(AP) — At least 21 people, including six children under the age of 10, have contracted E. coli or campylobacter infections after consuming raw milk from a Florida farm, state health officials confirmed on Monday.
Seven individuals have been hospitalized, with at least two experiencing severe complications, the Florida Department of Health said. Authorities have not disclosed whether any of the infected children are among those hospitalized or how many cases are linked specifically to E. coli or campylobacter bacteria.
The state has not named the farm at the centre of the outbreak, but noted that it is located in northeast or central Florida. An official advisory cited concerns about the farm’s sanitation practices, stating that the number of cases is “of particular concern.”
Despite longstanding warnings from federal health agencies, raw milk continues to grow in popularity across the United States. The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classify unpasteurized milk as one of the most dangerous food products due to its high risk of contamination with harmful bacteria, including listeria, salmonella, E. coli, and campylobacter.
“Infections from raw milk are not a question of if, but when,” said Keith Schneider, a food safety expert at the University of Florida. “We invented pasteurization for a reason. It’s maddening that this is happening.”
While the sale of raw milk for human consumption is illegal in Florida, many retailers bypass the ban by labelling it as animal or pet food — a regulatory loophole critics say is being abused.
“Everybody knows they’re selling it for human consumption,” Schneider added. “It’s a ‘wink, wink, nudge, nudge’ form of regulation.”
Health officials are urging anyone who recently consumed raw milk in the affected regions to seek medical attention if they experience symptoms such as severe stomach cramps, diarrhoea, or fever.
