(Santa Ana, CA) — The OC Health Care Agency (HCA) has identified seven cases of Salmonella illness in Orange County (OC) residents following consumption of unpasteurized or “raw” milk from Raw Farm LLC, which recently issued a recall of its raw whole milk and raw heavy creams products.
The HCA urges those who may have purchased raw whole milk or raw heavy cream products from Raw Farm LLC to not consume the products and discard them immediately. Anyone who becomes ill after consuming raw milk or products made from raw milk, particularly products from Raw Farm LLC, should seek medical care immediately.
All confirmed cases had illness onset within the past 30 days, with affected individuals ranging in age from one to 20 years old. The HCA continues to investigate the situation in coordination with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). The HCA is also reaching out to stores in the county who may be selling these products to assure that they are aware of the recall.
Raw milk has not gone through the pasteurization process that heats milk to a high temperature for a short period of time to kill harmful germ contaminants such as Salmonella, Listeria and E. Coli. Pasteurization is the only effective method for eliminating most harmful germs in raw milk or milk products and does not significantly change the nutritional value. Guidance from both the CDC and FDA indicates that consumption of any type of unpasteurized milk or milk product may be harmful to your health.
Most people infected with Salmonella develop symptoms six hours to six days after exposure. Diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps may be severe or mild; some people may not have any symptoms. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most individuals recover completely without treatment. However, people can get develop severe illness requiring hospitalization.
County of San Diego health officials issued an advisory last week due to Salmonella infections in residents there after consumption of products from the same milk producer.
More information on raw milk safety is available here.
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