Following The Raw Milk Story in Wisconsin
The threat of E. coli O157:H7 and other pathogens in raw milk has been a running story in Wisconsin ever since the Legislature attempted early this year to pass a bill legalizing on-farm sales of unpasteurized products.
The bill passed but Gov. Jim Doyle vetoed it in a nod to overwhelming opposition from health professionals and the mainstream dairy industry.
The NBC television news affiliate in Green Bay provided an in-depth follow-up story last night to air out the issue. Some farmers are still clamoring for open trade in raw milk, which would inevitably lead to more outbreaks of E. coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter.
The piece by photojournalist Mike Fisher featured an interview with E. coli lawyer Fred Pritzker, whose views on the subject have been molded by witnessing first-hand the suffering of many clients infected by food poisoning caused by raw milk. His firm currently represents a Pennsylvania man who was paralyzed after drinking contaminated raw milk in a highly publicized Campylobacter outbreak that resulted in Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS).
“I think the Governor is right, I’m representing people all over the country in raw milk cases who have been harmed grievously by drinking raw milk,” Pritzker said.
Pritzker is the founder and president of the national food safety law firm, Pritzker Olsen. His firm represents survivors of foodborne illness in cases involving pathogenic microorganisms and natural toxins including Salmonella, Clostridium botulinum, Campylobacter jejuni, Listeria monocytogenes, Vibrio cholerae, Clostridium perfringens, Shigella, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Hepatitis A virus, Norwalk virus and Scombroid poisoning.
The firm is involved in virtually every national outbreak and has collected large sums on behalf of people injured or killed by adulterated food. In addition, the firm is devoted to educating the public about food safety issues and advocating for badly needed food safety legislation and increased funding for the federal, state and local agencies charged with protecting our food.
Mr. Pritzker and members of his firm are frequent commentators on food safety issues and have been interviewed by and profiled in a number of media outlets including the New York Times, Associated Press, Wall Street Journal and CNN.
Tags: E. coli O157:H7, Raw Milk E coli
