A list is now available of the California retailers that received Organic Pastures Dairy Co. raw milk that has been linked to an E. coli outbreak.
The unpasteurized raw milk — which expired Jan. 23 and 26 — was recalled Feb. 4 by the Fresno-based organic dairy.
The California Department of Public Health reported Monday that four children who drank Organic Pastures whole, raw milk developed E. coli infections. At least two other children have identical strains of E. coli poisoning.
The Food and Drug Administration has temporarily suspended its cheese testing program for non-toxigenic E. coli, partly in response to complaints from proponents of raw milk and related products.
“Recently, cheesemakers have raised concerns suggesting that the FDA is applying safety criteria that may, in effect, limit the production of raw milk cheese without demonstrably benefitting public health,” agency officials said in a news release earlier this week.
Measuring non-toxigenic E. coli has long been used by FDA and other public health agencies in the U.S. and other countries to indicate fecal contamination.
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