The Florida Department of Health is warning residents after 21 people became sick from raw milk linked to a single farm. Among those infected, seven required hospitalization, and six were children under ten.
“Severe complications have been reported for at least two cases,” officials noted.
The specific farm hasn’t been named, but the state confirmed the milk caused the illnesses. Though raw milk is illegal to sell for human consumption in Florida, it can still be sold as pet food.
“Sanitation practices in this farm are of particular concern due to the number of cases,” the department stated. “Floridians are encouraged to use this information to make informed decisions.”
According to the CDC, raw milk isn’t pasteurized, which means it hasn’t been heated to kill dangerous bacteria like E. coli, campylobacter, listeria, and salmonella. The FDA added that while some claim raw milk has health benefits, “the health risks are clear.”
Symptoms from contaminated milk include diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach cramps. Officials warned that STEC infections, especially in children, can lead to kidney failure.
“Because E. coli can spread from one child to another, the risk is not just to the one that drank the milk,” the FDA said.
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