Florida Ag Commissioner Warns Against Drinking Raw Milk

By Christine Sexton, Florida Phoenix

August 7, 2025

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson is doing something State Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo would not: Encourage people to consume pasteurized milk products only.

“Florida’s pasteurized milk supply is safe, nutritious, and closely controlled from the farm to your local grocery store,” Simpson said Wednesday in a prepared statement. “There have been no reported illnesses from pasteurized milk products in Florida, so Floridians should continue to buy and enjoy nutritious and wholesome dairy products from Florida farmers.”

The Department of Health, headed by Dr. Joseph Ladapo, issued a bulletin Monday announcing 21 cases of campylobacter and E. coli infections tied to raw milk consumption in the central and northeast portion of the state.

Although the department acknowledged “sanitation practices in this farm are of particular concern due to the number of cases,” it did not recommend against drinking raw milk.

Raw milk comes directly from the cow, sheep, goat, or other animals and doesn’t go through a heating process, known as pasteurization, to kill bacteria. As such, raw milk can contain Campylobacter, Escherichia coli (E. coli), Listeria, and Salmonella, which can cause gastrointestinal illness, including diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach cramps.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that children under 5, adults over 65, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems are at a higher risk of serious illness from these germs.

The 21 cases included six infections in children under age 10 and seven hospitalizations. Severe complications have been reported for at least two cases, according to the DOH.

In Florida, raw milk can only be sold for non-human consumption as pet or animal food, which is regulated by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which Simpson oversees. Florida law requires containers of raw milk to carry a label clearly stating that the raw milk is for animal consumption only.

“Pasteurization is a process that has been utilized to kill harmful pathogens in food for nearly 150 years and is the most common method utilized today to eliminate potentially harmful pathogens in milk products,” Matt Curran, director of the state’s Division of Food Safety, said in the statement.

According to his LinkedIn page, Durran has been at the department for 20 years and spent the last eight years as director of food safety. He holds a doctoral degree in inorganic chemistry.

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