Sunday, May 26, 2013
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Outbreak? State Says 7 Got Sick After Drinking Contaminated Raw MilkDairy farmers say they and their product are being unfairly targetedWASILLA—A recent outbreak of a stomach illness in south-central Alaska has state health officials worried about more potential cases. Every year the state’s Department of Health and Social Services receives reports of more than 60 cases of campylobacter, which is caused by food contaminated by fecal matter.
Last month alone, seven people tested positive for the illness and health officials believe they all got it from consuming raw milk from a cow-share farm in the Mat-Su Valley, said state health officials, declining to say which farm is responsible.
They say this outbreak is being treated differently because the cases are linked and the strain is rare. State health officials say the contamination may have come from manure that got into the milk during the milking process or from an infected udder.
"Fecal contamination of raw milk can and does occur," said state epidemiologist Dr. Joe McLaughlin. "This is why many decades ago we began to pasteurize milk because it's very difficult to prevent fecal contamination from occurring."
Alaska bans the sale of raw milk, but people can own shares of an animal through a cow-or goat-share program, which in turn allows you to drink the milk.
Health officials want the public know about the risks involved with drinking raw milk, which can include E. coli, tuberculosis and salmonella.
Suzy and Mike Crosby own Cottonwood Creek Farm and drink their goats’ milk. They say targeting raw milk is unfair.
"If anything happens with raw milk, raw milk becomes vilified and brought into the limelight way disproportionably to the number of illnesses," Suzy Crosby said.
Cottonwood Creek Farm has about 40 share owners who drink milk from their nine milking goats.
"We take every precaution to be as clean as possible, to test our goats for diseases, and to maintain a really healthy, sanitary operation," Suzy Crosby said.
She says she wants the public to have a choice between raw and pasteurized milk.
"Some people are absolutely uncomfortable with the idea of eating or drinking anything not pasteurized," she said. “Do your homework and don’t do something you’re not comfortable with. But those who have tried it are generally instantly addicted and won’t go back.”
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JEAN MASSEY said on Thursday, Aug 4 at 1:58 PM
Nothing is really safe, Everything is contaminated with something.Most of us have a immune system that helps to some degree.Chemicals, preservants,additives,drugs,etc that go into all our food,so your chances are all the same.
71826408Electra said on Wednesday, Aug 3 at 9:47 PM
I think if people want to drink raw milk then bottoms up! Its a free country. I mean look at all the food that's been contaminated. Spinach, hamburger, eggs, lettuce, peanut butter and most recent ground turkey meat! I hear more about that than people getting sick from drinking raw milk. And Midgardian where do you think the chickens eggs come from? Through their anus! Eat eggs much?
71784067Handmade said on Monday, Aug 1 at 1:45 PM
Once exposed to campylobacter you are less likely to develop any symptoms of illness if you are ever exposed again says the Journal of the American Medical Association: http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/257/1/43.abstract So, go on drinking raw milk, you may get sick, once, but the benefits of drinking raw milk most definitely outweigh the risks.
71642152Alaskan Woman said on Sunday, Jul 31 at 9:09 PM
Pure propaganda. I would expect no less from KTVA.
71605143Heather Fair said on Saturday, Jul 30 at 6:33 PM
Yes, please do read your history. Louis Pasteur discovered pasteurization for BEER. It was later adopted by the dairy industry as an excuse to run dirty dairies. Powerful big dairy later lobbied to outlaw raw milk in many states. Note, pasteurization does not prevent nor remove fecal matter from the milk - it only attempts to render the nasties thereon harmless (and it doesn't always work). The public should be informed of the risks and rewards, including the risks of pasteurized milk, which has been responsible for the single largest documented case of food-borne illness in the US. Yes, PASTEURIZED milk did that. False sense of securities from pasteurization are the real danger! To follow stories such as these and get real information on raw milk, see http://Facebook.com/Alaska.Arm for the Alaska Alliance for Raw Milk.
71565538Heather Fair said on Saturday, Jul 30 at 6:32 PM
Yes, please do read your history. Louis Pasteur discovered pasteurization for BEER. It was later adopted by the dairy industry as an excuse to run dirty dairies. Powerful big dairy later lobbied to outlaw raw milk in many states. Note, pasteurization does not prevent nor remove fecal matter from the milk - it only attempts to render the nasties thereon harmless (and it doesn't always work). The public should be informed of the risks and rewards, including the risks of pasteurized milk, which has been responsible for the single largest documented case of food-borne illness in the US. Yes, PASTEURIZED milk did that. False sense of securities from pasteurization are the real danger! To follow stories such as these and get real information on raw milk, see http://Facebook.com/Alaska.Arm for the Alaska Alliance for Raw Milk.
71565514Heather Fair said on Saturday, Jul 30 at 6:30 PM
Yes, please do read your history. Louis Pasteur discovered pasteurization for BEER. It was later adopted by the dairy industry as an excuse to run dirty dairies. Note, pasteurization does not prevent nor remove fecal matter from the milk - it only attempts to render the nasties thereon harmless (and it doesn't always work). The public should be informed of the risks and rewards, including the risks of pasteurized milk, which has been responsible for the single largest documented case of food-borne illness in the US. Yes, PASTEURIZED milk did that. False sense of securities from pasteurization are more dangerous!
71565482christine said on Saturday, Jul 30 at 5:35 PM
I was raised on unpasteurized milk and guess what I am healthy. Geez people... beware of propaganda.
71563868bad4us said on Saturday, Jul 30 at 2:42 PM
Humans are the only animal that drinks milk after they are weened.
71559492bachcole said on Saturday, Jul 30 at 2:30 PM
Please try to not be stupid, you franken-food eaters and drinkers. When we say "raw milk", we do not mean milk just exactly like pasteurized milk without the heating. We mean milk from healthy, loved cows who are pasture-fed, organic, milked by knowledgeable farmers with integrity, using every hygienically sound means possible to deliver it to knowledgeable customers. Anyone who drinks confinement dairy milk should make sure that it is pasteurized, otherwise they risk death. Now, for those franken-food eaters/drinkers who were not persuaded by that argument, how about if you just don't tread on us? How about if you respect our freedoms and we will respect your freedoms. I know that that is really asking a lot in our big-government nanny state, but try to be true to your constant pride of living in the land of the free.
71559199Healthy people said on Saturday, Jul 30 at 2:30 PM
Don't vaccinate Don't eat Franken-food Don't spray or plug in chemicals in the house Don't drink the city water Don't drink the chemical laden cow milk
71559198Greg said on Saturday, Jul 30 at 2:08 PM
Read your history, unpasterized milk has accounted for thousands if not millions of infant and young childrens deaths. That is why Louis Pasteur is heralded for saving countless lives. Also unlike sterilization, pasteurization is not intended to kill all micro-organisms in the food. Instead pasteurization aims to reduce the number of viable pathogens so they are unlikely to cause disease (assuming the pasteurized product is stored as indicated and consumed before its expiration date). Commercial-scale sterilization of food is not common because it adversely affects the taste and quality of the product. Certain food products, like dairy products, are superheated to ensure pathogenic microbes are destroyed. This is why milk will still spoil.
71558611Jocon said on Saturday, Jul 30 at 12:58 PM
Why is it, that you brain dead, government suck ups, always want to push the down side of healthy foods, but NEVER check out the WHOLE side of things?? Is it so hard to hear the good side, too? Pasteurized anything is a dead thing!! I have used fresh goats milk for several years and it has helped my Asthma, I no longer get colds or the flu, and guess what, I am not sick from it. I go to great lengths to make sure it is clean. Only the brain dead want dead food or GMO foods for some unknown reason, that only makes for a sicker population all around. I will stick to my healthy (RAW) milk, and by the way, does (RAW) apples mean you will get sick? Now, isn't that sort of silly??? God made them that way for a reason and I trust His reason, not the GOV.
71556458kelleyg said on Saturday, Jul 30 at 9:52 AM
How about a story on the benefits of raw milk? I am tired of the Gov. telling me what is available for my consumption. Are the feds going to confiscate personal dairy animals next? I would much rather be EDUCATED to the benefits and risks rather than dictated the availability by the feds who may be lobbied by Big-Ag to keep the competition low or non-existent. Government of the people, by the people, for the people has turned to government TO the people.
71550331Skippynuts said on Saturday, Jul 30 at 9:43 AM
So what! people are killing themselves daily on all the GMO foods, and cigarettes and alcohol. Do something about that HEALTH OFFICIALS! Make a story about that, you guys just wanna demonize companies that use natural products. The last post sounds like his brain is really close to his anus!
71549882Andrew said on Saturday, Jul 30 at 8:43 AM
years ago myself and several others shared milk cow and nobody got sick... I also drink pastuized milk if thats okay with everyone or evan ifit isent lol.... Grow up!
71547372bachcole said on Saturday, Jul 30 at 7:22 AM
aklinda, funny that we think exactly the same way about you-all frank-milk drinkers. You go ahead and drink your franken-milk and all of your other franken-foods and we will see who won't be swimming in the gene pool.
71544201Midgardian said on Saturday, Jul 30 at 7:20 AM
I'm not saying don't do it, Erin. I'm just saying use common sense when you do. Rinse your vegetables, make sure the teats are clean and if you're going to eat raw meat, make sure it's fresh.
71544122Anonymous said on Saturday, Jul 30 at 7:19 AM
aklinda, funny that we think exactly the same way about you. You go ahead and drink your franken-milk and all of your other franken-foods and we will see who won't be swimming in the gene pool.
71544107bachcole said on Saturday, Jul 30 at 7:17 AM
What a biased report!!! Part of the bias is the reporters need for a sensational story. The reporter does not report on the millions who quietly suffer with allergies, asthma, heart disease, etc., etc., etc. because they drank exclusively pasteurized franken-milk. My boy was cured of allergies by drinking raw milk only part of the week (since we can't afford raw milk all week long).
71544034cooljulie said on Saturday, Jul 30 at 6:39 AM
Pastuerized homogenized milk is basically colored water. Most of the flavor and all of the nutrition is long gone.
71542754aklinda said on Saturday, Jul 30 at 12:04 AM
I say drink away, but could you do it before you reproduce and get out of the gene pool. Could you also only do "natural" medicine another way to stay out of the pool?
71533594Drink it! said on Friday, Jul 29 at 11:17 PM
If you want to drink it, do it. If you like to gamble, do it. People do what you think is safe. Suck it from the teat. Kick that newborn calf to the side. The reason he won't get sick? He drank the colostrum. Don't have to be a genius. You all are just nervous animals. Andy see how many people died from your thousands of years raw milk drinking? Just a question, to go with your rights.
71532907erin said on Friday, Jul 29 at 10:29 PM
ya right midgardian. we're the only animal in the world who cooks our food. my cat has eaten raw food for 19 years. I should have followed her lead.
71532308akbandit said on Friday, Jul 29 at 10:14 PM
Heaven forbid they find out I not only drink raw milk but also eat raw grass-fed beef, and have experienced nothing but excellent health from it.
71532108Anonymous said on Friday, Jul 29 at 8:51 PM
Hey there Midgardian... Didn't know cow or goats teets were located near the anus of the animal.^^ Maybe you should check out the anatomy before posting. Common sense.... that's all I am saying!
71530533Jennifer Curry said on Friday, Jul 29 at 5:59 PM
I don't see how someone using a milking machine even could get fecal matter into the milk. And no that isn't why "we" pasteurize milk. "We" pasteurize milk so it could have a longer shelf-life. "We" pasteurize OJ- No feces there.
71525118Kuskolady said on Friday, Jul 29 at 5:03 PM
They refer to that is the reason we started pasteurizing milk. Read the history of pasteurization. Cows were kept in small contained areas that had fecal matter up to their knees and they were milked in these conditions. No wonder something had to be done to protect people from stupid practices. Not anymore. There are much better sanitation conditions where that doesn't happen. People need to be left alone to make their own choices and the CDC and DEC need to stop making those decisions for us. They are trying to put together a case to back the idea that they are working towards banning shares programs in the State of Alaska and the more "evidence" real or not they can get the easier it will be for them to do it and "justify" it.
71522667andy said on Friday, Jul 29 at 4:46 PM
do the the risks of getting sick outweigh the benefits of non pasteurized milk? pasterizing kills the bad but also kills the good..thats why they have to supplement milk..humans have drank raw milk for thousands of years and seem to survive and live on...how long have we been pasteurizing milk? and what new diseases have plagued us in the last 20 or 30 years? maybe its safer to drink raw milk than pasteurized milk and this is just another propaganda article aiming at taking more rights from consumers..welcome to america people..we are free...except to drink raw milk, take natural herbs, and eat unadulterated food, or vote for anyone but the 2 corporate tools picked by their gang red or blue...
71521994Midgardian said on Friday, Jul 29 at 4:15 PM
Raw anything is a role of the dice. Why should milk, which comes from an organ very near the anus, be any different? Common sense, people; that's all I'm saying.
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