Florida officials warn about risks of drinking raw milk after 21 people sickened
"Sanitation practices in this farm are of particular concern due to the number of cases," the department said in a news release. Officials did not identify the farm, but indicated its products were available in Northeast and Central Florida.
Although it is illegal to sell raw milk for human consumption in Florida, it can be sold in the state if it's labeled as a pet food. Raw milk has been promoted by online wellness influencers and raw food advocates, boosting sales in recent years, but public health officials say it can be risky.
The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say raw milk can carry life-threatening bacteria, such as E. coli, campylobacter, listeria or salmonella.
These can cause symptoms including diarrhea, vomiting and stomach cramps. Severe cases can result in a condition called hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS, which can lead to kidney failure.
Since 1987, 143 outbreaks have been linked to raw milk or raw milk products, some involving miscarriages, stillbirths, kidney failure and even deaths, according to the FDA.
Pasteurization — a process of heating the milk — kills these bacteria. Pasteurization is required by federal law for any milk sold across state lines. Some individual states also restrict or ban the sale of raw milk, but others allow it.
In an interview with CBS News Miami earlier this year, Mark McAfee, founder of one of the world's largest raw milk producers and head of an advocacy group called the Raw Milk Institute, claimed raw milk offers health benefits such as bioactives that boost the immune system. McAfee sells his raw milk legally in California, where no state law prohibits its sale.
But the CDC says such claims are unfounded. "Pasteurized milk offers the same nutritional benefits without the risks of raw milk consumption," the agency says.
The Florida Department of Health noted in its statement that "many people consume raw milk safely." But it also advised, "Floridians should be aware of potential risks associated with consumption, which may vary depending on the source of milk.The producer's handling of raw milk and milking procedures are vital in prevention of contamination."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gizmodo
an hour ago
- Gizmodo
Smartwatches Recalled for Catching Fire, Burning Hands
The Altafit af28 smartwatches have been recalled, according to a press release Thursday from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The problem? The watches can overheat on their chargers and even ignite into flames. The smartwatches were sold on the Home Shopping Network from March 2025 to May 2025 for $50, marked down from $100. There have been 39 reports of the watches melting, burning, and catching fire with at least six reports of consumers' hands being burned along with property damage. And it's all attributed to the smartwatch's wireless charging pad. The watches were manufactured in China and imported into the U.S. by Deale International LLC, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The Altafit af28 was sold on as a smartwatch that looked like a piece of jewelry while having all the latest smartwatch features. 'Consumers should immediately unplug the smartwatch's charging pad and stop charging the recalled smartwatch,' the CPSC said in a statement posted online. 'Consumers can contact Deale International for instructions on how to receive a free replacement. Consumers will be asked to cut the unplugged charging pad's power cable and email a photo of the charging pad with the cut cable to [email protected].' The screen measures 1.68 inches and the watch came with two bands, bejeweled and mesh. The versatility of having something that wasn't 'too sporty' for 'an evening out' was a major part of the marketing pitch, according to promotional videos posted to YouTube. 'This is one that's going to do all the things we want a smart watch to do,' the HSN host says in a video. 'Even reads your oxygen levels, your sleep, your heart rate, all the different sports modes that we love from running to yoga to cycling, and you can get credit for them all. The host went on to explain the watch is 'IP67 water resistant rated, and you can even receive your phone calls, your texts, you get app notifications, and that's kind of just the beginning of it.' The watch was billed as being able to measure blood pressure, though smartwatches are notoriously bad at that. The watch wasn't really on Gizmodo's radar until we saw the recall notice, and it looks like the company only sold about 2,900 of them. But now we're curious how it performed. Did you have an Altafit af28? How did it work? Here's hoping that if you do own one it didn't catch on fire and you can get your refund.
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Cake Recall Update as FDA Sets Highest Concern Level for Multiple Products
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A recall of numerous cake products due to potential salmonella contamination has been issued the highest risk warning by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). King Cheesecake Company, Inc., based in Texas, issued a voluntary recall for six products on July 18 as pecans contained with the cakes may have been contaminated. The FDA later issued a Class I risk classification for the recall on August 7. Newsweek contacted King Cheesecake Company, Inc. for comment by email outside of regular working hours. Stock image. King Cheesecake Company, Inc. issued a voluntary recall for six products on July 18 due to potential salmonella contamination. Stock image. King Cheesecake Company, Inc. issued a voluntary recall for six products on July 18 due to potential salmonella contamination. Silas Stein/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Why It Matters A Class I risk classification represents "a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death," according to the FDA. Salmonella bacteria can cause gastrointestinal illness and fever called salmonellosis. Symptoms typically develop 12 to 72 hours after infection, and usually last between four and seven days. Typical symptoms include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. People experiencing more severe infections may also suffer high fever, aches, headaches, lethargy, rashes and blood in their urine. Infections can become fatal on rare occasions, with about 450 people dying each year from salmonellosis, according to the FDA. The infection is particularly dangerous for young children, frail or elderly people, and those with weakened immune systems. What To Know The products affected by the recall include the following: Assorted Layer Cake Italian Layer Cake Carrot Layer Cake Tres Leches Cheesecake Hummingbird Layer Cake Chocolate Tres Leches Cheesecake The products were manufactured between June 20 and July 14. They were distributed to Alabama, Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Illinois. What People Are Saying The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guidance on salmonella: "In some people, the illness may be so severe that the patient is hospitalized. Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other parts of the body." The FDA, on its website: "Children younger than five, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have severe salmonellosis infections. "Wash the inside walls and shelves of the refrigerator, cutting boards and countertops, and utensils that may have contacted contaminated foods; then sanitize them with a solution of one tablespoon of chlorine bleach to one gallon of hot water; dry with a clean cloth or paper towel that has not been previously used. "People with pets should take special care to avoid cross-contamination when preparing their pet's food. Be sure to pick up and thoroughly wash food dishes as soon as pets are done eating, and prevent children, the elderly, and any other people with weak immune systems from handling or being exposed to the food or pets that have eaten potentially contaminated food." What Happens Next The recall is listed as ongoing, according to the FDA. Consumers who purchased the affected products should not consume them.
National Geographic
an hour ago
- National Geographic
How cutting out certain foods can trigger new allergies
Bagels, which often include gluten, are one of many foods often excluded in elimination diets. But for allergy-prone individuals, cutting out foods for too long may disrupt immune tolerance and trigger dangerous reactions. Photograph by Rebecca Hale, National Geographic Elimination diets are everywhere—from parents managing eczema to influencers cutting out gluten and dairy in pursuit of 'clean eating.' But research shows that removing foods from your diet can subtly change how your immune system reacts when you eat them again. In some people, especially those with conditions like eczema or past food allergies, that loss of tolerance can spark dangerous reactions—even life-threatening anaphylaxis—when the food returns. This risk is often overlooked in the growing popularity of elimination diets. According to the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, Americans are cutting more from their plates than ever. Some do it to manage celiac disease or irritable bowel syndrome, others to reduce bloating, fatigue, or joint pain. Social media trends like #cleaneating have only amplified the appeal. By 2024, more than half of Americans reported following a specific diet or eating pattern, compared to just 38 percent in 2019. Yet for the immune system, regular exposure to food proteins helps maintain a state of tolerance—one that can be disrupted when those foods disappear from the menu for too long. Understanding how and why that shift happens is key to knowing when elimination diets help, and when they might put you at risk. The science of oral tolerance and food allergies 'The intestine has an unenviable task,' says Brian Vickery, chief of allergy and immunology and director of the food allergy program at Emory's Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. 'It has to identify and respond to a constant barrage of environmental stimuli that can be both dangerous and beneficial.' (Is gluten really that bad for you? Here's what happens when you stop eating it.) The gastrointestinal tract, which has more immune lymphocytes than any other body part, encounters trillions of microbes and more than 30 kilograms of food proteins each year. Yet, it manages to defend against harmful invaders while ignoring harmless foods and friendly bacteria. This balancing act relies on oral tolerance, a process in which immune responses to ingested food proteins are actively suppressed, which in turn prevents harmful reactions like food allergies. While the underlying immune mechanisms are not entirely understood, the latest studies indicate it begins with specialized antigen-presenting cells that capture food antigens in the gut and instruct nearby T cells to stand down. This signal gives rise to antigen-specific regulatory T cells, which calm the immune response to food proteins. (As food allergies rise, new treatments are on the horizon.) 'The gut is important in the initial establishment of tolerance,' says Michael Pistiner, director of Food Allergy Advocacy, Education and Prevention, Food Allergy Center at the MassGeneral Hospital for Children. 'If you're not already allergic, early introduction to foods can help promote tolerance and protect infants from developing a food allergy.' That protection doesn't end in childhood. Regular, ongoing exposure to foods helps maintain oral tolerance throughout life. Recent research in food allergy patients treated with oral immunotherapy, where gradually increasing doses of the culprit food are given orally, highlights how continued ingestion is often needed to maintain a desensitized state. Conversely, there's evidence that elimination diets for some can disrupt oral tolerance and encourage the immune system to develop allergies. When elimination diets increase allergy risk For parents of children with eczema, it's common to suspect certain foods are worsening flare-ups. Many turn to elimination diets in hopes of finding the culprit. But research has uncovered a hidden risk. Anne Marie Singh, professor and chief of Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and her colleagues evaluated almost 300 children with eczema on elimination diets. (How a tick bite can cause food allergies in humans.) 'We found that if you removed the food from their diet, upon reintroduction there was a significant increase in the risk of allergic reactions, including potentially severe immediate allergic reactions,' says Singh. The results were striking: almost one in five children (19 percent) developed new immediate allergic reactions when the eliminated foods were reintroduced, even though they had no previous history of such responses. Most were mild, but alarmingly, 30 percent of reactions were severe, classified as anaphylaxis. The danger isn't limited to children. In a separate study of 30 adults who developed allergies to foods they had previously tolerated, 70 percent had been on elimination diets beforehand. Half experienced anaphylaxis, and the vast majority (80 percent) had pre-existing allergic conditions such as environmental allergies, asthma, or eczema. For people without a history of allergies, the risk appears much lower. If you're thinking about trying an elimination diet, experts say the safest approach depends on your risk level. If you're at higher risk (children or anyone with pre-existing allergy conditions), consult with a healthcare professional before starting an elimination diet. 'The more allergic you are, an elimination diet could potentially be a problem,' says Singh. Pistiner adds that 'in infants with eczema, elimination diets can be detrimental, especially at this very important time of early introduction.' Experts also recommend that children following elimination diets have close medical supervision to ensure nutritional adequacy and healthy growth. (What scientists are learning about how to prevent allergies in kids.) Duration matters, too. A shorter elimination phase gives less time for oral tolerance to break down. Singh notes that 'two to four weeks of elimination should be enough time to know if it makes a difference and also short enough to not risk an allergic reaction when you try it again.' In some cases, completely cutting out a food isn't necessary. If symptoms are mild, keeping small, tolerable amounts in the diet may help maintain oral tolerance while still easing discomfort, adds Singh.
