Salmonella Infections and Raw Milk Products


© Neal Rolfe Chamberlain
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May 28, 1999


Pasteurization of milk does affect the flavor of various products. One example is a Mexican style soft cheese eaten very frequently by Hispanics that live in California (United States). The cheese is called queso fresco and if raw milk is used it has a more distinctive flavor.

Unfortunately, for that distinctive flavor you are taking a chance you will be infected with any number of disease causing bacteria. A recent article in the May 19, 1999 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reported the source of a particular Salmonella typhimurium DT104 infection of Hispanics in the Northern California and Yakima, Washington (United States) areas was due to this unpasteurized queso fresco. Not only do these bacteria give you a nasty case of diarrhea but it is also resistant to 5 antibiotics (ampicillin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin sulfate, sulfonamides and tetracycline) commonly used to treat severe cases of Salmonella typhimurium DT104 infection.

California allows producers to sell unpasteurized milk and milk products. There are inspections of these products to help ensure the safety of the products. Unfortunately, unpasteurized milk and milk products are more likely to be contaminated with disease causing microorganisms.

Sometimes distinctive flavors can be hazardous to our health. I suggest you only eat pasteurized milk and milk products. The heating of the milk will kill many of those nasty disease causing organisms. We take so many risks in our everyday lives. This is one risk not worth taking.

Knowledge is Power. For more Power go to the following web sites:
Food Ingredients Online article
A food safety article from Suite101: Microbiology (good links too)

Take Care and Think Microbiologically!

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Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: View all related messages
2.   Dec 19, 2002 12:46 PM
In response to message posted by thetoastre:

You leave the feeling that you accept raw milk. But after you've studied a few of those ...

-- posted by autumn02
1.   Dec 3, 2002 5:00 PM
good article. your clearly stated your opinion. some people drink raw milk because it has health benefits, not strictly because it tastes pleasant might be more pleasant than pasteurized alternatives. ...

-- posted by thetoastre



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