Listeria Found in Raw Milk in Allegany County

Consumers in Allegany County and the surrounding area have been warned not to consume “unpasteurized” raw milk from the Gerald E. Snyder Farm, due to possible Listeria contamination.  

The Snyder Farm is located at RD#1, 1444 Randolph Rd., Alfred Station. To date, no illnesses are known by the state Department of Agriculture and Markets to be associated with this product.

 

A sample of the milk, collected by an inspector from the department, was discovered to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. On Dec. 4, the producer was notified of a preliminary positive test result and declined to suspend sales during confirmatory testing.  

Further laboratory testing, completed on Dec. 9, confirmed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in the raw milk sample. The producer is now prohibited from selling raw milk until subsequent sampling indicates that the product is free of harmful bacteria.

 

Department officials recommend any consumers who purchased raw milk from the Snyder Farm immediately dispose of it and call the department at (518) 457-1772 if they have any questions.

Produce Growers Should Wait 24 Hours After Rain to Harvest Crops

From Cornell University:

To protect consumers from foodborne illness, produce farmers should wait 24 hours after a rain or irrigating their fields to harvest crops, according to new research published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

Rain or irrigation creates soil conditions that are more hospitable to Listeria monocytogenes, which when ingested may cause the human illness Listeriosis. Waiting to harvest crops reduces the risk of exposure to the pathogen, which could land on fresh produce.

Cornell scientists, along with other agricultural researchers from around the country, are conducting more food safety research in order to set rules, standards and guidelines for the Food Safety Modernization Act, which became law in 2011.

“We’re looking at the science that helps governmental entities, such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and private entities create policies that keep our food supply safe,” said Daniel Weller, a doctoral student in the field of food science and the lead author of the new work, “Spatial and Temporal Factors Associated With an Increased Prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes in New York State Spinach Fields.” 

The other authors are Martin Wiedmann, Cornell’s Gellert Family Professor in Food Safety, and Laura Strawn, assistant professor at Virginia Tech.

Factors such as proximity of a field location to water and other landscape features also play important roles in the presence of Listeria. 

The researchers tested fields in a variety of locations throughout New York and found that after rains or irrigation, the chances of finding Listeria were 25 times greater. But, after the fields dried at least 24 hours, the chances of detecting Listeria dropped dramatically, to levels similar to baseline.

Currently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has proposed rules allowing farmers to apply “wait periods” after application of irrigation water. This would allow for “potentially dangerous microbes to die off,” said the FDA.

Through a combination of weather data, GIS technology and data driven information, technology allows farmers and producers to take a systems approach managing food safety.

“Current technology tools are improving food safety and increasing consumer confidence in food products,” Wiedmann said.

The Center for Produce Safety funded this research.

Raw Milk from Downstate Farm Contaminated with Listeria

From the state Department of Agriculture and Markets:

New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball today warned consumers in Orange County and the surrounding area not to consume “unpasteurized” raw farm milk from the Robert & Stacey Stap Farm due to possible Listeria contamination.  

The Stap Farm is located at 426 Drexel Dr., Pine Bush.

A sample of the milk, collected by an inspector from the Division of Milk Control and Dairy Services on April 28, 2014, was subsequently tested by the Department’s Food Laboratory and discovered to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.  On May 1, 2014, the producer was notified of a preliminary positive test result. Further laboratory testing, completed on May 5, 2014, confirmed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in the raw milk sample. 

Listeria monocytogenes is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail, or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems. Although otherwise healthy persons may suffer only short-term, flu-like symptoms such as high fever, severe headaches, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

It is important to note that raw milk does not provide the protection of pasteurization, which eliminates all pathogenic bacteria, including Listeria.

To date, no illnesses are known by the department to be associated with this product.