Raw Milk E. coli Risk Prompts Pride & Joy Creamery Recall of Raw Milk Sold in Seattle, Tacoma, Kent, Mountlake Terrace, Mt. Vernon, Bothell, Everett and Federal Way
Pride & Joy Creamery of Granger, Washington is recalling raw fluid milk because it may be contaminated with E. coli bacteria. The unpasteurized milk was sold at the farm and distributed through nine retail outlets in King, Pierce, Snohomish and Skagit counties.
The recall was initiated after sampling by the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) discovered that the raw milk was contaminated with Shiga-toxin-producing E. coli. Contact our E. coli lawyers for a free consultation.
WSDA and other public health officials are exploring the possibility that there has been human illness linked to this milk.
Pride & Joy Raw Cow’s Milk bearing expiration dates of 9/30/2011 and 9/31/11 has been recalled. The milk is sold only in gallon, half gallon and quart containers. Recalled raw milk was sold from the on-farm store at 2145 Liberty Road in Granger, WA and from the following locations:
Sno-isle
804 Grand Avenue
Everett, WA 98201
Phone: 425-259-3798
Truhealth
18001 Bothell-Everet
Suite 109
Bothell, WA 98012
Phone: 425-415-8410
Marlenes Market
2951 S. 38th ST.
Tacoma, WA 98409
Phone 253-472-4080
Marlenes Market
2565 s. Gateway Center Place
Federal Way, WA 98003
Phone; 253-839-0933
Skagit Valley Food
202 S. 1st Street
Mt. Vernon, WA 98273
Phone; 360-336-9777
Manna Mills
21705 66th Ave, West
Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043
Phone: 425-775-3479
Madison Market
1600 Madison
Seattle, WA 98122
Phone: 206-329-1545
Nature’s Market
26011 104th Ave, SE
Kent, WA 98030
Phone: 253-854-5395
Sunshine Corner Nutrition
15220 SE 272th, Suite F
Kent, WA 98042
Phone: 253-631-1069
Shiga toxin-producing E. coli infections may cause severe diarrhea, stomach cramps and bloody stool. Symptoms generally appear three to four days after exposure, but can take as long as ten days to appear. In severe cases, an E. coli infection can cause the following:
- Severe Dehydration
- Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome – Kidney Failure
- Hemorrhagic Colitis
- Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura
- E. coli Wrongful Death.
If someone has been sickened after drinking Pride & Joy Creamery raw milk, contact an attorney immediately to protect legal rights. Consumers who have purchased Pride & Joy raw milk with expiration dates of 9/30/2011 and 9/31/11 are urged to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund if no one has been sickened by the milk. The incubation period for E. coli can be as long as 10 days.
Hartmann Testifies Regarding Dairy Linked to E. coli Outbreak
Dairy farmer Mike Hartmann testified in a Sibley County, Minnesota courtroom yesterday in an attempt to recover food confiscated by state officials during an investigation into a May, 2010 E. coli O157 outbreak that was linked to raw (unpasteurized) milk produced at his dairy. The outbreak sickened at least 8 people, including a toddler who developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a severe illness that causes kidney failure and can be fatal.
In June, 28 environmental and animal samples obtained by the Minnesota Department of Health from the Hartmann farm tested positive for E. coli O157:H7. Twenty-six samples had the same DNA fingerprint as the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7.
Also in June, state officials confiscated milk, ice cream, cheese and other dairy products from Hartmann’s farm. Hartmann wants the confiscated food back. The state alleges that his dairy operation was unsanitary and the dairy products were adulterated under Minnesota law. The state wants the confiscated products from the Hartmann farm destroyed.
E. coli and Campylobacter Outbreak Associated With Colorado Raw Milk
An outbreak of E. coli and Campylobacter has been associated with raw goat’s milk from Billy Goat Dairy in Longmont, Colorado, according to local news reports. Sixteen people have become ill after drinking the milk, two of which are children who required hospitalization, according to Boulder County Public Health (BCPH).
The dairy has been ordered by BCPH to cease the sale and distribution of its raw milk products. The farm has operated on a goat share system, allowing consumers to buy a share of a goat to receive unpasteurized milk from the goat. Every household member of the program is being contacted by the BCPH to conduct questioning and microbiological tests to determine if they have experienced any illnesses related to this outbreak. According to BCPH:
“We strongly advise residents to avoid consuming any raw milk or milk products,” said Murielle Romine. “It can be extremely dangerous, particularly for young children and people with weakened immune systems.”
E. coli and Campylobacter in Raw Milk
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides the following information about outbreaks linked to raw, unpasteurized dairy products between 1998 and 2005:
- 45 foodborne illness outbreaks attributed to raw milk or cheese made from raw milk
- 1,0007 illnesses
- 104 hospitalizations
- Two deaths
The food safety attorneys at Pritzker Olsen Law firm have represented victims in E. coli lawsuits and Campylobacter lawsuits. “Currently, one of our clients is a man who contracted Campylobacter in a Pennsylvania raw milk outbreak,” said Attorney Fred Pritzker. “This man’s illness developed into a serious complication called Guillain-Barre Syndrome that left him paralyzed. When it comes to raw milk the risks are simply too high.”
E. coli infections can also lead to serious health complications, including kidney failure and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which attacks blood cells and can lead to long-term kidney damage or even death.
Minnesota Department of Agriculture Focusing on Raw Milk after E. coli Outbreak
Earlier this month, Minnesota health officials linked an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that sickened 8 people to raw milk products from the Hartmann Dairy Farm in Gibbon, Minnesota.
During their investigation of the Hartmann farm, health officials found 28 environmental and animal samples from the Hartmann farm that tested positive for E. coli O157:H7. Twenty-six samples had the same DNA fingerprint as the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7. The positive samples included environmental samples from the dairy barn where the cows are milked, according to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture now has a link to the following raw milk information on the home page of its website:
Raw milk, or milk straight from the cow, sheep or goat without any further pasteurization or processing, can contain harmful bacteria that may cause people who consume the milk to become sick. These bacteria can come from many sources on the farm including:
- The animals themselves
- Milking equipment contaminated with manure
- Water
- Soil
- Anywhere that fecal contamination can be found
Some of these bacteria include:
- Campylobacter
- E. coli O157:H7
- Salmonella
- Listeria
Because of the potential risks associated with consuming raw milk, Minnesota law restricts the sale of this type of milk for human consumption. The law does provide an alternative for people who want to consume raw milk. On an occasional basis, consumers may go directly to farms to secure the raw milk directly from the farmer. This exemption applies to cow, goat and sheep farms (or any other species producing milk for human consumption) equally.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture has stepped up its enforcement of a Minnesota law that prohibits the sale of raw milk unless a consumer, using his or her own bottle, buys the milk at the farm where the milk is produced. Minnesota Statutes 32.393 Limitation on Sale of Milk reads as follows:
“No milk, fluid milk products…shall be advertised, offered or exposed for sale…for the purpose of human consumption in fluid form in this state unless the same has been pasteurized and cooled… this section will not apply to milk… occasionally secured or purchased for personal use by any consumer at the farm where the milk is produced.
E. coli Raw Milk Minnesota Outbreak Investigation Grows
A Minnesota E. coli outbreak linked to raw milk has state health officials digging deeper into the investigation of how at least eight people became sick, and how to prevent the outbreak from growing, according to local news sources.
The E. coli raw milk outbreak has been linked to Hartmann Farm dairy in Gibbon, Minnesota and has sickened at least 8 people. At least one of the cases has developed into a serious complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome, or E. coli HUS. This occurs when the E. coli infection damages the blood cells, causing serious kidney problems and in some cases, death.
Since state health investigators from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and the Minnesota State Health Department (MDH) began investigating the farm on May 26, they have returned to confiscate records and collect samples from Hartmann Farm owner Michael Hartmann. At the beginning of the investigation, health officials stated the strain of E. coli found at the Hartmann farm matched the strain found in the outbreak victims. Later, according to news sources:
“State investigators went back to the Michael Hartmann farm in Gibbon a second time last Wednesday to collect more samples, confiscate financial records, and document what they allege are unsanitary conditions on the farm.”
Throughout the investigation, officials have pointed to a number of concerns about the farm and its production process, including unsanitary conditions due mostly to manure contamination, and milking facilities that investigators called “filthy.” Officials took photos and collected more testing samples on a June 16 search of the farm, and confiscated Hartmann’s financial and production records, which officials believe will show Hartmann was producing and selling foods like milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream and meat all in violation of food safety laws.
