BOISE, Idaho — Health officials in Idaho are investigating multiple illnesses linked to raw milk consumption in Ada County, including children hospitalized with serious health complications, as experts warn that claims about raw milk’s health benefits do not match scientific evidence.
RELATED | 9 Ada County residents reported sick from raw milk, two children hospitalized
Central District Health is investigating nine reported illnesses connected to unpasteurized raw milk. Two children are currently hospitalized with hemolytic uremic syndrome, a rare but serious complication of E. coli infection that can lead to kidney failure.
WATCH: What to know as Idaho investigates raw milk illnesses linked to E. coli
All reported cases consumed raw milk products from a dairy in Caldwell, according to health officials. The dairy has pulled its products from store shelves and voluntarily suspended production while testing continues.
Food safety attorney Bill Marler, who has represented victims of foodborne illness for more than 30 years, said an increase in illnesses linked to raw milk is not surprising.
“We’re starting to see an uptick in illnesses, which, frankly, I would expect because raw milk is raw milk,” Marler said.
Marler said the type of bacteria involved in the Idaho cases is particularly dangerous.
“That’s the same bug that we saw in the Jack in the Box case 33 years ago that killed four kids, put 75 children in acute kidney failure, and sickened 700,” he said, referring to E. coli O157.
Despite Idaho’s strong agricultural identity, Marler said that does not make raw milk safer. He noted that Idaho’s regulations governing raw milk are less restrictive than those in many other states.
“Some states, you can’t sell raw milk at all. But Idaho allows for the sale of raw milk. There’s less bacteriological requirements to do testing,” Marler said.
Raw milk is not the only recent reminder of food safety risks in Idaho. Earlier this month, more than 23,000 pounds of raw ground beef produced in Kuna were recalled over possible E. coli contamination.
RELATED | USDA recalls nearly 23,000 pounds of ground beef produced at Kuna facility over possible E. coli
Marler said recalls like that do not necessarily indicate a failure of the food safety system.
“I think in some respects, when you see a recall without illnesses, that’s actually the system kind of working,” he said.
He added that safeguards like pasteurization exist to prevent serious illness — a lesson he said was reinforced even during his own childhood.
“We milked our own cows, and we did drink their milk – but my mom was a nurse,” Marler said. “She still heated the milk up before we could consume it.”
Health officials continue to emphasize that pasteurization remains the most reliable way to kill harmful bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella and Listeria. They urge anyone who has consumed raw milk and develops symptoms including severe stomach cramps, diarrhea or vomiting to seek medical care.
