Connecticut’s Department of Agriculture is mounting a full-court press to eliminate retail sales of raw milk, via legislation that would confine sales to farms. Connecticut is one of just a handful of states that allow retail sales, and the state’s location in the middle of the Northeast, adjoining New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, which prohibit retail sales, make it a handy shopping spot for out-of-staters and Connecticut residents.
Today, the issue came to a head during hearings in the Connecticut legislature. The commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Agriculture, F. Philip Prelli (seen in the photo, at left, debating the matter with one of about 150 consumers who showed up to oppose the effort), gave a presentation to the legislators that sounded as if it was drafted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
He used as evidence of the need for tough penalties—the third finding of pathogen contamination for any farmer would be a Class A misdemeanor—two cases in Connecticut involving production of tainted “bathtub cheese.”
His biggest selling point was a case recounted here last summer in which 14 illnesses involving confirmed or suspected E.coli 0157:H7 were tied to a Connecticut raw dairy. “We found during the 08 outbreak that it was difficult to identify potential consumers and impossible to identify those who purchased the tainted milk from Whole Foods Markets in the Hartford area,” he said. This was the first case of raw milk contamination in recent memory, and Prelli said after the hearing he couldn’t recall any other cases.
Proponents of raw milk were ready. They were well organized, passing out bumper stickers and t-shirts in support of raw milk as the hearing started. Ted Beals, the retired University of Michigan pathologist, and Gary Cox of the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund flew in to testify against the proposed legislation.
Owners of several of the 14 dairies licensed to produce raw milk appeared at a press conference after the commissioner’s testimony to make the case that passage of the legislation would seriously damage their businesses. Chris Newton, who says he milks nine Jersey cows, and distributes his milk via seven retailers, said that a prohibition of retail sales means, “I will lose 50% of my profit.” Elisa Santee of Foxfire Farm in Mansfield, said she has built up her raw milk business over the last twelve years by selling via retailers. “If you pass this bill, I am out of business.”
Most significant, at least five Connecticut legislators appeared at the press conference to voice their opposition as well. Diana Urban, a representative who seemed to be leading the effort, accused the Connecticut Department of Agriculture of employing a double standard. “You look at peanuts, spinach, even pasteurized milk in Massachusetts (four died in a listeria outbreak in 2007) and you realize this is using a chain saw to cut butter.” She also stated that the FDA was behind the agriculture agency’s push.
I asked Prelli about the charge of FDA influence. Despite the fact that his presentation referred readers to the agency’s notorious 69-slide 2005 anti-raw-milk Powerpoint presentation, he denied FDA influence: “I have not been contacted by the FDA.”
The chances of the legislation passing seem to be up in the air. The agriculture department has already abandoned its original stance requiring producers of raw milk to pay for all pathogen tests.
But its concern about retail sales seems confused. At one point in his testimony, Prelli stated, “Our greatest fear is that an uninformed consumer or consumer with a casual knowledge of the risks of retail raw milk will think that raw milk is safe or even more beneficial than pasteurized milk for their children when the overwhelming evidence suggests raw milk is not safe to consume.” Then he noted, the majority of retail raw milk consumers are quite devoted to this product,” and thus won’t mind traipsing to farms to make their purchases. Are raw milk consumers “uninformed” or “devoted.”
Finally, he strongly suggested that because raw milk drinkers comprise such a small segment of the market, they aren’t all that important. “Let me put the Connecticut retail raw milk industry into perspective. We have over 150 licensed dairy farms in this state. 14 of them are licensed to produce retail raw milk … The producers of milk for pasteurization produce over 41 million gallons of milk a year (average 290,000 gal./yr per farm), we consume 70 million gallons of milk a year in this state. The 14 retail raw milk producers produce approximately 170,000 gallons of milk annually or about .25% of all the milk consumed in this state.”
Like the FDA, Prelli had all kinds of reasons for marginalizing raw milk—just pick your favorite.
In Conneticut there were no deaths. It would be interesting to know if any of the ill people were given antibiotics.
Get the press involved. The LA Times is covering our CA raw milk story tommorrow. This is a hot national topic. Use the heat and press on.
Why is Prelli so anti-choice? Reach out to him and try your best to educate him. He does not get it. Jam the hearings and do not let up.
Mark
In the Connecticut outbreak five people were hospitalized, four of which were children age 10 and under and four of the five developed HUS or TTP. Im not sure how to interpret your statement there were no deaths. It could be interpreted as making light of the illnesses because no one died. I think Thank goodness there were no deaths is more appropriate.
E.coli 0157:H7 infection can not be taken lightly, regardless of the food source. Two children in this outbreak became contaminated from a person who drank raw milk and was infected. In the Jack-in-the-Box outbreak, I believe two children died who had secondary infections; in other words, they did not eat hamburgers but became infected by someone who did. This is an example of how infectious and dangerous this bacterium can be and when children became ill, they suffer the most.
Regardless of whether antibiotics were given in any of the cases involved in the Connecticut raw milk outbreak, the point isE.coli 0157:H7 should not be in the milk.nor should any other pathogen.
cp
If I ever decide to make the leap and try raw dairy, I’d buy it from miguel. He said in the previous post:
"Dairy farmers and cheesemakers need to enjoy washing dishes and keeping everything clean.That is the biggest part of the job and it never ends."
miguel also said many other things that make total sense regarding sanitation (and the positive aspects of nutrient dense foods). In contrast, I would not touch raw dairy from someone who judges its safety based on the product "only" causing hospitalizations and not deaths. And, "negative" pathogen tests without a clear commitment to sanitation are worthless in my mind knowing the limitations of those tests. A person selling food who cares about cleanliness (raw dairy, peanuts, or any other food) is worth his/her weight in gold. Kudos to Marler for cleaning-up the mess created by those who do not embrace this approach.
Don’t hesitate – don’t wait for the corporate thugs’ wrath – they have neither the vision nor the wisdom nor the clarity of purpose to improve human health or the state of our environment But you do.
Ditch that FDA raw milk argument (they are dinosaurs, and everyone knows it); aim for freedom of choice, economic opportunity, local sustainable farms. You will win this if you stay with it, yes you will!
I salute you CT, and thank you for doing such a good job.. I have fierce hopes for you. Nourish yourselves, and grin. Eating well is the best revenge.
-Blair
It appears that the same song and dance is repeated by both those for and against raw milk consumption. Neither is progressing. Raw milk consumers will consume raw dairy. Why not work with them? If the "against" don’t wish to consume it, then don’t.
Since the "against" is in such fear of contamination, will they also ban spinach? Peanut butter? Peppers? etc. Will they demand all foods be irradiated, GM,chemically induced, or pasteurized?
Why are they not working with changing the diets of the animals to decrease these "pathogens" in thier guts, or teaching healthier environments for the animals or teaching all farmers about good sanitation, etc? Is this too hard to do? In a nut shell, it seems a simple matter.
Lacedo is on to something, small communities becoming self-sufficient as much as possible. Decrease the need for imported and/or distance foods. Your food will be healthier, you’ll know better how it was grown/raised.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/4569991/Parents-find-cure-for-sons-untreatable-blood-disorder.html
Imagine, lay people researching and making informed choices and they may have saved thier son’s life by doing so. Repeated blood transfusions can be dangerous. Something as simple as dietary supplements. Why didn’t the degreed people figure this out?
Their position seems to be that if there is the slightest chance of anyone under any conceivable circumstances getting sick from raw milk, it must be banned or severely limited. For reasons known only to them, the DOA seems to really have it out for raw milk producers.
You will have to define pathogen very clearly or maybe give us a complete list of bacteria that you consider pathogens.You say that people who harbor pathogens on their person are a threat to the rest of us.As the list of bacteria that are considered pathogens continues to grow every day there has to be a better way of dealing with these bacteria other than killing them.
When anything dies it begins to decay.Most people avoid handling these decaying corpses because the smell is bad.Eventually the bacteria in the soil break things down to the point that whatever has died has become healthy soil.We grow our food in this soil.
Clearly a rotting squirrel or some other thing contains pathogens at the point when it stinks,but the soil bacteria have the power to purify this to the point where we are able to grow healthy food out of that soil.Why don’t we use the power of this natural system to keep our food safe.To do this we need to understand how the bacteria in the soil are able to eliminate all of the pathogens that are constantly being added to it.
If someone can get a secondary infection from someone who carries a pathogen,imagine the danger of coming into contact with the soil or even shaking hands with someone who is in contact with the soil occasionally.We do have a lot to be afraid of don’t we.
Your arguments are based in GERM THEORY. That is failed science. If it was solid science there would be no antibiotic resistance or depressed immunity.
Cleanliness is essential but not prioroty one. The best scientists tell us that these priorities control infection best:
First ….Host immunity improvement
Second….Food chemistry using biology
Third ….Pathogen reduction by biocontrol, sanitation but not sterilization
The first priority is human immunity. What are we doing in America to improve this condition. The FDA fights this tooth and nail. Antibiotics create immune depression and create superbugs in the bargain. A double whammy!! Raw milk is denied to vast parts of our populations.
As far as food chemistry is concerned we no longer use good biocontrols ( beneficial competitive bacteria like in fermentation )we use preservatives in food and pastuerize everything. Another double whammy and negative effect.
As far as pathogens are concerned the more we try and kill them off the more they become resistant. This is micro biologic war and we in the raw milk community understand this well. We must make piece with bacteria….fighting them makes it worse.
If you change the conditions…bad bugs good away. It is the terrain!!. why do you think Polio vaccine works. The host terrain is changed and therefore the pathogen has no home.
CP and Lykke…..I am not sure why you continue to rail against those that make a consciuos choice to be strong? You are free to drink pasteurized milk. You are also welcome to join us later when you get sick.
We have the pharma and medical industry to thank for ecoli 0157H7. They did not exist until 1979 when the abuse of antibiotics finally created them through restistance. What do you not get about this simple science?
Lastly….when the media says "14 are sickened" that is an open waste basket description of severity. Could that mean 1 in the hosptial for 24 hours and 13 went to the doctor and recovered all by themselves or does than mean 14 in ICU. Does that mean that the doctors gave antibiotics ( which are contraindicated with Ecoli 0157H7 and brings on HUS ).
I am no fool. I spent 16 years as a paramedic and know this medical political stuff way to be well to be suckered by data and politics of messaging for gain.
The rookies look at the data…the professionals look at the assumptions behind the data.
I am always very saddened by any illness. But I am more saddened by people that do not change directions when the alternative would avoid more of the same illness.
More of the same will get you more of the same….is that what you want? More immune systems that are weakened by antibiotics? More sterile foods???
Please join us and be freed from dogma that is killing Americans everyday.
245 people will die today and everyday by antibiotic resistant infections (CDC data).
No body died today or yesterday, or last week or last month or last year from raw milk.
Did you ever notice that ecoli 0157H7 rarely if ever kills when it comes from Raw Milk. But it kills often when it comes from other foods. Raw milk is protective.
Mark McAfee
What makes more sense is that the priority depends on your perspective. As a consumer, I need to focus on host immunity because I have most control over that. Producers cannot focus on my host immunity but can focus on their sanitation. Competitive exclusion may play a role in not letting 0157:H7 take over milk, but it doesn’t kill the bacteria either. Producers can play a role in making sure that if it’s in their herd, it doesn’t end up in their milk. On my end, I can work to be healthy enough to fight it should I draw a bad card.
"Competitive exclusion may play a role in not letting 0157:H7 take over milk, but it doesn’t kill the bacteria either."
Lactic acid forming bacteria not only compete with the ecoli 0157:H7,they produce organic acids such as lactic acid which actively kill ecoli 0157:H7. Pasteurizing eliminates this antibacterial activity.
http://www.ispub.com/ostia/index.php?xmlFilePath=journals/ijmb/vol5n1/probiotic.xml
"The mechanism involved, is that the undissociated form of the organic acid enters the bacterial cell and dissociates inside the cytoplasm. The eventual lowering of the intracellular pH or the intercellular accumulation of the ionized form of the organic acid, lead to the death of the pathogen (Makras and De Vyust, 2006).Complete inhibition of growth occurred consistently at approximately 10mM undissociated lactic acid for total lactic acid concentrations of 25mM to 100mM (Presser et al., 1997). Consignado et al., 1993 did an in vitro experiment in which successful results of antibacterial activity of L.casei (from Yakult) were obtained against four common diarrhoea causing pathogens i.e. E.coli, Shigella dysenteriae, Salmonella enteritidis and V. cholerae."
Alta Dena was incredbly clean in the milking parlour. Cows were all washed in special showers. Milkers wore white garb and the teats were cleaned like open heart surgery. But….cows were given antibiotics, fed lots of grain….and laid arround on big piles of manure. Not a stitch of pasture or concern for the ecosystem that encouraged pathogens in the wash water or environment or cows manure. Micro scopic cross contamination occured and this was caught in the test results.
That is why Alta Dena was constantly confronted by bad press and product recalls from Salmonella. Alta Dena did not make very many people sick, in fact, that was rare if ever. But the State and press made mince meat out of them with pathogen tests coming back positive.
So let us be reminded of how critical "the terrain" is.
Mark
http://blogs.courant.com/rick_green/2009/02/nuns-raw-milk-and-the-state-of-connecticut.html
They have 400 acres and five cows, consume raw milk and sell the excess.
http://www.dailynewscaster.com/2009/02/04/codex-alimetarius-how-the-global-elite-will-control-your-food-supply/
Plus due to dramatic fall in dairy prices [financial dislocation as it might be inanely termed these days] dairy herds nationwide are being culled. Will the culling of the nations dairy herds result in shortages and very high prices next year?
How does one get an ecoli 0157h7 infection from another person? I am not sure if "infection" is the right word. Anyway, I have never heard of this form of transmission before.
"Transmission is by the fecaloral route. Humans can be infected by direct contact
with animal or human carriers; transmission by fomites, including water and food, is
also common. Birds are potential vectors.
Communicability
Yes, by the fecal oral route. Most people shed E coli 0157:H7 infections for
approximately 7 to 9 days; a third of infected children can excrete this organism for as
long as 3 weeks. Transmission is particularly common among children still in diapers."
Many people do not wash thier hands.
Found this article on E.coli 0157:H7. It states, Since the bacteria are shed in diarrheal stools, infected persons practicing poor or inadequate hand washing can transmit the disease to others.
http://www.apsp.org/clientresources/documents/E%20coli%20IB.pdf
And in this article, it states, Secondary infections have occurred in persons who were not at the party, but who lived or had contact with someone who attended the party and became sick.
http://www.idph.state.il.us/public/press99/ecolinews.htm
cp
Escherichia coli O157 infection associated with a petting zoo
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12403105
Outbreak of Escherichia coli O157: H7 Infections After Petting Zoo Visits, North Carolina State Fair, October-November 2004
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19124702?
ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=1&log$=relatedarticles&logdbfrom=pubmed
An outbreak of Escherichia coli O157 infection following exposure to a contaminated building
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/290/20/2709
And, another one that may have involved direct contact with animal feces:
Outbreak of E. coli O157 May be Associated with Exposure to Elk Droppings
http://www.co.jefferson.co.us/news/news_item_T3_R1179.htm
It does not matter whether you live in the city or in the country ecoli 0157h7 exists in both environments perhaps more so in the city. I cannot stress enough the importance of forgoing this idea that we can manage this organism through toxic, invasive intervention, for we will end up doing ourselves and the ecosystem considerable harm.
I like to stay clean and I wash my hands as needed however I do so for aesthetic purposes only and not out of fear of an organism. For those who are vexed with this idea of cleanliness my question to them is how clean is clean with respect to microscopic organisms.?
Ken Conrad
I am also struck by how this makes the epidemiologist’s job harder. When an outbreak occurs, and genetic blueprints are found for the offending organism, and ill people are then identified as sharing that genetic blueprint in their stool, it becomes harder to identify a common vector for transmission.
Like the common cold, bacteria good or "bad" can live for a time on inanimate surfaces. Touching the handles of shopping carts can spread many "germs".
It would make sense; if you gut was healthy, you’d be able to fight off offending bacteria, your normal flora would stay stable and if you did encounter something, your reaction (illness) would be mild or unnoticable. I forget where I read about it, most people who get a 24-48 hr "flu" really don’t have the flu, they have food poisoning. Sometimes telling the difference between flu and food poisoning can be difficult.
http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20081127/reusable_bags_081127/20081127?hub=TorontoHome
Elizabeth,
I’m a big believer in soap and water. I have seen the wipes at some stores, haven’t used them. I do wash my hands when I get home before I start putting the food away. Also don’t touch your face while shopping, that is a quick way to infect yourself. Your skin is usually a good 1st line of defense against bacteria.
Not too long ago, some high school students in Tampa,FL did research at fast food places around town, they found more bacteria in the ice machine shoots than on the toilets in the same facilities.
I remember having cow-chip fights as kids at my grandmother’s 😉 I don’t recall any of us becoming sick afterwords. We then would run down to the Illinois river & swing from the rope and drop in to wash, before mom saw us.
Growing up, I can remember having a "flu" once, when my friend and I cut school to see The EXORIST. I was so ill, high fever, etc. We grew up washing the cutting board (wood) between veggies and meat, or you cut veggies first then meat- all on the same board, there weren’t separate boards. We didn’t get sick.
Common sense isn’t so common I guess and people seem to "need" all this antibacterial stuff. Like over use of antibiotics, the over use of the antimicobe gels/foams/soaps will encourage mutations of stronger microbes.
Sylvia, I have to confess, I am not a hand washer, for myself or for my kids. Not to be too graphic, but my rule is, only when you go #2. We don’t even wash them before we eat, and we are rarely sick. But the thought that ecoli 0157H7 could be lurking somewhere, now that one gives me pause. I’ll have to think about that one – becoming a hand washer because other people have fed cows grain, or messed up their own guts. Hmmm.