California officials lift raw milk quarantine at dairy
SACRAMENTO -- State agriculture officials have lifted a ban on sales of raw milk by Organic Pastures, a Fresno dairy.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture imposed the quarantine May 10 after inspections found harmful bacteria in samples of butter, cream and cow manure from the dairy’s herd.
The prohibition ended Friday morning after the facility was certified as meeting all state food safety and sanitation requirements.
Organic Pastures’ website immediately announced that it would soon restart distribution to stores and told customers that they could come to the dairy to buy milk immediately.
Raw milk is not pasteurized, a process that kills harmful bacteria. Such bacteria can make people who drink raw milk mildly ill. In rare cases it could cause a life-threatening illness.
Many consumers say that raw milk tastes better and is more nutritional.
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Raw milk causes most dairy-related disease outbreaks, CDC says
