Batch of Natural Raw Milk Ordered Removed From Sale

After laboratory tests found salmonella bacteria, state Health Director Kenneth W. Kizer on Friday ordered that about 24,000 gallons of Steuve’s Natural raw certified milk be removed from sale.

Steuve’s Natural whole and nonfat milk coded AUG 15E, AUG 16E, AUG 17E and AUG 18E, state health officials said, should not be consumed because of the potential salmonella threat.

Only some of the milk, from the batch coded 15E, was actually tested and found contaminated, said Ben Werner, chief of the Health Services epidemiology unit, but the other milk was ordered removed as a precaution.

“It’s all from one herd,” he said. “so there would be every reason to guess that subsequent product from that herd would also be contaminated.”

Rob Bryant, a spokesman for the dairy, said: “Steuve’s will cooperate fully by recalling the milk.” He added that the company has stopped further distribution of raw milk products from that herd.

There have been no reported illnesses from this milk, a Health Services spokesman said. Salmonella can cause diarrhea and fever, and can be serious and sometimes fatal to infants, the elderly and people in poor health.