In the wake of more than 20 cases of illness linked to raw milk from a Florida dairy, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson is urging Floridians to consume only pasteurized dairy products to safeguard their health.
The advisory comes after Florida’s Department of Health issued an alert regarding contamination concerns tied to unpasteurized milk.
“Florida’s pasteurized milk supply is safe, nutritious, and closely controlled from the farm to your local grocery store,” Simpson said.
“There have been no reported illnesses from pasteurized milk products in Florida, so Floridians should continue to buy and enjoy nutritious and wholesome dairy products from Florida farmers.”
The Florida alert follows a national trend of health agencies emphasizing the risks of raw milk. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, raw milk can carry dangerous bacteria like E. coli, listeria and salmonella, posing severe health risks, particularly to children, seniors and those with weakened immune systems.
In contrast, pasteurization, a process developed about 160 years ago by its namesake, Louis Pasteur, heats milk to a specific temperature for a set time to kill such pathogens.
While pasteurized milk is strictly regulated and widely available in Florida, raw milk is a niche product that under Florida law is not approved for human consumption. But some consumers nevertheless purchase raw milk for personal use, often under the misconception that it’s healthier or more natural.
On Tuesday, reports arose of at least 21 people getting sick this month — including six children — after they drank raw milk from an unnamed dairy farm. Seven cases resulted in hospitalization, according to Fox 13.
University of South Florida public health professor Jill Roberts told WLRN that outbreaks of illness from raw milk consumption have grown more regular alongside the proliferation of misinformation.
“If we’ve made the technological advances to make milk safe,” she said, “why would we want to go backward to making milk unsafe? … Unfortunately, it’s hard to counteract misinformation.”
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