Idaho health officials are investigating two outbreaks tied to people drinking raw milk. More than 100 people have gotten sick — including 11 who have been hospitalized.
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare said the spike in illnesses tied to drinking unpasteurized or raw milk began in May, and that most people are sick from two different milking operations, which are both cooperating with the investigation. But the case count has increased since their initial announcement in June.
At the farmer’s market in Kooskia, Idaho, Christopher Clugston mans his raw milk and cheese stand. Although he’s only been in business about a year, he has plenty of customers.
“Almost more than we can keep up with most of the time, especially when it comes to the cheese, down here at the market,” he said. “We always sell out before the end of the market.”
Clugston said he has clients in Grangeville and Kalispell, and sells raw goat milk at the Health Good Store in Grangeville and the Steelhead Market in Stites.
Jaycie Kingsley and her husband Mason own Hazy River Ranch outside Kooskia. They also sell raw dairy products – goat milk, chevre cheese and kefir – at local grocery stores and the Kooskia Farmer’s Market.
“We’ve always had the same desire to grow our own food, and live a little more wild,” Mason said. The couple went into business last summer.
Raw goat and cow milk is regularly sold at the Moscow Farmer’s Market, and available for purchase at the Moscow Co-op. And both raw and cow goat milk can be found at the Boise Co-op Market North End.
But despite the raw milk market thriving across Idaho, unpasteurized dairy products can harbor dangerous bacteria, such as E. Coli, campylobacter, salmonella and listeria. The state of Idaho does not require raw milk to be tested for pathogens before going to market.
Felicia Wu is a professor of Food Safety, Toxicology and Risk Assessment at Michigan State University, and she keeps up with food trends.
“ Week after week, there are reports of outbreaks and cases of illness associated with raw milk consumption, and it usually is from one of the four major pathogens,” she said.
Heating milk at a particular temperature for specific periods of time can help kill off pathogens that exist in the milk. The process – known as pasteurization – came from French chemist and microbiologist Louis Pasteur in 1864.
“There’s no question that pasteurizing food is safer than not pasteurizing food,” Wu said.
Less than 1 percent of the U.S. population consumes raw milk, claiming it has nutritional and health benefits, according to the Food and Drug Administration. But both the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn all consumers of raw dairy are putting themselves at serious health risk, especially the elderly, children, pregnant women, and people who are immunocompromised.
A.J. McWhorter is a public information officer for the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. He has been tracking the case numbers of sick people throughout the state, and said, “[People] have mentioned they drink it because of the taste, they believe it is healthier, and some just wanted to try it.”
It’s estimated dairyborne diseases cost the U.S. more than $4 billion per year between 2000 and 2020, with campylobacter dominating milk-related outbreaks, accounting for 71% of the costs, according to Wu’s recent research.
Raw milk accounted for 91.5% of milk-related hospitalizations, and states that allowed raw milk sales had nearly four times the outbreak rate compared to states where selling raw milk is banned, according to the study. People who consume raw dairy products were 29 times more likely to become sick and 14 times more likely to die than those who didn’t drink raw milk or eat raw cheese.
“I think it’s really important to understand what the food safety risks are, because I think that it’s best if consumers can make informed decisions,” Wu said.
McWhorter said the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare has no plans for new guidance or restrictions on raw milk.
Boise State Public Radio has filed a public records request asking for the names of the dairies associated with the outbreak.
