The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Issues Another Raw Milk Recall

According to state.pa.us, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, the Department of Agriculture has once again announced a recall regarding raw milk. The warning is for anyone who has purchased raw milk from the Conebella dairy farm in Elverson, Chester County, Pennsylvania.

Reportedly, the only supposedly tainted raw milk is that which was bought any time after October 23rd. Anyone who bought the milk should throw it away immediately, as it could contain salmonella bacteria.

This isn't the first time raw milk has been recalled. In fact, it is more commonly recalled simply because it is milk that has not been pasteurized or homogenized, allowing for bacteria to remain in it.

Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff said about the Conebella dairy farm raw milk recall, "During routine inspection of the dairy, a preliminary test showed the presence of Salmonella bacteria in some raw milk samples. If consumers have raw milk from this farm, they should discard it immediately."

Luckily, the recall is just a precaution. No illnesses have been reported to the Pennsylvania Department of Health to date in connection to this specific recall. However, anyone who has bought and consumed the raw milk and finds that they are ill should contact or see their doctor immediately. Salmonella outbreaks can be extremely serious, especially due to the risk of dehydration and other symptoms associated with the illness.

Due to the salmonella outbreak, the Department of Agriculture has taken the vital step of stopping the selling of raw milk from the dairy until it can be proved that the raw milk is completely safe.

The salmonella contamination was discovered recently. Tests were taken at the farm of November 13th and results came back positive on Friday, November 16th. Immediate action was taken on that same day.

Abigail Norton, a Conebella dairy farm consumer, said, "[My family] usually buys raw milk from the Conebella dairy and we haven't had any problems with it before. This is the first time I've heard this place having problems with their products."

When asked about Conebella alternatives, Norton said, "Most grocery stores or organic food stores will have other brands of raw milk. If you need it, you can find it in most stores."

For Conebella dairy farm to be able to sell raw milk again, they must have their raw milk test negative several times.

The Department of Agriculture is reminding consumers of what the common symptoms of salmonella are. Symptoms usually include sharp stomach pains, nausea, diarrhea, and fever. It's common for the typical symptoms to appear between 6 to 72 hours after the tainted food product is consumed. Salmonella is normally linked to food that is "raw" (including but not limited to milk) or food that has not been cooked, such as eggs, other dairy products, and meat.

Source:

State.pa.us. "Agriculture Department Warns Consumers Of Tainted Raw Milk Sold by Chester County Dairy." www.state.pa.us/papower/cwp/view.asp