California lifts restriction on dairys raw-cream marketing

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) today lifted sales restrictions on raw cream from a <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:state> organic dairy after testing additional samples and finding that bacteria coliform levels

CDFA degraded raw cream sales from Organic Pastures Dairy, near <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Kerman</st1:place></st1:city>. <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Calif.</st1:state></st1:place>, March 3 after tests revealed coliform measuring 60 bacteria per milliliter (mL) and 62 bacteria/mL in the dairy's raw cream samples. Finished raw milk must test at no more than 10 bacteria/mL under a <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">California</st1:state></st1:place> law that took effect in January. That is the same limit for pasteurized milk.

"CDFA is required by law to institute immediate restricted use of a market milk product whenever a bacterial standard, including coliform determinations, is violated by three of the last five regulatory tests," CDFA spokesman Steve Lyle said.

"Degrade" means that a market milk, or Grade-A, product -- in this case, cream -- has been placed on restricted use status by CDFA. "A restricted use action is not a recall, and does not impact product already on store shelves," Lyle said.

The raw-cream degrade caused his dairy to lose $10,000 a week in sales, said Mark McAfee, Organic Pastures owner. Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Markets are among his 300 retail customers in <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:state>.

Organic Pastures' raw-cream tests had not been passing the coliform standards, McAfee acknowledged. "But our bulk raw milk is passing," he said. He attributed the higher coliform counts in the dairy's raw cream to his operation's manufacturing process to make a thicker product, which elevates the bacteria levels. Organic Pastures is now processing its raw cream in a lighter, thinner formulation, McAfee said.

McAfee said the state has never found pathogens in his milk. Lyle agreed but noted that CDFA did find Listeria in packaged raw cream from the dairy that resulted in a statewide recall in September 2007. Though sold in his operation's packaging, McAfee says, that raw cream did not come from his dairy but from a <st1:place w:st="on">Northern California</st1:place> dairy that Organic Pastures no longer buys from. "Now, we know better," McAfee said.

Organic Pastures Dairy and <st1:state w:st="on">California</st1:state>'s other raw-milk producer, Claravale Farm of <st1:city w:st="on">Paicines</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Calif.</st1:state>, plan to seek a legal restraining order against CDFA this week in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">San Benito</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">County</st1:placetype></st1:place> to stop coliform testing on raw milk.

"We are being forced to comply with standards which do not fit raw dairy production," McAfee said. "They are pasteurized milk standards, and raw milk is a living biodiverse food, much like yogurt. In raw milk you want lots of good beneficial bacteria. The CDFA regulators want our raw milk to fit pasteurized milk standards, and it literally can not. We have never had a pathogen ever found in eight years. Safety is our highest priority - No. 1. We test several times per week. The state tests just once per month."

CDFA believes that coliform counts of less than 10 bacteria/mL can be routinely achieved in raw farm milk by using sound cleaning and sanitation practices.