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Raw milk dairy linked to 233 illnesses across eight outbreaks since 2006, regulators say

Raw Farm, formerly Organic Pastures, is the largest unpasteurized milk producer in the United States. ProPublica and partners document that the farm has been connected to at least 233 illnesses across eight outbreaks since 2006, with at least 40 people hospitalized, per regulatory agencies and health officials. The investigation indicates owner Mark McAfee has avoided serious sanctions despite two decades of repeated accusations by the U.S. government that he violated food safety laws. Experts and regulators told the journalists the illness tally is likely an undercount.

Investigative·T1

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🧭 In Context

According to ProPublica's investigation, raw milk safety has been a persistent regulatory challenge. The FDA and state health departments have documented repeated outbreaks tied to unpasteurized dairy for decades, per public health records and agency statements cited in the reporting. This story reflects broader tension between raw milk producers and food safety regulators over pasteurization requirements and outbreak accountability.

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What we know

✓Raw Farm/Organic Pastures is the largest unpasteurized milk producer in the U.S., per ProPublica investigation.
✓Eight documented outbreaks connected to the farm have sickened at least 233 people since 2006, per regulatory agencies and ProPublica.
✓At least 40 people were hospitalized from the outbreaks, per health officials and ProPublica reporting.
✓Owner Mark McAfee has faced repeated accusations from the U.S. government over two decades but has not received serious sanctions, per ProPublica investigation.
✓Regulators and health experts told ProPublica the confirmed illness count likely understates the true number of people sickened, per the investigation.

What remains unclear

?Whether specific food safety violations or contamination mechanisms have been definitively identified in each of the eight outbreaks.
?What specific regulatory or legal barriers have prevented serious sanctions against the farm despite repeated government accusations.
?The total number of unreported illnesses that may be connected to the farm but not formally attributed to it.
?What remedial actions, if any, the farm has taken in response to the documented outbreaks.

This story is based on a ProPublica investigation corroborated by 74 mainstream media articles. Key claims about outbreak numbers, hospitalizations, and regulatory history are supported by government regulatory agencies and health officials cited in the reporting.

✓ Verified

✓Raw Farm is the largest producer of unpasteurized milk in the United States. (ProPublica)
✓At least 233 people have been sickened in eight outbreaks connected to the farm since 2006. (ProPublica, regulatory sources)
✓At least 40 of the sickened people have been hospitalized. (ProPublica, regulatory sources)
✓The owner, Mark McAfee, has not faced serious sanctions despite two decades of accusations by the U.S. government. (ProPublica investigation)
✓Experts and regulators told ProPublica the 233-illness count is likely an undercount. (ProPublica reporting)

~ Interpretation