The Times Union reported that the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets said Thursday it wants to warn consumers not to drink unpasteurized raw milk made at Breese Hollow Dairy in Hoosick Falls due to possible Listeria contamination – the second time such contamination was found at the farm in the last month.

No illnesses have been reported. A sample of the milk collected by an inspector was contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. That bacteria causes listeriosis, what can be a serious and sometimes fatal infection in young children, cancer patients, elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.  Listeriosis can cause miscarriages and stillbirths in pregnant women.

The milk producer was notified May 21 of the preliminary test result. Further testing completed Thursday confirmed the presence of Listeria, the state said.

The dairy is prohibited from selling raw milk until subsequent sampling indicates that the product is free of harmful bacteria.

A month ago the state Department of Agriculture also warned customers not to drink Breese Hollow raw milk after another sample was found to be contaminated on April 23.  Back then the state said the farm wouldn’t be allowed to sell milk until other sampling came back negative.

The farm was also cited for contaminated raw milk in 2018.

Raw, or unpasteurized milk, can have bacteria responsible for numerous illnesses, the state agriculture department said. New York began allowing farms to sell raw milk about 15 years ago.