Within the fall of 2024, I predicted that America could be getting ready to having its “uncooked milk second” given now Secretary of Well being and Human Providers Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s political elevation. Since then, hardly per week has handed with out unpasteurized milk making headlines throughout the nation. A current bacterial outbreak in Florida has now heightened the controversy and additional solidified uncooked milk’s central function in America’s broiling tradition wars.
The Florida Division of Well being (DOH) issued a press release in early August detailing a campylobacter and E. coli outbreak within the Sunshine State. Officers alerted that “there have been 21 instances since January 24, 2025, together with six kids beneath the age of 10, and 7 hospitalizations linked to consumption of uncooked milk.” The DOH explicitly recognized Keely Farms Dairy, a small household farm, because the supply of the outbreak.
Weeks later, a Florida lady, represented by a self-described “nationwide meals poisoning legislation agency,” filed swimsuit towards Keely Farms, alleging that its uncooked milk prompted her two-year-old son to contract a bacterial an infection and fall unwell. The lady additional alleges that she fell unwell herself and developed sepsis, which finally led to the lack of her being pregnant.
The main points from the lawsuit are heartbreaking, however the extra we study concerning the state of affairs surrounding Keely Farms, the more strange the story turns into. Regardless of DOH’s definitive declaration that Keely Farms was the supply of the bacterial outbreak, it was later found that the company had reached this conclusion regardless of not conducting a single take a look at on the farm, nor alerting the farm that it was beneath investigation. In a Fb put up, Keely Farms said that the division’s press launch “blindsided” them. (The DOH’s press launch stated that it will “proceed working with Keely Farms Dairy,” insinuating that the related events had been working collectively all through.)
Complicated issues additional, Keely Farms was lately inspected by the Florida Division of Agriculture. “We handed, as at all times,” Keely Farms posted.
Promoting uncooked milk for human consumption is illegal in Florida. Because of this, milk that has not been pasteurized—the method of heating the liquid to a particular temperature for 5 to 30 seconds to kill dangerous micro organism—can solely be offered for livestock feed. Keely Farms’ uncooked milk was appropriately labeled as “not for human consumption,” which means that the 21 Floridians who allegedly drank the farm’s milk (and those that additionally gave it to their kids) selected to take action regardless of this warning.
It is unclear how the present litigation involving Keely Farms will finally play out, though it is probably that extra follow-on fits shall be filed, utilizing the DOH’s press launch as evidentiary fodder.
Politico lately noted that uncooked milk has gone from “the darling of the natural liberals, deserving of sympathetic protection…to the conservative tradition conflict sign that may be a sweetheart of deep-red state legislatures.” That is on show in Florida. Regardless of the DOH focusing on Keely Farms for its uncooked milk, Florida’s Surgeon Normal Joseph A. Ladapo—an appointee of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and the pinnacle of the DOH—lately expressed support for human consumption of uncooked milk in a social media put up.
However, Florida’s agriculture commissioner, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump, has encouraged Floridians to solely drink pasteurized milk, citing the risks of uncooked milk. Because of this the pinnacle of the Florida company that focused Keely Farms’ uncooked milk merchandise is unexpectedly pro-raw milk, whereas the pinnacle of the state company that inspected and greenlighted Keely Farms’ operations is towards uncooked milk.
This confusion highlights how uncooked milk has turn into a political flashpoint. The state well being company blamed Keely Farms whereas skipping primary investigative steps, the agriculture division cleared the farm, and their leaders publicly contradicted their very own businesses.
When coverage selections are filtered via the lens of tradition wars, the end result will not be readability or security however a muddle of blended indicators. Floridians are left not sure whether or not uncooked milk is a well being threat, a private freedom, or simply one other pawn in America’s countless purple vs. blue standoff.
