The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture is warning the public not to consume raw milk from the Breezy Meadows Dairy in Bird-in-Hand, Lancaster County, PA, because of the risk of Salmonella contamination. Instead, consumers are being advised to discard it immediately.
Raw (unpasteurized) milk collected April 7, 2015, during routine sampling by a commercial laboratory tested positive for the bacteria, according to the department. No related illnesses have been reported to date. Breezy Meadows Dairy, owned by Ben K. Stoltzfus, sells directly to consumers at an on-farm retail store. The packaged raw milk is sold in one-gallon and half-gallon plastic containers, which were not labeled. Approximately 80 gallons of raw milk were sold between April 7 and April 15, 2015. Agriculture officials have ordered Stoltzfus to stop selling all raw milk until further notice. Two samples taken at least 24 hours apart must test negative for pathogens before the farm can resume raw milk sales. Pennsylvania law allows farms to sell raw milk, but requires the farms to be permitted and inspected by the Department of Agriculture to reduce health risks associated with unpasteurized products. When an incident of contamination is discovered, the department’s milk sanitarian works with the raw milk permit holder to find out where the issue occurred and identify a solution. Symptoms of Salmonella infection usually appear within 12 to 72 hours after consumption and include diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps and vomiting that can last anywhere from four to seven days. For more information about Salmonella, go here.
