Campylobacter Watch

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NorthJersey.com featured an article today on keeping eggnog safe by either buying pasteurized eggnog or using pasteurized eggs to make home-made eggnog. Salmonella and Campylobacter are common causes of foodborne illness that can be caused by eating raw eggs, and health officials are urging consumers to take precautions to prevent illness over the holidays.

Feldman

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Chicago’s ABC7.com is reporting on a recent study conducted by Consumer Reports that revealed levels of Campylobacter and Salmonella bacterial contamination in raw chicken. Consumer Reports researcher Geoff Martin oversaw the testing.

‘We found that only 17 percent of the chicken we tested was free of both salmonella and campylobacter. And overall premium brands were

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Radio New Zealand reported that the New Zealand Health Authority is working to prevent Campylobacter from reaching consumers there. In an explanation of why Campylobacter infection is common, and is a serious concern, the health authority stated that, “Cmpylobacter exists in farm animals generally but poultry is regarded as the primary pathway for spreading the…

The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle posted a recent article about the risks of drinking raw milk. Those risks include contracting campylobacteriosis, the illness caused by ingestion of Campylobacter bacteria. According to the article:

“There are no significant nutritional differences between raw milk and pasteurized milk. Drinking raw milk or eating raw milk products is ‘like

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The Wilson Daily reported today about a Campylobacter outbreak among Wilson, North Carolina, residents. According to the article, an investigation into the outbreak is ongoing.

Health Department employees investigated the food poisoning cases and visited two Wilson restaurants. Neither were linked to the food poisoning.

Hospital workers reported the food poisoning cases to the Health

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Michigan is the latest state to crack down on farmers who produce and sell raw milk.  A Business Week article from today calls enforcement actions by Michigan health authorities "inappropriate," but does include a quote from the Michigan Department of Agriculture spokeswoman on why enforcement is necessary:

"We’ve had an investigation for several months now,"

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Washington Post reporter Thomas Bartlett wrote about raw milk and the group of people who "swear by the virtues" of unpasteurized milk in an October 1st article.

In Maryland, where I live, as in most other states, you can’t walk into a store and buy raw milk. That’s because, while possession of raw milk is legal, selling it is a crime. It’s also a violation of federal law to transport raw milk across state lines with the intent to sell it for human consumption. The Tennessee dairy that sold it to me offers raw milk as pet food. The dairy’s Web site warns that "due to significant legal and liability issues, we cannot and will not answer questions regarding human consumption of these or any other raw milk products — please don’t ask."

Barrett mentions that in a conversation with a Maryland health official raw milk was compared to heroin or marijuana.Continue Reading Why does an avid band of devotees swear by the virtues of unpasteurized milk?