MIDDLETON, Idaho — Nearly 60 people in Idaho have reported illnesses after consuming raw milk since May 19, with at least 45 testing positive for campylobacteriosis, a bacterial infection. State health officials are investigating two outbreaks they say are likely linked to raw milk.
At Lazy SP Ranch in Middleton, producer Kassie Strohmeyer showed Idaho News 6 Neighborhood Reporter Victoria Rodriguez her raw milk production process, explaining the steps she takes to reduce the risk of contamination.
Before milking begins, each cow is cleaned and disinfected. The cows are then milked using a milking machine, a process that takes about five to eight minutes depending on the cow. The milk is collected in buckets, then filtered, bottled, and refrigerated — all within about 30 minutes.
WATCH: A Middleton producer and health officials weigh in as Idaho investigates raw milk–linked illnesses.
"So we dip— cover the whole teat," Strohmeyer said of one of the steps to prepare and disinfect the cow.
A filtration step comes later in the process.
"Any debris that makes it between the cow [and] the bucket, to the milk bucket, this will keep it from going into the jugs," Strohmeyer said of the filtration process. "So essentially this keeps it as clean as possible."
Strohmeyer says keeping a small herd allows her to pay close attention to cleanliness and milk handling, and that her operation takes a different approach compared to the larger dairies.
"Bacteria levels, the chloroform levels, maintaining the cows— everything like that," Strohmeyer said before adding, "I have no ill will against big dairies."
While some consumers seek out raw milk because they believe it offers health benefits, the Idaho Dairymen's Association says the risks outweigh the rewards.
"There's reasons we pasteurize milk; it provides a much safer product [with] much less risk to the consumer," a representative from the Idaho Dairymen's Association told Idaho News 6.
The association also noted that raw milk carries a required warning label.
"You have to have a warning label on the raw milk, just like you have to have a warning label on a pack of cigarettes," the representative added.
Health officials say raw milk can contain harmful bacteria and may pose the greatest risk to young children, pregnant women, older adults, and those with weakened immune systems.
"You can have death as a result of some of these illnesses. So I don't want to make light of it, but really, the symptoms are usually— you recover from them OK— but they're really quite unpleasant," the representative stated.
Still, Strohmeyer says many of her customers continue choosing raw milk despite those warnings.
State health officials say their investigation into the outbreaks linked to raw milk consumption remains ongoing
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