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Health department warning over raw milk
Evyn Moon reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - Florida health officials said an outbreak of food-borne illness has been linked to raw, unpasteurized milk sold by a farm in the state.
What we know:
The Department of Health confirmed 21 people got sick this month, including multiple children and at least seven individuals who required hospitalization. Physicians are now urging the public to avoid raw milk, citing risks of contamination from bacteria like E. coli, Listeria, Campylobacter and Salmonella.
RELATED: Florida raw milk outbreak sickens 21, including 6 children, prompts health warning: officials
Pasteurization, which is the process of briefly heating milk to kill pathogens, has been the public health standard in the U.S. for more than 100 years.
What they're saying:
"[Raw milk] can be dangerous. It can have many different types of bacteria that cause stomach and G.I. upset, bleeding in the gut, dehydration… This can lead to hospitalization. There's really no need to drink raw milk, because the pasteurization process does not take out nutrients," said Dr. Paige Lindberg, with Orlando Health Bayfront.
"Raw milk sales in Florida are illegal for human consumption. You are able to sell it as a pet food, so it is available. But it is labeled specifically for pet use only. It's not for human consumptions – and I don’t see that changing anytime soon," said Dr. Michelle Danyluk, food microbiologist at UF/IFAS.
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The other side:
Some supporters of raw milk, including U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., argue the product has additional health benefits.
In a recent social media video, Kennedy toasted with raw milk shots and said in a press conference, "There's a tremendous amount of emerging science that talks about the need for more protein in our diet and more fats in our diet. And there's no industry that does that better than [the dairy] industry."
Some advocates also believe raw milk may help with allergies – though physicians say there is no scientific evidence supporting that claim.
The Source: This story is based on public alerts from Florida Department of Health officials, and interviews with physicians and food microbiologists. It also includes public remarks by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.