New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard A. Ball today warned consumers not to consume unpasteurized raw milk from Happy Hollow Dairy Farm due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Happy Hollow Dairy Farm is located at 11290 Wyandale Road, Springville, New York 14141 in Erie County. To date, no illnesses have been reported to the Department associated with this product.
A sample of the milk collected by an inspector from the Department was discovered to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. On April 1, 2021 the producer was notified of a preliminary positive test result. Further laboratory testing, completed on April 6, 2021, confirmed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in the raw milk sample. The producer is now prohibited from selling raw milk until subsequent sampling indicates that the product is free of harmful bacteria.
The Department recommends that any consumers who purchased raw milk from Happy Hollow Dairy Farm immediately dispose of it and call the farm at (716) 913-2065.
Listeria monocytogenes causes listeriosis, which 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. It can also cause short-term, flu-like symptoms, such as high fever, severe headaches, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea in healthy people.
It is important to note that raw milk does not provide the protection of pasteurization. Pasteurization is a process that heats milk to a specific temperature for a set period of time. Pasteurization kills the bacteria responsible for numerous illnesses and diseases such as listeriosis, salmonellosis, campylobacteriosis, typhoid fever, tuberculosis, diphtheria, and brucellosis. Pasteurization of milk is recognized internationally as an effective means of preventing outbreaks of foodborne illnesses, including listeriosis.
Listeria: Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm, is the nation’s leading law firm representing victims of Listeria outbreaks. The Listeria lawyers of Marler Clark have represented thousands of victims of Listeria and other foodborne illness outbreaks and have recovered over $750 million for clients. Marler Clark is the only law firm in the nation with a practice focused exclusively on foodborne illness litigation. Our Listeria lawyers have litigated Listeria cases stemming from outbreaks traced to a variety of foods, such as deli meat, cantaloupe, cheese, celery and milk.
If you or a family member became ill with a Listeria infection after consuming food and you’re interested in pursuing a legal claim, contact the Marler Clark Listeria attorneys for a free case evaluation.