Florida is experiencing an E.coli outbreak linked to raw milk, a favorite of Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr and followers of his Make America Healthy Again movement.
State health officials have reported 21 illnesses linked to Campylobacter and E. coli linked to unpasteurized milk.
The pasteurization process involves heating milk to about 145 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes, which kills pathogens like E. coli, but raw milk skips this process.
Seven people have been hospitalized due to drinking raw milk contaminated with harmful bacteria from a specific farm in Northeast or Central Florida, but officials did not disclose which one.
‘Sanitation practices in this farm are of particular concern due to the number of cases,’ the health department said.
According to the health department, infections from Shiga toxin-producing E. coli and Campylobacter can lead to symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach cramps. In more serious cases, especially in children, these infections can result in kidney failure.
In Florida, raw milk is legally sold only as pet or animal feed, not for human consumption, which reduces the ability to enforce strict sanitation standards. Labels on containers are required to clearly state that the milk is intended for animal use only.
Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr has said he exclusively drinks raw milk. Supporters of the raw milk movement with the Make America Healthy Again push have celebrated his past statements about wanting to tackle the issue of making raw milk legal and more widely available nationwide during his tenure at the agency.
HHS Secretary RFK Jr. says he drinks only raw milk, and supporters of the Make America Healthy Again movement have welcomed his past remarks about addressing the issue while in office
Among the 21 cases of Campylobacter and E. coli in Florida, six were children under 10. Seven of the 21 people affected have been hospitalized but no deaths have been reported as of Monday.
‘Floridians are encouraged to use this information to make informed decisions about their health and sources of raw milk should they choose to consume it,’ the health department said.
Sales of raw milk are illegal in eight states, while others, such as Florida, allow it with clear distinctions, such as making it for pet use only or available only on farm stands.
Raw milk has garnered a cult-like following among conservatives, who believe each individual should decide what they drink regardless of risk.
Since taking office, Kennedy’s FDA paused a quality control program that evaluates labs testing raw milk intended for pasteurization, citing staffing cuts at the health department dating back to the Trump administration.
Despite the pause, store-bought milk remains safe due to strict testing by state and federal agencies and the dairy industry
Many believe the pasteurization process, which involves heating the milk and nothing else, strips it of much of its nutritional value, despite scientific evidence stating otherwise.
Additionally, there are no beneficial bacteria in raw milk, according to the FDA, but it does hose a myriad of dangerous pathogens, including Salmonella, Listeria, and Staphylococcus.
E. coli and Campylobacter can lead to symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach cramps, and in severe cases kidney failure (file photo)
Since pasteurization of milk became routine about a century ago, the US has seen ‘greatly reduced milk-borne illnesses,’ according to the CDC.
Illness still occurs, though.
Between 1987 and 2010, raw milk and raw milk products caused 133 illness outbreaks, some of which were deadly, according to the FDA.
Some wellness influencers claim that drinking raw milk may help alleviate allergies and illnesses, but these claims lack evidence.
Sales of raw cow’s milk are surging in the US, yet states have varying regulations on raw milk, with only a few allowing retail sales in stores and others allowing sales only at farms.
