SOUTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Oct. 16, 2012
Media Contacts: Darwin Kurtenbach, S.D. Dept. of Agriculture, 605-773-4294
Nick Hill, S.D. Dept. of Health, 605-773-6528

Campylobacter Bacteria Found In Raw Milk Produced By Black Hills Milk

PIERRE, S.D.-The South Dakota Department of Agriculture (SDDA) is reporting campylobacter bacteria was found in a sampling of raw (unpasteurized) milk from Black Hills Milk in Belle Fourche.

SDDA advises consumers that raw milk recently purchased from the business may contain harmful bacteria that can lead to campylobacter infection. Symptoms of the infection include diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, and can sometimes progress to more serious illness, such as kidney failure and other complications.

The implicated milk is sold at a retail outlet in Spearfish, at Black Hills Farmers Market at Founder’s Park in Rapid City and other locations in the Black Hills. If you have purchased the raw milk, SDDA advises you to discard or return the product.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, pasteurized milk that is correctly handled in the dairy, bottled, sealed and refrigerated after pasteurization and properly handled by the consumer is very unlikely to contain illness-causing bacteria.

SDDA requires producers selling raw milk to be permitted through the state, inspected once or twice a year, depending on the grade of milk and provide a monthly quality analysis.

For more information on SDDA’s inspections, rules and laws for raw milk production, visit http://sdda.sd.gov/farming-ranching-agribusiness/dairy-dairy-plants/

Agriculture is South Dakota’s No. 1 industry, generating nearly $21 billion in annual economic activity and employing more than 80,000 South Dakotans.  The South Dakota Department of Agriculture’s mission is to promote, protect, preserve and improve this industry for today and tomorrow.  Visit us online at http://sdda.sd.gov/ or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

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