Raw milk recalled after campylobacter found

The Ministry for Primary Industries has issued a recall notice for raw, unpasteurised milk from Central Hawke’s Bay producer Lindsay Farm after campylobacter bacteria were detected.

Campylobacte can cause severe gastrointestinal illness in people, and can be particularly serious in young people, the elderly, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems. Symptoms include muscle pain, headache and fever followed by watery or bloody diarrhoea, stomach pain and nausea.

New Zealand Food Safety national food compliance services manager Melinda Sando said people with Lindsay Farm organic raw drinking milk at home should check if it is among the recalled batches.

The recall applies to raw drinking milk with the use-by dates of 25.07.21, 27.07.21, 28.07.21, 29.07.21 and 30.07.21, and lot numbers 2107, 2307, 2407, 2507 and 2607.

An MPI spokesman said the affected product is sold in Hawke’s Bay at eight registered depots and via home deliveries in 2-litre plastic bottles.

“If you have any of the recalled product, throw it out or return it to your supplier, or heat to 70C and hold at this temperature for one minute.

“If you don’t have a thermometer, heat the milk until it nearly reaches a boil (or scald the milk) before drinking it.” The spokesperson explained raw milk was “inherently more risky” than pasteurised milk because the process of pasteurisation kills harmful bacteria.

Symptoms typically develop two to five days after infection, and last between three days to a week.

Campylobacteriosis is a notifiable disease in New Zealand, and that means any cases must be reported to public health authorities.

It’s not the first time the familyowned-and-operated farm in Waipukurau has had to recall its products.

A recall notice was issued in March after campylobacter was detected.

Last year, a six-year-old girl was admitted to hospital with campylobacter illness after drinking the farm’s raw milk, and prompted MPI to order a recall.