The Spanish Sonrise Dairy in Yacolt, Washington has voluntarily recalled some of its raw milk and cream products after a routine test found Listeria monocytogenes in a sample of raw cream.
The dairy recalled all of its raw cow’s milk and goat’s milk and cream with expiration dates April 16-21, 2015, The Washington State Department of Agriculture’s testing of the raw cow’s cream found the bacteria to be present. The raw milk was recalled as a precaution, according to the Columbian newspaper in Vancouver, WA.
Jose and Tina Rodriguez say the dairy has been in operation since 2011, and this is the first time they have ever had a test come back positive for bacterial contamination. But because of the incident, Tina told the newspaper they were closing the dairy.
Listeria contamination is particularly dangerous for pregnant women and those people with compromised immune systems. The dairy owners say all the goat’s milk and cow’s milk products have been pulled from store shelves. Consumers with any questions should call the dairy at (360) 931-7283, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. PDT.
Raw milk recall in Pennsylvania
Breezy Meadows Dairy, in Bird-in-Hand, Lancaster County, PA, is owned by Ben K. Stoltzfus. The dairy sells raw milk products directly to consumers at an on-farm retail store.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, raw milk collected from the dairy for routine testing by a commercial laboratory on April 7, 2015, tested positive for Salmonella contamination. Consumers have been advised to discard the products immediately.
The raw milk is sold in half-gallon and one-gallon plastic containers. They were not labeled. About 80 gallons of the product were sold between April 7 and April 15, 2015. The health department has ordered Stoltzfus to stop selling all raw milk products until further notice.
Two samples taken 24 hours apart must test negative for the pathogen before the dairy is allowed to resume selling raw milk products. In Pennsylvania, farms are permitted to sell raw milk, but they have to allow permitting and inspection by the health department.
Salmonella infection usually occurs within 12-72 hours after ingestion of a contaminated product. Symptoms can include vomiting, diarrhea, and fever, with the symptoms lasting several days.
Additional cases of raw milk contamination
In related news, the Claravale Farm of San Benito County, California was subject to a statewide recall and quarantine order because of Campylobacter found in its raw milk and cream two weeks ago.
In this case, the California Department of Public Health was investigating illnesses that may have been associated with Campylobacter in the dairy’s raw milk products. This is not the first time Claravale Farms has been linked to an outbreak. In 2012, the farm was linked to 22 Campylobacter illnesses.
And in New York, the Richard Dirie Farm in Livingston Manor, New York has been cited again for selling raw milk contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The New York Department of Health confirmed the results of an initial test done on April 7, yesterday. The farm cannot sell any raw milk products until further sampling finds the milk free of the pathogen.
