The Minnesota Department of Agriculture and Minnesota Department of Health revealed definitive evidence today proving that raw milk from the Hartmann Dairy Farm in rural Gibbon, MN caused five people to become infected with E. coli O157:H7. Three of the victims were hospitalized, including a child who is suffering from hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) – a life-threatening complication that affects 5-10% of people who develop an E. coli O157:H7 infection.
In addition to recovering the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 from multiple sites – and multiple animals – on the Hartmann farm, state investigators also found a different strain of Shiga-toxin producing E. coli in samples of Hartmann's raw milk cheese.
Minnesota is investigating several additional illnesses that may be linked to the consumption of Hartmann dairy products. All dairy products from the Hartmann farm have been embargoed; the movement or release of products from the farm is prohibited while the investigation proceeds.
More farmers like Michael Hartman?
- In 2000, Hartmann refused to allow his farm to be inspected.
- In 2001, Hartmann's Grade A pasteurized milk license was revoked due to insanitary conditions at the dairy.
- In 2002, Hartmann was convicted of selling uninspected meat out of a van.
- In 2004, Hartmann was discovered selling raw milk out of a truck in a parking lot.
This country can't afford more farmers like Michael Hartmann!
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OK, have you truly done your research into this case? Did you know that one of the children hospitalized was lactose intolerant and never drank it? Did you know that the child hospitalized had an adverse reaction to the antibiotic and that's why s/he was sick? Did you know that another one never drank the milk, either, but went to school with someone who did? Did you know that that strain was never found in their milk? Please be careful with bashing.
ReplyDeleteWe, a family of 6, have been drinking Hartmann milk for about 7 years and not once have gotten sick from it. We know many families/individuals who drink it and never got sick.
ReplyDeleteDid you know that one of the children was lactose intolerant and never drank the milk? Did you know that the one hospitalized had an adverse reaction to the antibiotic which is why the child was so sick? Did you know that one of the cases just went to school with someone who drank the milk and never consumed it?
Yes, it is a matter of the right to choose, and we choose to support a family dedicated to the health (yes, you read that right) of their consumers. We have the choice of whether to consume or not, and we choose to consume knowing all the "facts" but are not allowed to any more.
Yeah let's go get the tiny milk farmer; what an absurd world we live in.
ReplyDeleteWhen I worked at Cargill, which exported tons of contaminated grain to Africa causing both illness and death since it could be dumped, the US govt bails them out on Russian grain embargo, allowing the small grain trader to get paid twice as it transshipped the grain via Argentina anyway--despite the President's Embargo. Billionaire bailouts.
Read Merchants of Grain, written by a Washington Post journalist, who terrified the Lake Office on his visit 20 yrs ago.
We all got alerts not to speak to him.