The risks of drinking raw milk (milk that has not been pasteurized to kill bacteria) have been highlighted recently as an E. Coli outbreak in Florida landed many sufferers in the hospital, and affected children under age ten.
Now another case linked to the same farm has surfaced, and a mother who has lost her pregnancy is suing both the market that sold her the milk and the dairy that produced it.
Among other things, Rachel Maddox alleges that the clerk at the store suggested the label identifying the milk as for animal consumption only was just a technicality that could be ignored.
Maddox Did Not Drink The Milk Herself
Most of us who have been through pregnancies have heard our doctors warn us about the many off-limits foods. Aside from raw milk, they include sushi with raw fish, raw or undercooked meats, and deli meats, all of which can contain dangerous bacteria that are typically killed by cooking.
However, in this case, the pregnant mother did not even drink the allegedly contaminated milk herself. She bought it on her husband’s recommendation, according to the Daytona Beach News-Journal, and gave it to her toddler, who then became seriously ill and was hospitalized.
Maddox believes that she contracted the bacteria while cleaning the vomit and diarrhea from her child’s illness. She subsequently became ill and was hospitalized herself, with her illness culminating in the loss of her pregnancy.
The Toddler & Mom Were Hospitalized Three Separate Times Each
It began on June 8th, when the child started exhibiting fever, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pains, and dehydration. He was battling two types of bacteria, E. Coli and Campylobacter, both of which can cause severe stomach symptoms.
His first hospitalization was 4 days long, ending June 12, but he returned on June 14 as he suffered bloody stools. The second hospitalization lasted two days, as did the third, when he returned with ongoing symptoms only a day after the second discharge.
His mother’s tests — when she was hospitalized on June 13, due to fever, diarrhea, and vomiting, and the resultant dehydration and septic shock — showed that she, too, had contracted the Campylobacter bacteria.
Like her child, she was released after a few days, then readmitted. On June 18th, her fetus (19-20 weeks gestation) died, and Maddox was released from the hospital two days later, only to be hospitalized a third time the very next day.
Raw Milk Fans (& Producers) Are Doubling Down
The milk reportedly came from Keely Farms Dairy, sold through Wild Hare Natural Market.
In early June, Wild Hare Natural Market updated their Facebook cover image to include a sign identifying raw milk as “for pet use only.” Keely Farms Dairy has shared a post claiming they’re being ‘persecuted,’ has reiterated that their labels say the milk isn’t for human consumption, and has shared test results from August showing that their products tested negative for both Campylobacter and E. Coli. They have not responded to commenters who ask about earlier testing, though they’re active in responding to those who ask if they have milk currently available for purchase.
Raw milk lovers are joining in the defense, with one on a recent post declaring:
“Our family have been customers of Keely Farms for 11 years. We’re grateful to have this option since our youngest son is unable to tolerate pasteurized milk. It’s been a blessing to our family to reap the health benefits and support a local business and farmer.”
Another declared:
“We never stopped drinking our Keely milk through all the drama. We knew it was fine!”
(So much for marketing purely as pet feed and not for human consumption.)
The Risks Are Clear & Serious
Milk sold on your grocery shelves has gone through pasteurization and other processing. Almost every option available in grocery stores has been fortified with vitamin D and other minerals, has been tested and separated by fat content, and has been homogenized.
There are milk options that have been pasteurized to kill bacteria but otherwise remain less processed than the standard. Consumers who prefer less processing can buy milk that has only been pasteurized.
However, skipping the pasteurization is more akin to skipping the cooking when giving your child chicken or beef. The risks are high, which is why raw milk sales are regulated.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to avoid over-processed foods, or with having a different opinion on where the line between ‘processed’ and ‘overprocessed’ is, but if we’re giving it to our kids, the line has to be somewhere in the safe zone.
Raw milk isn’t there.