SC Raw Milk Producer Fights Back to FDA Foodborne Claim

The FDA recently linked 3 cases and 5 probable cases of campylobacteriosis to a raw milk producer in South Carolina. Campylobacteriosis is a bacterial infection that produces diarrhea that can be quite violent and even bloody.

The FDA claims that the raw milk drinkers were in North Carolina which means that the product illegally crossed state lines. Raw milk isn't pasteurized and Federal law prohibits interstate commerce of the product. Raw milk is banned for human consumption in North Carolina but legal in South Carolina.

The State reported that the owner of the suspected dairy, Carolyn Adkins of Tuckers Adkins Dairy claimed that the FDA is jumping the gun because tests have yet to comeback proving that campylobacteriosis was actually present in her milk. She vigorously defends her dairy saying that she's never failed any test on her milk and has been producing a great product for the seven years the dairy has been open.

In South Carolina, the SC Health Department runs monthly tests on their raw milk for e. coli, bacteria, and SCC. Johness, TB, and Brucellosis (Bangs disease) is tested yearly.

According to The State:

"When you look at the actual number of illnesses in comparison to the number of raw milk drinkers out there, it's a good safety record," said Pete Kennedy, president of the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund, which estimates there are roughly 10 million drinkers of raw milk in the U.S."

It's a controversial subject but advocates love the product for health and taste reasons and strongly believe they have the right to drink it. Raw milk lovers think that the pasteurization process kills off a good majority of the critical nutrients in milk especially the good bacteria or probiotics. And with the good bacteria in the milk, the bad bacteria has trouble growing. And the dairies that produce raw milk tend to be family farms where the cows are a part of the family.

Back in May the FDA investigated raw milk producer Dan Allgyer. According to Grist, they conducted "covert operations" on him for raw milk distribution, claiming he's violated a federal law by crossing state lines delivering his raw milk.

So, what's your stance on raw milk?

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