Pasteurized milk recall from Albany plant
Pasteurization equipment failed at the Midland Farms plant in Albany on Tuesday. According to the Associated Press, state regulators say the milk marketed under the brand names Midland Farms, Corrado’s Market, Jersey Dairy Farms and Trade Fair Premium will be recalled.
The milk was distributed to stores in New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island. From the AP:
There have been no reports of illness as of Thursday. Consumers should look for the plant code 36-1661 and a Sept. 24 date code. Milk should be returned to the place it was bought.
This is the kind of thing that raw milk advocates point to when they say their product is no less safe than anything produced in today’s foodstream. Supporters of pasteurized milk say a recall like this represents a teeny fraction of the milk supply.
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Pasteurization for milk vs raw milk is not in question. Raw milk production which is sold to the public without pasteurization can be dangerous and is not, I repeat is not held to the same stringent standards as pasteurized milk processing that is sold to the general public. At least Midland Farms is inspected regularly and this did not become an incident. Safeguards kept any problem from occurring. The same would not be true if a real problem happens on a raw milk farm that sells to the general public! Kudos to Midland for catching the problem and solving it before it could have been a problem.
Pasteurization isn’t designed to kill all bacteria. It is supposed to reduce the number of bacteria. After pasteurization the milk is supposed to be tested.
The way the economy is heading, we may not have the choice to drink pasteurized milk anymore. Why bother pasteurizing milk, why bother treating drinking water, let’s do away with sewage treatment. We did ok without those sanitation systems before and I guess we can now. Ever have a Campylobacter infection? I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. But if you ever get infected with C. jejuni from drinking raw milk, I’m pretty certain it will put you off drinking any type of milk for a long time.
Yes, there may be some benefits to drinking raw milk. But do you feel lucky?
get the facts: “homo milk” which has gone through the commercial system has killed far more people than has raw milk intended for human consumption. The episode in Massachussetts in 2007, being the handiest for-instance = 3 died after drinking pasteurized milk. When a centralized distribution plant fails, it does far more harm than an artisanal farm ever could.
the debate is over, in practical terms. Space-age technology applied to the family farm is putting the state-dictated milk marketing schemes out of business. The health issue is a red-herring as those who refuse to de-Stalin-ize flounder around in the throes of bankruptcy
Do you actually know anyone who has gotten campylobacter from raw milk? What about all the other foods that can carry campylobacter? Should we make them illegal too? What would be left for people to eat?
But shouldn’t we, as American consumers, have the right to chose what type of milk we want to drink?
Jackie and PNElba, Raw milk advocates are not trying to force you to drink raw milk, they just want to be able to drink themselves. They are not trying to ban pasteurized milk. If they want to risk drinking it, why not let them? Whats it to you anyways? I’ve never had raw milk but I fully support their right to drink what they want. Maybe you should just make your own shopping choices and let others make theirs.
Raw Milk is intended to be a LOCAL commodity! You should not have to hold Raw Milk to the same standard… because you have to hold it to a Higher Standard. Know, Personally those that produce your food, and SUPPORT your Local Markets.
When you put all your eggs into one basket, as we do with the big factory food producers, you will always get incidents like this, where millions of gallons of sub standard product for the masses will be recalled… or MILLIONS of eggs, recalled after infecting hundreds of people… or MILLIONS of pounds of meat, recalled time and time again.
The “regulated” system is dangerous on a large scale… The free market system is dangerous, but on a small scale.
You cannot make guarantee’s bu making a “regulatory” system stamp of approval… You are responsible for you!
Choose wisely that which you eat. I wouldn’t drink pasteurized milk if you paid me.
@Jackie: Raw milk that is sold legally is held to a MUCH HIGHER standard than pasteurized milk and ESPECIALLY milk that is meant yet to BE pasteurized. Many raw milk dairies are inspected at least weekly and most have far fewer flags than “regular” dairies. Please get your facts straight before jumping all over this. Raw milk is the only kind of milk, aside from cultured (yogurt and kefir and some cheeses), that my family can tolerate.
@Jackie and PNElba: Americans can legally smoke tobacco, which has been proven far more deadly than raw milk. Nobody is asking – or forcing – YOU to drink only raw milk, but some of us have experienced firsthand the benefits of raw milk and would like to obtain it legally without driving out of state to get it. Why is that so much to ask in a country where anyone over the age of 16 can buy tobacco, which is far FAR deadlier, with Federal documentation, but still legal?
Darn straight the “raw milk crazies” are going to be all over this – this and countless recalls of “safe” foods like spinach, peanuts, ground beef, and oh yeah, EGGS, every one of which was industrially farmed and processed in Federally-inspected plants. How many cans of worms (FDA and USDA and Monsanto, perhaps?) would you like to open today? :-)
In Pennsylvania, where I live.. certified raw milk dairies are held to a much higher, more strict standard than commercial dairies. The process of producing safe milk for raw consumption begins with proper diet, care and health of the herd, extensive testing and incredible sanitation and bottling standards which a commercial dairy could not and would not be able to adhere to. When milk is produced with the intention of pasturization less care is taken overall because after all the milk will be boiled…
Keep in mind that I wouldn’t dare drink raw milk intended for pasturization because of how it is produced, for that matter I wouldn’t drink raw milk from just any farm or roadside stand. I drink and give my family certified organic, grass-only fed raw Jersey milk from a certified, tested, raw milk dairy. This farm goes above and beyond what is required by the state for certification…Certainly this can’t be done on a large scale but people should have the option to purchase and consume fresh safe “real milk” should they desire to do so.
So why the comments about raw milk that is sold to the public? I would never drink raw milk that is intended to be pastuerized! I will not drink pastuerized milk either! The raw milk that I consume, that is raw milk intended for human consumption without pastuerization, is completely different than the milk from confinement feed lots. The raw milk I consume is from cattle grazing on green grass, not soy, not corn, they are out in the sun, they are not standing in their own muck. This milk is tested! It’s clean! It’s delicious and it’s full of living enzymes and good bacteria! When cows eat corn and soy and other foods not in their native diet, it changes the bacteria in their gut. This milk has to be pastuerized, it is full of harmful bacteria! So, yes, I feel lucky to have raw milk available in California!
There is a difference between raw milk that is meant for pasteurization and raw milk that is meant for drinking. Raw milk meant for drinking is held to much higher standards to ensure the cows are healthy.
Think about your own body– when your immune system is healthy, you don’t get sick even if you come in contact with certain germs because your body fends it off.
Raw milk advocates want raw milk that is intended for drinking (i.e. from healthy grass-fed cows).
Wow, talk about misinformation. Raw milk sold to the public is held to the same standards as commercial pasteurized milk. In many cases raw milk is held to a higher standard by its sellers and buyers because it does not rely on pasteurization. Pasteurization was established to enable the sale of a poorer quality product, not to protect from an inherently dangerous substance. For those that do not know, raw milk is alive and actually resists infection by pathological bacteria. Pastuerized milk is so dead that, from a nutritional standpoint, there is little point in drinking it. So why bother?
Me and my children used to drink raw milk when living in Schoharie County and surrounded by a dairy farm. Never had a problem with it.
As to all these food scares, I can’t be bothered reading codes and I’m really tired of all the “let’s scare the people” stuff out there.
I have a simple rule with food: as long as it’s not too slimy, doesn’t smell too bad and isn’t crawling off the plate, I’ll eat it.
My day used to tell me, “You have to eat a bushel of dirt before you die.” I haven’t kept track but am still alive.
I happen to know a lot about this topic, and in a recent study, bacteria was introduced into raw milk to measure growth rates. The control group was pasteurized milk. The bacteria grew exponentially faster in the control group.
Pasteurization eliminates beneficial enzymes. Lactose intolerance is cured regularly through a reintroduction of those enzymes into the digestive tract.
The only problem with raw milk is that it is incompatible with contemporary distribution systems. If you can purchase it directly from a farmer, or in a retail store who purchases directly from the farmer, then it is by far a superior product. If it has to be commingled with thousands of gallons of milk from other farms, trucked hundreds of miles to a processor, packaged, and distributed to chain stores, it doesn’t work out.
When you purchase milk, you should get whole milk, otherwise you are purchasing product that has had all of the milk solids removed, then artificially reintroduced. You should also avoid ESL (extended shelf life) milk. You probably think that purchasing milk with an expiration date a month away is good. It is not. You should purchase with dates no more than 10 days out. Milk starts to age when opened, so buy the better stuff with shorter expiration dates, and purchase the amount that you will consume within 5 days.
Horizon Organic and Organic Valley have both been caught screwing local farmers. Support local dairies. A lot of your milk comes from Aurora in Colorodo, which is a huge Confined Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO). Cafos are disgusting. Processor codes are listed on the cartons. Look for code 36, produced in New York State. Buy local and ask your dairy manager to carry NYS milk. See http://www.getnymilk.com/ . Organic milk is much better than conventional by the way.
I can personally vouch for what John said about Organic Valley screwing farmers.
I live in Minnesota and they (OV) used, abused, and then totally discredited and vilified me when I stood up to them and their abuse, with the result being the destruction of our little 20 cow dairy farm, a farm of 30 years standing, producing pastured (cows on pasture grass), fully organic milk. We no longer can afford to milk cows and I love cows, my cows were slaughtered because I couldn’t afford to feed them anymore, please understand. I am trying to sue OV for breach of contract and the property damage done by their big semi-haulers. There is also a slander issue regarding false malicious stories invented and circulated by their employees about me.
I admit I am not having much luck finding an attorney. We are very poor, that doesn’t work well when searching for legal help…
I would appreciate people thinking about this BEFORE you make any purchase of any OV product…
Please support local farmers and bypass any large company or organization. It is in your best interests. Large organizations exist for one purpose and one purpose only: To take your money and reap profits from you any way that they can get away with. And they are getting away with plenty.
Please consider this.
Thank you,
nedlud
Health of raw milk is not an issue. The real issue is liberty guaranteed by our forefathers. The liberty granted by them was intended to superscede all of the rhetoric that monopolistic/dictator groups always attempt to use. Liberty is a blanket covering all such rhetoric. Geo Washington, Benjamin Franklin & Jefferson all knew it and used liberty as a protection for their children (us).
Let’s focus on the true issue of God given liberty and stand our ground against the dictators of the world.
It’s nice to see so many well-informed comments.
Where I live, in Massachusetts, farmers who wish to sell raw milk to consumers are held to a MUCH HIGHER STANDARD than farmers who produce milk for pasteurization.
As has been said before, drink whatever kind of milk you like, or none, for all I care.
But please don’t try to prevent me from doing what I think is healthy for me.
“Pasteurization was established to enable the sale of a poorer quality product, not to protect from an inherently dangerous substance.”
Tell that to Louis Pasteur.
It seems this is becoming a big issue. This week’s issue of Time magazine has a story on it.
Apparently the government is going after raw milk like they do cocaine. Bust down doors like storm trooper from Star Wars.
Is this a free country or what?
Next thing you know and they be going after people who get their water from wells.
“Apparently the government is going after raw milk like they do cocaine.”
Evidence please.
My point was and is that the government gets carried away in trying to protect us from ourselves and everything but our government. Government is all about control.
There have been several recent cases of police raids on farms producing raw milk and in some cases organic vegetables IIRC. It’s a little much IMO.
I wonder who put the word out on the net that this post was here? Clearly there are a lot of people from far, far away posting.