Woodland dairy back in biz after E. coli outbreak

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http://www.tdn.com/articles/2007/06/01/area_news/news18.txt

Woodland dairy back in biz after E. coli outbreak

By Barbara LaBoe

Jun 01, 2007 - 06:59:35 am PDT

The Woodland dairy that caused a 2005 E. coli outbreak can now legally

sell raw goat's milk.

After the owners constructed a new bottling area and making several other

improvements, state officials on May 18 granted Dee Creek Farms a Grade A

dairy license to sell raw goat's milk.

The dairy must submit to regular inspections and follow state

requirements, including clearly labeling the milk as raw, or

unpasteurized. The label also must include a warning that raw milk may

pose additional health risks to consumers because it's not heated to kill

bacteria, said , a state Department of Agriculture

spokesman.

The dairy is still barred from selling raw cow's milk because its milking

parlor isn't large enough to meet state standards, said.

Dr. Mimi Fields, Cowlitz County's health officer, has amended her cease

and desist order to allow the sale of goat's milk with state approval.

All bovine products, though, remain barred pending the outcome of an

appeal in the case and further state certification, Fields said

Thursday.

Dee Creek owners Anita and Puckett are appealing the $8,000 state

fine that arose from the E. coli investigation. The administrative

hearing is scheduled for June 12-13 in Vancouver.

The fine is not for the E. coli outbreak itself, but for health and

safety violations uncovered while officials were investigating the

outbreak and its cause. DNA tests tied milk from the dairy to the

bacteria that made 18 people sick in Washington and Oregon in late 2005;

including three children who were made critically ill. The Pucketts say

they shouldn't have to pay the fine because they didn't violate state

milk production and processing laws, according their appeal documents.

They claim their practice of selling shares of their cows and then giving

the owners milk isn't technically selling milk, even though the state

warned them four months before the outbreak that they were breaking the

law.

State investigators said there is no way the Dee Creek Farm would have

passed state inspections to legally sell the cow's milk, citing numerous

safety and hygiene violations, which included having manure present --

and on a cow's leg -- during milking and transporting the milk with only

a piece of plastic wrap covering the container.

The Legislature has since revamped laws to eliminate any doubt that cow

share programs require licenses. Oregon officials also are re-examining

their laws.

The farm also faces the threat of civil cases brought on behalf of

several the children who got sick from the milk.

Calls to the farm for comment on the license were not returned.

Don Neeper

Senior Software Engineer

SofTechnics, a METTLER TOLEDO Company

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