TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – More than 20 people have been ill from consuming raw milk sold in Florida, according to a Florida Department of Health report.
The FDH bulletin provides the latest information on the availability of raw milk in the northeastern and central Florida, saying there are 21 cases of disease from Campylobacter and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli.
Florida snap recipients will not be able to purchase these items from next year
The disease is linked to the consumption of raw milk from “specific” farms, but the bulletin did not name the farm. Six of these cases include children under the age of 10.
Health officials said out of 21 cases, seven have resulted in hospitalizations and at least two have suffered from “severe complications.”
“The most severe forms of Stech bacteria can cause hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which is characterized by hemolysis and renal failure, which is particularly concerning for children.” “The groups at high risk for severe illness include infants and young children, pregnant women, elderly people, and groups with reduced immune systems.”
What is raw milk? Why is it dangerous?
Raw milk is milk from sheep, cows, goats, or unpasteurized animals. Pasteurization is the process of lightly heating dairy cows or other packaged foods, which helps eliminate harmful bacteria.
Raw milk does not undergo this process and can contain dangerous bacteria that cause diseases such as listeriosis, typhoid fever, tuberculosis, diphtheria, Q fever, and brucellosis.
Some raw milk advocates have argued that it is healthier and safer, but this is not supported by science. Pasteurization does not reduce the nutritional value of milk.
A common myth involves the elimination of pathogens by itself, but this is false, and pasteurized milk causes lactose intolerance.
In that second mythical context, the ability to digest lactose is actually a mutation that exists only in 35% of humans, primarily in 35% of the population of European descent. The reality is that most humans lose their ability to digest milk as they grow. This was the default human condition from the time the mutation appeared 2,000 to 20,000 years ago.
People with milk allergies will suffer from symptoms, whether they drink raw or pasteurized milk due to the protein in the product.
According to FDH, raw milk can only be sold for pet or animal consumption in Florida, and raw milk should be labeled “animal consumption only.”
Health experts say raw milk sold for pets and animals is “not safe for people to drink.”
