Several brands of unpasteurised milk being sold as cosmetic milk in Victorian health food stores, have triggered a gastroenteritis outbreak. Picture: Nicole Cleary Source: News Corp Australia
A YOUNG child died and four fell seriously ill after drinking contaminated raw cow’s milk — which authorities are unable to recall or ban.
Several brands of unpasteurised milk being sold in Victorian health food stores have triggered a dangerous gastroenteritis outbreak.
This is despite laws banning the sale of untreated cow’s milk for human consumption, owing to its high risk of contamination.
A Mornington Peninsula child, 3, died during the past month after drinking Mountain View Organic Bath Milk. The case has been forwarded to the State Coroner.
Another four children aged one to four, from Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs and the Mornington Peninsula, have recovered from serious illnesses after drinking other brands of unpasteurised milk.
HAVE YOU OR YOUR FAMILY FALLEN ILL AFTER CONSUMING ‘COSMETIC’ MILK? EMAILGRANT.MCARTHUR@NEWS.COM.AU
An investigation linked all the cases to raw milk. The Health Department will today issue a major health warning about the products.
However, the department is unable to recall the milk products, because they are categorised as “cosmetic” products rather than food.
Labels on the milk brands, available statewide, carry a disclaimer that they are sold for “cosmetic use only”. But the packaging is very similar to regular milk and they are often sold in fridges next to drinks.
Victoria’s Chief Health Officer, Dr Rosemary Lester, has written to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and Consumer Affairs Victoria asking for it to address the matter.
And she warned those who were knowingly drinking the milk to stop.
“If this was a food it is something we would recall.
“The sale of unpasteurised milk for human consumption is illegal in Victoria. However, all five cases drank unpasteurised milk sold as ‘bath’ or ‘cosmetic’ milk,” Dr Lester said.
“There are people who are drinking it and feeding it to their family knowing it is not for human consumption.
“It is part of the movement that (believes) if something is raw and natural it must be good. But … no matter how carefully it is produced, raw milk can contain harmful bacteria and parasites,” she said.
It has been compulsory to pasteurise cows’ milk in Australia for more than 70 years.
While all people are vulnerable to illnesses from raw milk, children and the elderly face a much greater risk.
Councils are being asked to visit raw milk retailers across the state and remind them to inform customers that the products are not to be drunk.
Mountain View Farm owner Vicki Jones confirmed health authorities had taken samples of her milk, but said it was sold for cosmetic reasons and customers were informed that it was for this use only.
“We put warnings on our milk for people not to drink it, and we always tell them it is not to be consumed,” she said.
“Parents are irresponsible if they actually give raw milk to their children,” she said.
“The label says it is not for human consumption. We can’t do much more than that.”
Ms Jones said her business regularly tested its milk and had never had any problems.
Originally published as Why you shouldn’t drink cosmetic milk