State warns consumers to not drink Big Brook raw milk because of Listeria

New York officials are warning consumers about contaminated raw milk from Big Brook Farm in Lee Center.

In a warning issued by the State Agriculture and Markets Commissioner the public is advised to stop consuming unpasteurized raw milk from the dairy. The caution is a result of potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

“On March 13, 2024, the producer was notified of a preliminary positive test result. Further laboratory testing, completed on March 18, 2024, confirmed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in the raw milk sample,” a release from the agriculture department stated. 

The farm is prohibited from selling raw milk until new testing shows that the product is free of harmful bacteria.

The commissioner said that if you bought the raw milk from there to throw it out and call the farm at 315-266-7254.

Big Brook Farm is located at 6063 Weaver Road in Lee Center. 

Earlier this month a different New York raw milk producer entered a plea agreement in a federal case related to an outbreak of listeria infections that resulted in eight people being hospitalized and two deaths. Johannes Vulto, owner of Vulto Creamery LLC, faces up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $250,000.

“Vulto and Vulto Creamery both admitted that between December 2014 and March 2017, they caused the shipment in interstate commerce of adulterated cheese. According to the plea agreement, environmental swabs taken at the Vulto Creamery facility between approximately July 2014 and February 2017 repeatedly tested positive for Listeria species, “the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release.

It is against federal law to sell raw, unpasteurized milk across state lines.

The Food and Drug Administration as well as most state and local public health officials across the country advise against consuming unpasteurized, raw milk because it is often contaminated with bacteria such as Listeria, E. coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter.