Recall issued on organic dairy products from Fresno company

City News Service

E. coli infections in five children, including one in San Diego County, prompted the recall of products from a Fresno-based organic dairy Wednesday, county officials said.

The unidentified 5-year-old San Diego-area boy was not hospitalized after consuming whole raw milk from Organic Pastures in late August, but three other sickened children were, according to the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency.

“The California Department of Public Health investigated a cluster of five children infected by E. coli between August and October and determined the only common reported food exposure was to unpasteurized milk produced by the Organic Pastures dairy,” said Dr. Wilma Wooten, San Diego County’s public health officer.

“This infection can be very serious in young children and it’s important that people dispose of any remaining Organic Pastures products in their refrigerators, with the exception of cheese that has been aged a minimum of 60 days,” Wooten said.

The Department of Environmental Health is working with local retailers to make sure all Organic Pastures raw milk, butter, cream, colostrums and a product labeled “Qephor” are removed from local store shelves, said Jack Miller, the DEH director.

In addition to the recall, the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s state veterinarian announced a quarantine of Organic Pastures, barring the daily from producing raw milk products for the retail market until further notice.

According to the HHSA, most people get over E. coli infections in five to 10 days, but young children, pregnant women, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems are at risk of serious complications, and should not consume raw dairy products.