infected with HIV

Persons with cancer

Anyone who is immunocompromised (such as persons with organ transplants)

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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.

Stool samples from several affected individuals are being confirmed for Campylobacter at the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene in Madison. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Laboratory is also conducting tests on food products recently eaten by ill individuals."

Kramolis declined to identify the suspect food items until investigations are complete, but said steps had been taken to ensure no other persons would be at risk from those products.

"We don't want to release that information right away because it might bias the interviews we are doing," she said.

Kramolis said when the investigations are completed, the source of the possible infections would be made public. She emphasized that the suspected source of the infections has been isolated and is no longer considered to be a further threat to the public.

Campylobacter infections are frequently associated with the consumption of unpasteurized milk or dairy products. The illness is not generally contagious person-to-person but could potentially be spread by persons working in food service or at a daycare facility who did not use good hand-washing practices.

"There is no risk to the public through a continued communicable disease state," she said.

Health officials are urging anyone who is exhibiting symptoms consistent with Campylobacter and have recently consumed unpasteurized milk or dairy products to contact their health care provider for diagnosis and confirmation of the illness. She also said anyone who has recently consumed unpasteurized milk or dairy products and still has the products available for testing, either opened or unopened, should contact the local health department for directions.

"Because of the health risk of Campylobacter infections, consumption of unpasteurized milk and dairy products is discouraged," Kramolis said.

Consuming raw or undercooked poultry, or exposure to farm animals, puppies or kittens with diarrheal illness may also cause the infection, she said.

The Ashland County Health Department, the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services' Division of Public Health and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection are collaborating in the investigation, Kramolis said.

"What we are doing at the state level is DNA fingerprinting, trying to match all these people to see if it is the same source," she said.

"If you recently consumed any unpasteurized dairy products and have the above symptoms, please see a physician and contact your local health department," she said. "It is important that your physician collect a stool sample before treating with antibiotics in order to confirm the diagnosis."

Kramolis said the investigation was still ongoing, and that none of the cases of suspected infection in Ashland County were life threatening.

Nevertheless, she said Campylobacter infections were a serious matter.

"It is very incapacitating if you get this," she said. "If you get this, you are very sick. You definitely know you've got something."

Kramolis said the disease was a special risk for the very young, the elderly or those with other health issues.

"Those people need to be careful," she said.

She said the department was educating the people they were talking to about Campylobacter.

"We are also doing everything we can to make notification to all of our medical facilities and our clinics. Right now we are at an investigational level, trying to determine the exact source," she said. "We feel we have a handle on it."

Kramolis said while rare, Campylobacter infections were not unknown in Ashland County.

"Typically we will see some cases in the summer anyway. In my county I might see one or two cases annually. So for me this is a major event, she said. "I don't know where our numbers are going to be when we are done. I wouldn't be causing this alert if I didn't have great concern."

Kramolis said persons with additional questions, or who suspect they or someone they know may have been infected, should call her at the Ashland health Department at (715) 682-7028.

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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.

But milk was "the only food item that had any significant connection" among the sick inmates, said Dr. Mark Starr of the California Department of Health Services. "It was quite a dramatic difference."

Those who consumed milk were 11 times more likely to have symptoms, he said.

The animal-borne bacteria is commonly spread to humans through meats or animal-contaminated milk or water.

Dr. Stephen Beam, chief of the milk and food safety branch of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, speculated that contaminated containers, packaging equipment or holding tanks may have been the problem, as the farm's pasteurization process and other procedures met health standards.

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's acting secretary, James E. Tilton, said there was no evidence of human tampering. A few inmates were treated at prison infirmaries, but most were treated in their cells.

"The outbreak seems to be over," and the public was never affected, he said.

Dairy production was shut down for a few hours for inspection May 19, and 25,000 half-pint containers of milk produced May 8-18 were recalled and destroyed. Milk containers during that period had a higher bacteria count, Beam said, but the bacteria could not be identified.

The farm at Deuel produces about 6,000 gallons of raw milk each day. It is one of three prison dairies that employ about 300 inmates and supply milk to all but three of the state's prisons.

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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 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.

But milk was "the only food item that had any significant connection" among the sick inmates, said Dr. Mark Starr of the California Department of Health Services. "It was quite a dramatic difference."

Those who consumed milk were 11 times more likely to have symptoms, he said.

The animal-borne bacteria is commonly spread to humans through meats or animal-contaminated milk or water.

Dr. Stephen Beam, chief of the milk and food safety branch of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, speculated that contaminated containers, packaging equipment or holding tanks may have been the problem, as the farm's pasteurization process and other procedures met health standards.

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's acting secretary, James E. Tilton, said there was no evidence of human tampering. A few inmates were treated at prison infirmaries, but most were treated in their cells.

"The outbreak seems to be over," and the public was never affected, he said.

Dairy production was shut down for a few hours for inspection May 19, and 25,000 half-pint containers of milk produced May 8-18 were recalled and destroyed. Milk containers during that period had a higher bacteria count, Beam said, but the bacteria could not be identified.

The farm at Deuel produces about 6,000 gallons of raw milk each day. It is one of three prison dairies that employ about 300 inmates and supply milk to all but three of the state's prisons.

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May 28, 2006
The Reporter (Vacaville, CA)

More than 1,300 inmates in 11 state prisons have been diagnosed since mid-May with a bacterial infection that causes flu-like symptoms.

Nearly three dozen of these are inmates at California Medical Facility in Vacaville.

The illness, caused by a bacteria called campylobacter, was first reported at Deuel Vocational Institution in Tracy on May 16, said Terry Thornton, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Inmates infected with the bacteria suffer symptoms that include nausea, headaches, body aches, vomiting, and diarrhea. Symptoms usually last up to five days.

Between May 16 and May 23, 1,344 inmates and 14 correctional staffers at 10 prisons came down with the disease, said Thornton.

Prisons with confirmed cases include: CMF, 32 cases; Deuel Vocational Institution in Tracy, 379 cases; Folsom State Prison, 10 cases; California Rehabilitation Center, 4 cases; California State Prison, Sacramento, 75 cases; Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, 200 cases; Valley State Prison for Women in Chowchilla, 400 cases; Central California Women's Facility in Chowchilla, 94 cases; Sierra Conservation Center in Jamestown, 130 cases; Wasco State Prison in Kern County, 11 cases; and Avenol State Prison in Kings County, 9 cases.

State prison officials say they have not heard of any cases at California State Prison, Solano.

But prisoner activist Cayenne Bird with UNION, United for No Injustice Opression or Neglect, said she believes the problem could be more widespread.

"The UNION families want a full investigation - now!" she said in an e-mailed newsletter to members. "Prisons who have it need to stop transfers. What is being done to restore electrolytes? What about prisoners who cannot walk to the clinic? And those who cannot walk to chow? What is being done for them?"

Thornton said the main treatment for the disease is to keep the inmates hydrated and isolated so that they cannot infect others.

At CMF, Dionne Hudnall, public information officer, said inmates with the symptoms are given plenty of fluids and "the proper tools to clean their cells so that they do not re-infect themselves or others."

The bacteria can be transmitted from animals through food, unpasturized milk or contaminated water sources.

"We still don't know where it originated from," said Thornton. "We are working with county and state health officials to find out. In the meantime, the best prevention is to be careful with food handing, and observe good hygiene."

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May 24, 2006
LA Times
Jenifer Warren

SACRAMENTO -- Nearly 1,300 inmates at nine California prisons have been stricken with gastroenteritis, according to corrections officials, who remain stumped by the source of the bacterial outbreak.

Some inmates have been hospitalized, but most have been treated in their cells for vomiting, fever, headaches, diarrhea and cramping caused by Campylobacter bacteria. A small number of staff members also have become ill.

The symptoms surfaced at Deuel Vocational Institute in Tracy, east of San Francisco, where 379 inmates have fallen ill since May 16. The contagious disease has since struck inmates at state prisons elsewhere in the San Joaquin Valley and also in Folsom, the Sierra foothills and Norco in Riverside County.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Terry Thornton, said health authorities have not pinpointed the source of the bacteria. She said Campylobacter can be spread through contaminated water or food, including meat or unpasteurized milk.

"It's a mystery right now," Thornton said. "We're looking at everything."

Most of the prisons with ill inmates were initially placed on 24-hour "lockdown" status after the outbreak, to reduce contact with contagious inmates and to free up staff to help with treatment, Thornton said. While on lockdown, prisons close to visitors and halt inmate programs and education.

Thornton said prison healthcare workers were most concerned about dehydration from excessive vomiting. Some inmates have been given intravenous fluids, she said.

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The Record
Published Tuesday, May 23, 2006

TRACY - The number of prison inmates with flulike symptoms continues to rise statewide, but no more inmates at Deuel Vocational Institution have become sick, a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation spokeswoman said Monday.

At least 1,300 inmates at 10 prisons have fallen ill in the past week, corrections spokeswoman Terry Thornton said.

Tests at Tracy's Deuel and Ione's Mule Creek State Prison found the culprit to be campylobacter, a bacterium spread through contaminated food and water. Prison officials have enlisted state health officials' help in finding the bacterium's source, Thornton said.

The outbreak began last week at Deuel, where the number of inmates suffering from fever, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea peaked Friday at 379.

Other affected prisons are Valley State Prison for Women; Central California Women's Facility; Wasco State Prison; Folsom State Prison; California Rehabilitation Center; Sierra Conservation Center; California State Prison, Sacramento; and California Rehabilitation Center.

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May 20, 2006
The North Bay Nugget

POWASSAN -- Customers of the Kwik-way Variety Store at 497 Main St. have been advised by health officials not to drink bagged milk purchased between May 13 and 18.

Dr. Catherine Whiting, medical officer of health, issued the localized food recall Friday afternoon.

"This precautionary recall is due to reported cases of illness which may be related to the consumption of milk products sold from this location,"
stated a North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit media release.

Only bagged milk products from the Powassan Kwik-way are part of the recall, with consumers advised by the health unit to dispose of unopened bags.

REIMBURSE CUSTOMERS

A person who answered the telephone at the store Friday, however, said it will reimburse customers upon return of the product.

Customers who have consumed the milk may have experienced a bad chemical taste and have symptoms of nausea or vomiting, the release stated.

Those who have felt ill should contact the health unit and provide a sample of the milk in its original container.

Milk products seized from this location are being tested by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to determine the contaminant, while health inspectors investigate how it happened.

It is suspected the milk was contaminated somehow during storage, according to the health unit media release.

For more information call 474-1400 or 1-800-563-2808.

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The Stockton Record
May 20, 2006

TRACY - Bacteria, not the so-called "cruise ship virus," is the culprit upsetting stomachs inside Tracy's Deuel Vocational Institution, a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation spokeswoman said Friday.

Campylobacter, a bacterium spread through contaminated food and water, has knocked 379 inmates at Deuel off their feet, said Corrections spokeswoman Terry Thornton.

County health and state prison officials had suspected the norovirus, which is known to cause cruise ship passengers gut-wrenching pain. That was ruled out at Deuel by Friday evening when test results determined the bacterium cause the widespread illness, Thornton said.

"They're still trying to find out how inmates were exposed to it," she said.

The first group of Deuel inmates experienced fever, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea on Tuesday. The spread has slowed down at Deuel with just 18 new cases diagnosed from Thursday to Friday, said Deuel spokesman Lt. Mike Quaglia.

The epidemic has more than doubled, however, at Ione's Mule Creek State Prison, Thornton said. About 106 inmates there have come down with flulike symptoms, up from 44 the day before. Results from tests of inmate stool samples there haven't returned yet.

The Valley State Prison for Women in Chowchilla was put on the list of prisons reporting mass illness, with 40 women getting sick Friday. Sick inmates at all the afflicted prisons are being treated for dehydration. Symptoms last from two to five days.

Visiting has been suspended at Deuel and Mule Creek for the weekend. Thornton couldn't say how inmates at the different prisons became ill at about the same time.

"That's part of what they'll be looking at," she said.

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May 11, 2006
Dayton Daily News (Ohio)
Laura A. Bischoff

COLUMBUS -- The debate about milk unpasteurized, straight from the cow reached state lawmakers Wednesday.

A bill pending in the House Agriculture Committee would allow licensed farmers to sell raw milk directly to consumers.

Bill advocates packed a Statehouse hearing room and sang the praises of raw milk.

Sally Fallon, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation, a national group in favor of raw milk, was quoted as saying, "Raw milk is actually the safest food in the food supply. The promise that pasteurization can protect us against pathogens is not true."

The story notes that the Federal Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Medical Association and other organizations recommend against drinking raw milk.

Valente Alvarez, Ohio State University associate professor of dairy processing and technology, was cited as saying that extensive scientific studies support the benefits of pasteurization and far outweigh those that tout the benefits of raw milk.

Paul Schmitmeyer, a Darke County dairy farmer, was quoted as saying, "Their science is wrong science."

Columbus attorney Gary Cox, who represents Schmitmeyer and other farmers with herd-sharing agreements, was cited as saying the state Department of Agriculture is selectively targeting his clients for using a loophole in the law against selling raw milk.

Hearings will continue next week on the bill. State Rep. Arlene Setzer, R-Vandalia, is the bill sponsor.

Raw milk sales are permitted in 27 states, where consumers pay between $6 and $17 per gallon.

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April 6, 2006
Scripps Howard News Service
Lance Gay

America's disease detectives credit pasteurization of milk as one of the great health advances of the 20th century. But drinkers of raw milk argue the heating process that destroys dangerous pathogens also kills beneficial nutrients and vitamins.

Advocates are accelerating their lobbying in some of the 23 states that ban sales of un-pasteurized milk, arguing that it's no more dangerous than raw meat or un-pasteurized fruit juice. Encouraging dairy farmers to sell un-pasteurized milk at the farm gate will save small farms that are losing their milk markets, they say.

"Technology is destroying nature's perfect food,'' said Sally Fallon, head of the Weston A. Price Foundation in Washington, who argues Americans would be healthier returning to drinking raw milk. The foundation is spearheading a drive to make raw milk more available.

However, raw milk can contain dangerous pathogens. Last year, the Centers for Disease Control traced the source of an outbreak of a dangerous E. coli pathogen that sickened 15 children and 3 adults to a farm in Washington state that distributed raw milk. CDC disease detectives in 2002 also traced a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella to an Ohio farm that sold raw milk.

CDC spokeswoman Jennifer Morcone said pasteurization has demonstrated that it can keep dangerous pathogens out of the nation's food system, and the process kills pathogens that are only minor human health problems in the United States today, such as brucellosis and bovine tuberculosis. There was an outbreak of bovine tuberculosis in New York, CDC in 1995 linked to illegally imported Mexican cheese made from raw milk, she said.

"We have overwhelmingly improved our food supply system through pasteurization,'' she said. "Pasteurization is one of the top 10 health achievements of the last century."

Stephen Barrett, a physician who runs the Quackwatch.org Web site, says even state-certified raw milk can contain disease-producing organisms and that contaminated milk has been linked to cases of undulant fever, dysentery and tuberculosis. Barrett acknowledged pasteurization does kill from 10 percent to 30 percent of heat-sensitive vitamins like Vitamin C and thiamine, but he said milk is not a significant source of these nutrients in the human diet.

But Fallon said pasteurization not only changes the taste of milk, but degrades the nutrients it contains.

Children raised on farms for years were raised on raw milk from the family cow without adverse affects, Fallon said, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture has programs aimed at wiping out tuberculosis and brucellosis in America's cattle herds.

According to the charity's 2004 tax returns, the Weston A. Price Foundation spent more than $400,000 on educational campaigns promoting a return to raw milk. Fallon said her organization has been active this year persuading lawmakers in Tennessee and Kentucky to change state laws. She said the group also was successful in beating back efforts to ban raw milk sales in Colorado and gets support from legislators who grew up on farms and are familiar with raw milk.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned interstate sales of raw milk and raw-milk products in 1986 in response to a court suit. But the FDA left it up to states to decide whether to permit sales within their borders. That could change with a proposed new federal law adopted by the House this year requiring states to obtain federal approval for all regulations labeling food products.

Today, 27 states permit sales of raw milk, either directly at the farm gate or through "cow sharing" programs under which people buy shares in diary cows so they can obtain raw milk for their families. Where raw-milk sales are permitted, state regulations generally require that the milk be tested to ensure it doesn't have a high bacterial count, and permit sales only in containers with labels warning the contents are un-pasteurized.

Both sides in the debate acknowledge that the number of people who drink raw milk is small. The National Milk Producers Association, representing the dairy industry, said the amount of raw milk sold customers is impossible to determine. "It's not even grass roots - its under grass roots,'' said spokesman Chris Galen.

Fallon agrees the numbers are small - "about 100,000 people,'' she said. But she said interest in raw milk is increasing, as back-to-basics consumers are turning away from industrialized food and increasingly searching for organically grown, natural milk and cheese products.

"Raw milk today is where organics was 20 years ago,'' she said.

Kate Rossiter, organic dairy coordinator for the Massachusetts-based Northeast Organic Farming Association, said raw-milk sales promise to save small dairy farms, which are being driven out of business as America's dairy industry consolidates.

Farmers can sell raw milk in Massachusetts for up to $6 a gallon, compared with

$1 a gallon for milk sold to commercial operators.

"This is going to keep farmers in business in Massachusetts,'' said Rossiter, who encourages farmers thinking of selling raw milk to make the transition back into creating organic dairies.

"There are a lot of consumers out there," she said. Rossiter said she first tasted raw milk a year ago and became a convert. "There's nothing like it in the store," she said.

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April 5, 2006
Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A bill that would have allowed raw, unpasteurized milk sales in Tennessee was bottled up in a House committee on Tuesday.

Opponents were concerned that without pasteurization, raw milk has a potential to be laced with listeria, E. coli or salmonella, but bill sponsor Rep. Glen Casada said consumers run the risk of contracting illnesses from any food.

"That's just the nature of food," the College Grove Republican said. "I contend it's a consumers right to buy food they think is healthy for them and their family."

Listeria, E. coli and Salmonella can result in gastrointestinal illness and, in the worst cases, kidney failure or death.

The House Agriculture Committee defeated the bill 7-5 after hearing objections from Department of Agriculture general counsel Patricia Clark and state epidemiologist Dr. Allen Craig.

"Other states that allow raw milk sales have had problems," Clark said following the committee meeting. "An unknowing population could make very bad choices."

The measure would require warning labels that the raw milk can contain disease-causing microorganisms. The warning label would have also prevented raw milk producers from being liable for any disease outbreaks, Clark said.

Another provision of the bill would have forbade state officials from alerting the public to any farm suspected of causing a regional outbreak without proof from multiple laboratory tests and other procedures. Clark called the provision an "unusual procedure."

Interest in raw milk has been on the rise nationwide, part of a growing natural foods movement. Supporters of raw milk sales say pasteurization's scalding heat destroys the taste and nutrients, but opponents say there's no scientific proof of benefits from drinking raw milk.

"It's just interesting that we allow unhealthy habits like smoking, but we don't allow for the sales of raw milk, which is healthy," Casada said.

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April 2, 2006
Knoxnews News Sentinel (TN)
The Associated Press
Erik Schelzig

FRANKLIN, Tenn. - A proposal to allow raw milk sales in Tennessee could put dairy consumers at risk, opponents of a measure moving through the Legislature said Friday.

Supporters say pasteurization's scalding heat destroys the taste and nutrients. But Bill Mason, executive director of consumer watchdog group Tennessee Citizen Action, calls those claims "anecdotal."

"There's just no scientific connection between drinking raw milk and any benefits," said Mason.

Yet interest in raw, unpasteurized milk has been on the rise nationwide, part of a growing natural foods movement. And similar measures have been approved in more than 20 other states, said the bill's sponsor, Rep. Glen Casada.

The Franklin Republican's bill would require producers to take a state-approved raw milk safety course. The raw milk also would have to be collected in a sanitary manner, filtered and chilled to below 40 degrees within an hour.

The measure would require warning labels that the raw milk can contain disease-causing microorganisms.

Mason responded that a warning label isn't good enough to keep consumers from drinking milk potentially laced with Listeria, E. coli or Salmonella.

"There are health problems associated with unpasteurized milk; that's why we've had laws about it for the last half-century," he said.

Casada said the bill would be "buyer beware" for consumers of raw milk.

"You're going to know it's unpasteurized," he said. "Like all foods, you have the chance to get sick."

Casada also has written a provision into the bill to prohibit the state from suing farmers who are found to have sold tainted milk.

Citizen Action also takes issue with a provision that would exempt farmers producing less than 100 gallons of milk a year from inspections and other regulations.

"That can certainly be manipulated and certainly isn't in the best interest of public health," Mason said.

The measure would also forbid state officials from discussing with the public any farm suspected of causing a regional outbreak.

Casada said that aspect of the bill is to prevent unproven allegations from being spread in the media. Once two independent labs "incontrovertibly" link a farm to the outbreak, the farm could be identified.

"If it's confirmed, we want the public to know which farmer it was," he said.

The agriculture committees of both the House and Senate are scheduled to hear the bill Tuesday.

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March 30, 2006
Yakima Herald-Republic
Jessica Wambach

Since the first of the year, the Yakima Health District has seen a spike in the number of cases of a bacterial infection that causes stomach sickness.

Many of the 41 cases of campylobacteriosis so far this year might be tied to the consumption of unpasteurized milk and related cheese products, said Marianne Patnode, Communicable Disease Services coordinator at the health district.

By this time last year, only 21 people had reported having the bacterial illness characterized by diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain and fever. Symptoms usually appear within two to five days of exposure to the organism and usually last about one week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In very rare cases it can be life-threatening, but it is not transmittable from person to person.

Campylobacteriosis is one of the most common types of diarrheal illnesses in the United States. While unpasteurized milk products are one potential source of campylobacter infections, consuming and handling raw or undercooked poultry or drinking contaminated water are other common causes.

The reported cases have involved people of all ages and races from across the county, but most of those associated with unpasteurized milk products have been in the lower Yakima Valley, Patnode said.

To avoid campylobacter infections, the CDC advises people not to consume unpasteurized milk, which is lawful to sell in Washington though illegal in 22 other states. People should also be sure to cook poultry thoroughly, wash hands after handling animals, avoid drinking contaminated water and wash kitchen utensils that come in contact with raw meat with hot soapy water, according to the CDC's Web site.

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March 14, 2006
The Daily News
Barbara LaBoe

It's illegal to sell unpasteurized milk without a license in Washington, but Longview residents need only cross the Lewis and Clark Bridge to get raw milk in Oregon, where no license is required for small farms.

That could soon change, though, as Oregon officials review their laws in light of a December E. coli outbreak at a raw milk farm in Woodland.

And those changes could impact Oregonians like Rainier's Tanya Duarte.

Duarte sells raw milk from her Jersey cows. She's okay under current law as long as she has three or fewer cows, sells only on farm property and doesn't advertise.

Until recently, Duarte listed her farm on a "Where Can I Find Real Milk Products" webpage of a national raw milk advocacy group.

Is that advertising?

That's one of the things state officials hope to answer when they review their raw milk laws, admitting some are too vague to render an opinion about Duarte's web listing. "I think those regulations were written before we had (websites),"

said Ron McKay, administrator of the food safety division of the Oregon Department of Agriculture. Advertising in newspapers or on the radio, though, is banned.

Duarte said she didn't consider the website listing advertising, though she took her listing off the website after The Daily News contacted her. She said that's because she realized she had enough customers.

"I'm not supposed to advertise, and that's why I don't have a price (on the milk listing)," Duarte said in a February telephone interview. "And I remember checking with the state and them saying the law had too many gray areas to address websites."

The matter may not remain ambiguous for long, though.

McKay said this is one of several raw milk issues his department plans to review in the coming months. He said Washington's Dee Creek Farm case -- and the subsequent review in the Legislature -- sparked the review.

Also included will be how cow shares -- sometimes used in an attempt to circumvent bans on raw milk sales -- should be regulated. Cow share programs sell a portion of a cow to a person for a monthly fee. In return, the cow's "owner" receives regular milk.

Woodland's Michael and Anita Puckett -- who produced the E. coli-tainted milk that sickened 18 Dee Creek Farm customers -- said their cow shares program exempted them from Washington's license requirement. State officials disagreed, warning the couple months before the outbreak that they needed a license.

Legislation awaiting the governor's signature strengthens that restriction, providing state inspectors greater access to farms and allowing producers to be charged with a misdemeanor for violations. Similar action could happen in Oregon.

"This whole issue of cow sharing or cow condos is something that we in the agency are looking into and the industry also is asking us about," McKay said.

"We're going to need to address what is going on and what our position needs to be."

McKay said Ag officials will need to work with the state Attorney General's office to determine their next steps, including whether to approach the Legislature or begin a series of public hearings.

Duarte wouldn't mind the laws being clearer, but she certainly doesn't want Oregon to follow Washington in requiring a license for all raw milk sales.

"That would be bad news, definitely," she said.

And she worries changing the laws would keep her and her customers from drinking the raw milk they consider nutritionally superior to milk heated during pasteurization to kill bacteria.

Duarte entered the raw milk business in November -- when her supplier retired -- but has drank the milk for two years and remains a strong devotee despite the E. coli outbreak across the river.

"I just did a lot of research and came to the decision that raw milk is better for you," she said. "I think the media does a really good job of scaring people a lot when it's not necessary. And I think people ought to be more informed on both sides."

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March 15, 2006
Daily Record.com
Matt Tullis

MILLERSBURG - A Holmes County dairy farmer may get his milk producer's license back after having it revoked for a $2 sale of raw milk in an unlabeled container.

Arlie Stutzman said representatives from the Ohio Department of Agriculture showed up at his farm Tuesday morning with paperwork he must fill out to have his license reinstated. His license, which allowed him to sell milk to cheese manufacturers, was revoked by the ODA on Feb. 8 because he sold milk in an unlabeled container to an undercover investigator.

Stutzman said he was surprised when the ODA showed up, but noted it might have been a little too late. He rented nine of his 36 cows to another dairy farmer last week to produce some income.

"There was no sense in feeding cows and throwing the milk away," he said.

Melanie Wilt, communication director for the ODA, confirmed the department was allowing Stutzman to apply to have his license reinstated.

"He would have to go through the process of applying to have his license reinstated just like every other dairy producer," Wilt said. "When we take steps to revoke someone's license, they can make the corrections they need to get into compliance with Ohio law."

Wilt denied, however, the ODA had been pressured by state legislators into giving Stutzman his license back.

On Monday, Sen. Ron Amstutz, R-Wooster, and Rep. Bob Gibbs, R-Lakeville, both said they had questions as to how the ODA went about investigating Stutzman.

Gibbs even said the way Stutzman was set up by an undercover investigator was disgusting.

Gibbs said he spoke with Fred Dailey, director of the ODA, on Monday and was assured Stutzman's license would be reinstated.

"I think he agrees with me that the department screwed up," Gibbs said, "and he said that as long as he can meet the other requirements, his license would be reinstated."

Wilt stood up for the department's decision to revoke Stutzman's license in the first place, though. She said the ODA had simply followed normal procedures in Stutzman's case.

"It is routine to conduct undercover purchases of unlabeled food products," she said.

Wilt also noted Stutzman has a history of having high bacteria counts in his milk. The ODA reported seven violations in bacteria counts in milk produced by Stutzman over the last six years. Reports revealed a 1.7 million bacteria count in Grade A fluid milk in one instance; a count of 100,000 is allowed. And last June, a bacteria count of 1.07 million was found in manufactured milk, which is used in cheese production; more than twice the legal limit.

Stutzman said he is not entirely sure what he is going to do now that he can reapply for his license. He said he will probably do so, but wants to make sure he can participate in his herd-share agreement first. Stutzman said he believes he was targeted by the ODA because of his participation in a program where he sold shares of his herd to about two dozen families, thereby giving them access to the raw milk produced.

"If they promise to let us do our herd sharing, I will go on with what we have left," Stutzman said. "We think that should be allowed. Ohio doesn't have a law that doesn't let us do our herd-share."

Wilt said the ODA is looking into the legality of herd-share agreements.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ohio Department of Health

Selling and Shipping Raw Dairy Products into Ohio is Illegal

REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio (March 1, 2006) -- Ohio Department of Agriculture Director Fred L. Dailey is cautioning consumers to avoid falling prey to direct or deceptive online sales of unpasteurized raw milk products, which are not allowed to be sold or offered for sale in Ohio.

"I strongly urge consumers to drink only milk that has been properly pasteurized at a licensed and inspected facility," said Dailey. "You could be putting yourself or your family at risk by consuming raw milk."

Dailey recently sent a letter to a California company that illegally shipped raw milk into the state warning Organic Pastures Dairy Company, LLC that they may not distribute raw dairy products in Ohio marked for pet consumption or human consumption.

Consumption of raw milk products is discouraged not only by the Ohio Department of Agriculture, but also by the Food and Drug Administration, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American Medical Association. Raw milk can harbor dangerous pathogenic organisms that can cause diseases such as brucellosis, campylobacterosis, salmonellosis, and tuberculosis. Pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes and E. coli O157:H7 can also be introduced during and after milking and have been responsible for foodborne disease outbreaks.

Under Ohio law, the sale of raw milk from cows or goats directly to consumers is illegal. Ohio's dairy laws do not prohibit dairy farmers from selling milk directly to consumers, provided they meet pasteurization and other requirements and become a licensed and inspected milk processor.

The Ohio Department of Agriculture's Dairy Division helps to ensure that milk and dairy products are wholesome and safe for consumption. The division inspects, licenses, and maintains records on Ohio's 2,559 Grade A milk producers, 1,014 manufacture milk producers, as well as milk haulers, milk
processors, milk transfer stations, and milk receiving stations in Ohio. Licensing and inspecting these facilities helps to ensure the sanitary production, processing, and transportation of these products.

Media Contact: LeeAnne Mizer, ODA Communications, 614-752-9817

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February 11, 2006
The Clarion-Ledger
Jack Sunn

Q: Jack, I've been trying to find someone in the metro area who sells milk directly from a cow; for example, a local dairy farm that will sell directly to the consumer or someone who raises cows. Can you help me? - Lactose Free

A: The Mississippi Department of Health doesn't allow the sale of raw milk in this state. "It's against the law," said Bill Herndon, an agricultural extension service economist at Mississippi State University. "People who like to drink raw milk think that pasteurization makes the milk bad or lowers the quality. All that does is kill the bugs."

Pasteurization is the process of heating milk to kill viruses and bacteria. In fact, Herndon said he'd just returned from an Atlanta conference where raw milk sales were discussed. Only 10 states allow it (Kansas, Oklahoma, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Vermont). Eight of the 10 have reported food-borne outbreaks which were traced back to raw milk.

Twelve states allow "cow sharing," in which you purchase part of a cow, so you're legally drinking raw milk from your own cow and not buying it from a farmer. Those states are Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Maine, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Washington. Seven have reported outbreaks tracked back to raw milk, Herndon said. Sorry.

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January 25, 2006
Daily Times-Call
Kate Martin

FORT COLLINS -- Lugene Sas, owner of Taft Hill Dairy, said Tuesday that his dairy is the one that the state pinpointed as allegedly sickening 27 people.

Tuesday, a dozen raw-milk supporters gathered in the parking lot of Taft Hill Dairy, located four miles north of County Road 54G on Taft Hill Road near Fort Collins.

Ray Norden, 74, said he's been drinking raw milk for more than 70 years. He said health officials think he had the bacteria in his system, but he said he doubts it.

Rebecca Woodbury of Fort Collins also doubted the test results.

"Even if campylobacter is the cause of the sickness, I will not stop getting the milk," she said. "I am informed. This is a risk that I take. If you think you're going to get sick, don't drink it."

Sas explained sanitation methods for the milking process.

First the udders are washed, then dipped in sanitizing solution, and finally scrubbed with an alcohol wipe.

He said he's not sure what happened, or if his dairy is responsible for the outbreak.

"I don't know if it came from the dairy," he said. "It could've been from raw eggs or chicken. It could've been from the milk."

Ruben Marez of Masonville said if anyone would have noticed something wrong with the milk, he would.

"I've had a liver transplant. I have zero immunity," he said. "If this milk was bad I think I would notice it very quickly."

A laboratory confirmed five cases of campylobacteriosis in the raw milk users, according to Larimer County officials last week, but 27 people have exhibited symptoms of the infection.

Many of the cow-share owners are upset about comments from the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment. Last week, Dr. Adrienne LeBailly said "you always run a risk when you drink raw milk."

LeBailly said it's possible the bacteria came from other sources, but clusters of the infection aren't common.

She said the state health lab will be performing genetic fingerprinting on the samples of campylobacteria to determine if it's from the same strain. Test results could take weeks to come in.

Microbiologist Phil Bernstein, who also buys cow shares from Taft Hill Dairy, said bacteria are everywhere.

"It's an evaluation of risk versus reward. That evaluation has to be made on a very personal level," he said.

Sas said one customer has canceled milk shares. State statute says raw milk cannot be sold directly to customers. Instead, those interested in drinking raw milk must buy shares in dairy cows.

LeBailly said campylobacter is relatively low on the list of diseases you can contract from raw milk. There was a recent outbreak of E. coli in Washington state from raw milk "Three children were in critical condition, with E. coli. It causes renal failure," she said. "They're very lucky none of those kids died."

Sas said he's run a dairy for 26 years.

The recent outbreak was shocking, he said.

"It didn't make me feel anything but devastated and brain numbing," he said. "We absolutely try the very best all the time."

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Jan 25, 2006
North Texas E-news
Martha Filipic, The Ohio State University

Where can I find a listing of fats (saturated, unsaturated, etc.) in raw cow's milk?

Unfortunately, you can't be certain what type of fat is in raw cow's milk -- it all depends on the cow and its diet. And since, by definition, raw cow's milk undergoes no processing, it wouldn't be standardized in any way.

However, the issue of the type of fat in raw cow's milk is overshadowed by the safety risks of drinking it. In fact, in December 2005 in southwestern Washington state, at least 18 people, including 15 children under age 13, became ill from raw milk contaminated by E. coli O157:H7. Several children were hospitalized in critical condition, and may suffer from long-term kidney problems.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 300 people in the United States became sick from drinking raw milk or eating products made from raw milk in 2001, and nearly 200 became ill from these products in 2002.

Although advocates of raw milk like to extol its virtues, food safety experts cringe, comparing it to playing Russian roulette. Simply put, raw milk contains all sorts of bacteria -- some that are harmless or even beneficial, some that cause spoilage, and some, such as E. coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella typhimurium DT-104, that can cause severe illness.

Before pasteurization became the norm, contaminated milk was linked to diseases such as typhoid fever, diphtheria, scarlet fever, dysentery, and even tuberculosis. Pasteurization doesn't sterilize milk, which would kill all of its organisms, but its moderate, precise heat treatment is designed to kill bacteria that cause illness without significantly changing its flavor and nutritional value. It also helps slow spoilage, allowing your milk to last longer. U.S. law requires all milk that is shipped between states to be pasteurized.

Another plus: During processing, vitamin D is added to milk. Raw milk contains little vitamin D, but adding it to milk helps the body absorb calcium. Getting enough vitamin D from the diet is especially important in dark winter months, when there's little sun to help the body produce the vitamin itself.

Got questions? The September/October 2004 issue of the FDA Consumer magazine has a comprehensive article on raw milk. It's available online at http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2004/504_milk.html.

Chow Line is a service of Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. Send questions to Chow Line, c/o Martha Filipic, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH, 43210-1044, or mail to filipic.3@osu.edu.

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Larimer dairy implicated

By Kate Martin
The Daily Reporter-Herald

FORT COLLINS -- At least five people got sick after drinking raw milk from a Larimer County dairy in late December or early January.

Larimer County Health and Environment officials are investigating the cases, said Dr. Adrienne LeBailly, director of the department.

Kim Meyer-Lee, a regional epidemiologist, said five people reported laboratory-confirmed cases of campylobacteriosis from Jan. 4 through Jan. 9. The county also found other suspected cases, said LeBailly.

Campylobacteriosis is an infection caused by ingesting the Campylobacter bacterium, said Meyer-Lee. Symptoms are diarrhea, cramping, fevers, vomiting, headaches, body aches and chills.

"(Five) is a high number to be reported in that time period," Meyer-Lee said. "Normally there's two to three per month in the winter months."

Selling unpasteurized milk directly to consumers is prohibited by state law. Dairies normally pasteurize milk to kill harmful bacteria.

Consumers of raw milk can legally buy shares in dairy cows, however. Colorado law does not forbid drinking raw milk from a privately owned cow.

Officials refused to release the name of the dairy involved, saying the case still is under investigation. Calls to several raw-milk dairies in Larimer County were not returned Thursday evening.

Meyer-Lee said Campylobacter enters the milk supply through cross-contamination with animal waste.

"There was some kind of fecal contamination during the milking process," she said.

LeBailly said it is "never a good idea to drink raw milk."

"People say they prefer the taste of raw milk or they feel they have fewer digestive problems ... but you always run a risk when you drink raw milk," she said.

County officials are not restricting the operations of the dairy, LeBailly said.

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By CURT WOODWARD
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- On the Kozak farm, it only takes a few minutes for milk to get from Iris the cow's udder to the bottles that will be picked up by her co-owners.

For the farmers and the milk drinkers, the arrangement is perfectly simple - everyone knows where the milk comes from, and gets it with a minimum of human meddling.

"It's not the anonymous milk on the shelf and the anonymous buyer," said Linda Kozak of Vashon Island, whose family distributes the dairy products. "It's really more of a closed system, and it's more natural."

That simple system, however, is turning into a big problem for the raw milk producers targeted by bills being considered at the 2006 Legislature.

A pair of lawmakers from southwestern Washington are sponsoring the measures, which explicitly include so-called "cow share" programs among the classes of dairies that must be licensed by the state.

The bills were spurred by an E. coli outbreak last month, in which raw milk from an unlicensed small dairy in Cowlitz County was linked to illnesses in 18 people in Washington and Oregon.

"This is about safety," said Sen. Mark Doumit, D-Cathlamet, the sponsor of one raw milk bill. "We don't want anybody else to get sick or potentially die."

The bills take specific aim at cow share operations, in which dairy consumers pay for an ownership stake in an animal in exchange for a portion of its food products.

The state Agriculture Department, which regulates dairies, already considers such arrangements illegal if the distributors are not licensed. But some confusion over the issue emerged during the December E. coli outbreak.

The farm owners linked to the tainted milk initially resisted efforts to inspect their customer list, saying the consumers were co-owners and not buying the milk commercially.

They eventually relented in the face of court action, and were shut down by the state.

The Agriculture Department, which released its final report on the outbreak Wednesday, is still considering whether to issue civil fines in the case.

In the meantime, small dairy owners are worried about the outcome of the cow share bills offered by Doumit and Rep. Jim Moeller, D-Vancouver.

While many would welcome more oversight and testing to ensure cleanliness, small dairies face a steep bill if they want to convert to a fully certified operation, Kozak said.

"It's designed to deter the small producer, and it's a shame. It's really a shame," she said.

Moeller, who saw some constituents get sick during December's E. coli outbreak, said forcing small farms to take out a second mortgage is not the goal.

"But there are certain standards and they're in place for a specific reason - so people like these little children in my district don't get sick," he said.

---

The cow share bills are SB6377 and HB2598.

---

On the Net:

Legislature: http://www.leg.wa.gov

Gov.: http://www.governor.wa.gov

Washington Association of Shareholder Dairy Owners http://www.shareholderdairies.org

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Saturday, December 31, 2005
By DEAN BAKER, Columbian staff writer

FERN PRAIRIE - Lorrie Conway tugged on the udder of 3-year-old Vashon, one of her 18 Nubian goats, and squirted her milk into a stainless steel bucket at Conway Family Farm near Livingston Mountain.

Conway, 40, runs one of only seven Washington dairies licensed to sell raw milk. As she worked, she reflected on how Washington Department of Agriculture inspectors have helped her since she got her license four months ago to sell milk raw, or milk without pasteurization.

"Having a license just raises the bar," said Conway, who is an accountant as well as a boutique farmer and the mother of two teen daughters.

She's been milking goats, drinking raw goat's milk and eating goat meat since she was 10 years old, growing up in the 1970s on a cattle ranch at Trout Lake below Mount Adams.

"Having a license adds an extra pair of eyes to make sure you are doing everything right," she said.

She sells her raw goat's milk in its natural state without pasteurizing it, which would involve heating it to 161.5 degrees Fahrenheit and holding it at that temperature for at least 15 seconds to kill pathogens including bacteria, viruses, protozoa, molds and yeasts. She said her raw goat's milk is as safe as raw vegetables or meat purchased in any Washington grocery store.

Inspectors say raw milk is fit for humans, but they don't use the word "pure" when discussing it. They say licensed raw milk is inherently hazardous because it isn't pasteurized.

The agriculture department's food safety manager, Claudia Coles, says licensed raw milk is tested monthly, licensed milking goats or cows are tested for diseases to make sure they are free of tuberculosis and brucellosis, and facilities are inspected at least every quarter to make sure they are immaculate.

Coles cautions that clean raw milk is "potentially hazardous," just as are ready-to-eat foods, such as sandwiches, salads and smoked salmon. All those foods need equal extra care and inspections, Coles said. Unpasteurized milk is always a risk because it is an ideal medium for the growth of pathogens, she said. The risk can be minimized when the milk is pasteurized, she said. But raw milk that is licensed and passes state inspections is viewed as safe for human consumption, she said.

Raw milk hazard

Controversy over the sale of raw milk arose on Dec. 14 after 18 people, 15 of them ages 1 to 13, got sick in Washington and Oregon after consuming raw cow milk from Dee Creek Farm near Woodland.

Unlike Conway's licensed dairy, which is subject to state oversight, Dee Creek Farm had no state license to sell raw milk, and so it wasn't inspected.

Two children who got sick from Dee Creek milk were reported still hospitalized in fair condition Friday, and their conditions were said to be improving.

Clark County and state health officials have been testing and cross-testing Dee Creek milk samples and E. coli victims to determine the scientific link between the milk and the bacteria. Tests so far confirm seven have the 0157:H7 E. coli strain, which is safe for cows but dangerous in people. Further tests are under way, said Jason Kelly, a state agriculture department spokesman. A public report will be made when the lab report is complete, said Don Strick, a spokesman for the Clark County Health Department.

State inspectors wouldn't say if they would drink raw cow or goat milk from licensed dairies. The state's official position is that raw milk can be a health hazard, especially to children, the elderly or those with compromised immune systems. Raw milk must carry a warning label, much as cigarettes packs do.

By law, the label must read: "WARNING: This product has not been pasteurized and may contain harmful bacteria. Pregnant women, children, the elderly and persons with lowered resistance to disease have the highest risk of harm from use of this product."

Conway gets high marks for cleanliness from customers who come 10 miles and more out into the woods from Camas to buy the milk right out of Conway's milking parlor.

She scours the goats' udders as well as her buckets, sinks and funnels with disinfectant; strains and bottles the milk quickly in half-gallon plastic jugs; caps it by hand; and then chills it, as required, to under 40 degrees Fahrenheit in less than an hour.

No ill effects

No one has ever gotten sick from her milk, she said.

With the help of her husband, Shaun, and their daughters, Ashley, 18, and Amber, 16, Conway usually spends an hour or two a day tending to the herd, mostly Nubians. The Conways also raise Border Leicester sheep, blueberries and lavender on their 5-acre farm. It's been their home for 15 years.

Most days, they milk two to six goats at their farm at 32116 N.E. Dial Road, Camas. They are the only licensed dairy in Clark County that sells milk raw to the public. They charge $3.50 a half-gallon and have 50 customers around the area. Each goat gives a gallon to a gallon and half a day, giving the Conways just a little supplementary income: sales of 1 gallon to 12 gallons a day.

Goats aren't the family's mainstay. Lorrie Conway is a full-time, self-employed accountant, carrying books for several nonprofit agencies and for-profit businesses. Shaun Conway works for a Portland trucking firm. Ashley is studying agriculture at Washington State University and plans to become a veterinarian. Amber is a student at Camas High School.

Lorrie and Shaun have been raising goats for 12 years. Until August, when they got their license, the Conways threw a lot of milk away and kept their sheep and goats mainly for showing at up to 15 shows a year around Oregon and Washington.

Now, since the state changed its rules to allow hand-capping of milk jugs instead of mechanical capping, they can afford to get a license (at $55 a year) and sell raw goat's milk. They'd pasteurize their milk, too, Lorrie said, except that a pasteurizing machine costs $13,000, a bit steep for her operation, which produces $7 to $84 a day in revenue.

Added to coffee Thursday, Conway's raw goat's milk tasted sweet and had no ill effects on folks around Conway's kitchen table.

Buying raw goat's milk from the Conways works well, her customers say, for folks who can't tolerate cow's milk, for people who are concerned about issues such as the use of hormones given to cows, and for those who believe pasteurization makes milk harder to digest.

"There are health benefits in the (raw goat's) milk," said Annette Bartausky of Hazel Dell, who buys 2 gallons of Conway milk a week. "I'm after the enzymes in it. I have digestive problems, and my son is 15 and doesn't do well on cow's milk or pasteurized milk. He does great on raw goat's milk, much better than pasteurized. I make yogurt, too. I did rethink everything after the E. coli scare, but Lorrie does over and above what she needs to do, and we pick it up on her farm. We're really happy with it."

Dean Baker writes about agriculture. Reach him at 360-759-8009 or dean.baker@columbian.com.

The debate

Should sales of raw milk from licensed dairies be lawful?

* On one side:

Dairy owners, their customers and state inspectors say raw milk from cows and goats is fit for human consumption as long as 311 pages of state regulations are followed.

* On another side:

Eighteen people became ill with E. coli after consuming raw cow's milk from Dee Creek Farm, an unlicensed Woodland dairy. The state says there's always a risk to those who consume raw milk. They say it can contain such pathogens as staphylococcus, campylobacter, salmonella, E.coli, listeria and tuberculosis.

* How to get involved:

Make your views known to your state senator or representative because the topic is likely to be debated during the next session of the state Legislature.

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Following an E. coli outbreak in the state of Washington, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is joining with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to warn the public against drinking raw milk.

Topeka, KS - infoZine - Raw milk is not treated or pasteurized to remove disease-causing bacteria and may cause life-threatening illness. There is also a potential risk of getting rabies from drinking raw milk.

Eight cases of illness have been reported in Washington state to date associated with raw milk containing E. coli O157:H7 bacteria. Several of these cases were in children. Two of the children remain hospitalized. Health authorities have identified locally (Washington) sold raw milk as a source of the outbreak, and have ordered an unlicensed dairy to shut down.

In addition, an advisory was issued from the Oklahoma State Health Department today about a potential rabies exposure from drinking raw, unpasteurized milk or cream sold from a dairy in Claremore, Oklahoma after one of the cows on the farm was confirmed to have rabies.

"Only pasteurized milk should be considered safe to drink," stated Dr. Howard Rodenberg, KDHE Division of Health Director. "There is only marginal difference in nutritional value between raw and pasteurized milk, and certainly not worth the risk of catching a disease."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 300 people in the United States became ill by drinking raw milk or eating cheese made from raw milk in 2001, and nearly 200 became ill from these products in 2002.

Symptoms of E. coli O157:H7 illness include stomach cramps and diarrhea, including bloody diarrhea. People who have developed these symptoms after consuming unpasteurized milk should seek immediate medical attention. E. coli O157:H7 disease sometimes leads to a serious complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which can cause kidney failure, possibly leading to death.

Pasteurization is the only effective method for eliminating the bacteria in raw milk and milk products. Pasteurization can also prevent diseases as tuberculosis, diphtheria, polio, Q fever, salmonellosis, strep throat, scarlet fever, and typhoid fever.

Federal law requires all milk shipped between states to be pasteurized.

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