Utah reinstates raw milk dairy that caused September’s Campylobacter outbreak

A raw milk dairy that lost its permit to sell its products in September is being reinstated by the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF).

The permit to sell raw milk is reinstated for the Utah Natural Meat and Milk Dairy in West Jordan, Utah. It lost the co-called “Raw for Retail” permit after its milk samples were found to be contaminated with the Campylobacter bacteria that caused an outbreak.

The outbreak linked 12 confirmed cases of the bacteria found in the milk samples to the Campylobacteria outbreak that sent one person to the hospital.

Raw milk and milk products produced in Utah are subject to monthly sampling and testing by the state. There are 16 licensed farms in the state.

UDAF, however, recognizes that raw milk, no matter how carefully produced, may be unsafe. Individuals who choose to consume raw milk or raw milk products are advised to take these steps to  decrease the chance of raw milk causing food-borne illness:

• Heat raw milk to 165 degrees F for at least 15 seconds and then cool it before consuming.
• Keep raw milk and raw milk products refrigerated at or below 40 degrees F; do not let raw milk sit at room temperature.

“Food and consumer safety are our priorities at the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food,” said UDAF Commissioner of Agriculture Craig Buttars. “While we did not take suspending the license of this small farm and business lightly, it was important that we ensure the milk products were safe for consumption. We are grateful for the efforts by the UDAF team and the dairy owners to isolate the cause of the illnesses and ensure the milk is safe to be sold once again.”

Utah Natural Meat and Milk told local media in October that the company remains committed to maintaining high standards and that foodborne illnesses occasionally affect producers, large and small, at some point. “We are grateful for the efforts by the UDAF team as well as the dairy owners to isolate the cause of the illnesses and to ensure the milk is safe to be sold once again,” the dairy spokesman said.

According to public health officials, contaminated raw milk does not smell or look any different from uncontaminated milk, so there is no easy way to tell if the milk is safe to consume.  In Utah, raw milk and milk products can only be sold directly to consumers on the farm. Retail stores sell only pasteurized dairy products. Federal law prohibits the sale of raw milk across state lines because it is considered unsafe.

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