Raw milk people check out this article re: Listeria

[savingdogs]

http://health.yahoo.net/experts/dayinhealth/listeria-outbreak-should-we-worry

What do you all think?

Are their tests for the milk itself that we can do to make sure things are safe periodically? Those of you that consume raw milk, what precautions do you take to avoid this? Or is this an unreasonable thing to caution us about? I thought I read Listeria has not been in the US lately.

I'm just interested in everyone's thoughts about this, not supporting this article.

 

[Leta]

Full disclosure: I have B.S. in public health. My husband has worked in food service for 15 years, including 4 years as a butcher. He teaches ServSafe. He also grew up on a working farm, so he is fully aware of safety precautions needed when working with live animals.

We take food safety very seriously in this house. For example, DH makes salumi and only buys it from a man he trusts implicitly. We don't ever buy cut fruit, for the reasons discussed in the article. We practice rigorous labeling and FIFO in our own home.

Now that that's out of the way, this article is silly. Listeria is one of those things like toxoplasmosis- it can kill you, or make you desperately sick. Even if you recover, you may have permanent damage. It is especially dangerous to pregnant women. All these things are true, but they apply exclusively to the immunocompromised. If you are healthy, you SHOULD challenge your immune system. That is how we STAY healthy. That old saw, "Whatever doesn't kill me makes me stronger" is literally true for the vast majority of humans. (Pregnant women, little children, old people, AIDS patients, chemotherapy patients, and anyone with an autoimmune disorder- these are people who can worry reasonably. Most people need to worry way more about shark attacks and being struck by lightning.)

We drink raw milk. Our precaution is knowing our farmer, knowing how fastidious she is, knowing that she feeds her milk to her own family, and knowing that she takes disease potential very seriously- she's an RN. We don't drink out of the container, and we never leave raw milk out in room temperatures for any length of time- that image of the milk container on the table never happens here, if we want more milk, we get up and walk over to the fridge.

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

You will not find them mentioning that listeria is everywhere. It is very possible it is in your lawn.

 

[Wifezilla]

The last 4 people.in the US who died of listeria got it from cantaloupe, not raw milk. Just sayin'.

 

[Wannabe]

Full disclosure: I have B.S. in public health. My husband has worked in food service for 15 years, including 4 years as a butcher. He teaches ServSafe. He also grew up on a working farm, so he is fully aware of safety precautions needed when working with live animals.

We take food safety very seriously in this house. For example, DH makes salumi and only buys it from a man he trusts implicitly. We don't ever buy cut fruit, for the reasons discussed in the article. We practice rigorous labeling and FIFO in our own home.

Now that that's out of the way, this article is silly. Listeria is one of those things like toxoplasmosis- it can kill you, or make you desperately sick. Even if you recover, you may have permanent damage. It is especially dangerous to pregnant women. All these things are true, but they apply exclusively to the immunocompromised. If you are healthy, you SHOULD challenge your immune system. That is how we STAY healthy. That old saw, "Whatever doesn't kill me makes me stronger" is literally true for the vast majority of humans. (Pregnant women, little children, old people, AIDS patients, chemotherapy patients, and anyone with an autoimmune disorder- these are people who can worry reasonably. Most people need to worry way more about shark attacks and being struck by lightning.)

We drink raw milk. Our precaution is knowing our farmer, knowing how fastidious she is, knowing that she feeds her milk to her own family, and knowing that she takes disease potential very seriously- she's an RN. We don't drink out of the container, and we never leave raw milk out in room temperatures for any length of time- that image of the milk container on the table never happens here, if we want more milk, we get up and walk over to the fridge.

True, more is written in medical and science literature these days about ADDING biodiversity to immune systems, in order to improve immune function. Fear about bacteria is quickly becoming history. It will be interesting to see where this discussion is 10 years from today.

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

Full disclosure: I have B.S. in public health. My husband has worked in food service for 15 years, including 4 years as a butcher. He teaches ServSafe. He also grew up on a working farm, so he is fully aware of safety precautions needed when working with live animals.

We take food safety very seriously in this house. For example, DH makes salumi and only buys it from a man he trusts implicitly. We don't ever buy cut fruit, for the reasons discussed in the article. We practice rigorous labeling and FIFO in our own home.

Now that that's out of the way, this article is silly. Listeria is one of those things like toxoplasmosis- it can kill you, or make you desperately sick. Even if you recover, you may have permanent damage. It is especially dangerous to pregnant women. All these things are true, but they apply exclusively to the immunocompromised. If you are healthy, you SHOULD challenge your immune system. That is how we STAY healthy. That old saw, "Whatever doesn't kill me makes me stronger" is literally true for the vast majority of humans. (Pregnant women, little children, old people, AIDS patients, chemotherapy patients, and anyone with an autoimmune disorder- these are people who can worry reasonably. Most people need to worry way more about shark attacks and being struck by lightning.)

We drink raw milk. Our precaution is knowing our farmer, knowing how fastidious she is, knowing that she feeds her milk to her own family, and knowing that she takes disease potential very seriously- she's an RN. We don't drink out of the container, and we never leave raw milk out in room temperatures for any length of time- that image of the milk container on the table never happens here, if we want more milk, we get up and walk over to the fridge.

True, more is written in medical and science literature these days about ADDING biodiversity to immune systems, in order to improve immune function. Fear about bacteria is quickly becoming history. It will be interesting to see where this discussion is 10 years from today.

Unfortunately, if the FDA gets its way, they will be requiring those with a goat in the back yard to heat treat their milk as well.

 

[Florezian]

1) I think its sad that a cantelope grown in COLORADO is making people sick in Texas.

2) The article said that for most people the problems clear in a week.

It seems like any other disease spread by contamination. Wash produce, clean the udders before ya milk, and be diligent about keeping things sanitized.

 

[ksalvagno]

Lets face it, there are all kinds of bacteria everywhere. You'd probably be shocked at the amount in and around your home. If one thing doesn't kill you, another will. I'm more worried about what is in that plastic jug of pastuerized milk at the store than I am about goat milk that comes from my backyard and that I handled.

 

[savingdogs]

Well y'all are certainly easing my mind....

 

[abifae]

I wash my hands after I poop or change cat litter. I at least give 'em a good rinse after I touch raw meat, and consider they get scrubbed and sudsy enough when I clean the kitchen after cooking (hot water and soap, and that's more concern for sticky counters and bugs than germs).

Other than that, I drink from the milk jug, lick spoons while I cook (and use the same spoon to scoop condiments into food), and all in all am extraordinarily germ casual. *laughs*

I don't think you have to worry.

I'm MUCH more concerned about foods from the grocery than from the farmer's market, but let's face it.

Soil is poop and dead plants and dead animals... Animals and bugs walk through the world, pooping on everything. It helps it grow. They are killed and bleed and spill their guts on the soil and in gardens. We evolved eating all these feces and germs and bacteria and parasites. It's FINE. The only thing making it so bad are: processed foods that kill the good bugs, the creation of super bugs through too much cleanliness and too many antibiotics, and over population.

So that's my take on it.