State officials in California have ordered a recall and quarantine of certain raw goat milk because tests have shown it to be contaminated with Campylobacter.
The unpasteurized, raw goat milk was produced by Valley Milk Simply Bottled of Stanislaus County, according to a recall notice posted by State Veterinarian Dr. Annette Jones. The same producer had recalls in 2019 and 2020 because of Campylobacter in its raw milk.
“The quarantine order came following the confirmed detection of the bacteria Campylobacter jejuni in the farm’s packaged raw whole goat milk sampled and tested by the California Department of Food and Agriculture,” according to the recall notice.
“Consumers are strongly urged to dispose of any product remaining in their refrigerators, and retailers are to pull the product immediately from their shelves.”
As of the posting of the recall notice, the state had not received any confirmed reports of human illnesses. Unpasteurized milk can be contaminated with a variety of bacteria, parasites and viruses.
The recall and quarantine order applies to “Valley Milk Simply Bottled Raw Goat Milk” distributed in half-gallon — 64-ounce — plastic jugs with a code date marked on the containers of AUG 28 2021.
There is concern that consumers may still have the milk in their homes because the best-by date has not yet passed. Anyone who has consumed the milk or served it to anyone, especially young children or elderly people, should monitor themselves for symptoms of infection.
Symptoms of campylobacteriosis include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever. Many people with camplylobacteriosis recover completely. Illness usually occurs two to five days after exposure to campylobacter and lasts about a week. The illness is usually mild and some people with campylobacteriosis have no symptoms at all.
However, in some young children, elderly people and people with compromised immune systems, it can cause a serious, life-threatening infection. A small percentage of people may have joint pain and swelling after infection. In addition, a rare disease called Guillian-Barre syndrome that causes weakness and paralysis can occur several weeks after the initial illness.
(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)