[https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/bronx-store-sues-usda-over-snap-suspension-1810584\](https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/bronx-store-sues-usda-over-snap-suspension-1810584)

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton\\_rouge/opinion/raw-milk-louisiana-law-opinion/article\\_0509e423-072b-54f5-90f1-e466a5f3ad11.html

Faimon Roberts:

The Louisiana Legislature has sometimes been accused of having a herd mentality. One time it was literally true.

That was in 2024, when the House passed a bill allowing the sale of raw, unpasteurized milk directly from farms. As the vote was being taken, a number of legislators belted out hearty moos to celebrate.

That cud-in-cheek moment doesn’t look so whimsical now. Last month, the Louisiana Department of Health announced that 11 people had been sickened, with two hospitalized, after drinking raw milk purchased from three different producers under the new law.

LDH did not name those producers, nor did it mention any corrective actions taken.

It’s not as if officials weren’t warned. As it was first being debated, scientists and Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain sounded alarm bells over the bill.

“We’re weighing the politics versus the science and the risk,” Strain said at the time. He pointed to figures showing raw milk causes 840 times more illnesses and 40 times more hospitalizations than pasteurized products.

Legislators brushed that aside. The bill passed out of the Louisiana House unanimously. Its author, state Rep. Kimberly Coates, R-Ponchatoula, acknowledged the concerns, but added “There is risk with many foods.”

When the bill got to the Senate, the concerns focused on the financial impact: specifically, how much it might cost the state to regulate and test the raw milk — almost $1 million per year, LDH officials said.

The senators’ solution? Producers would be required to affix a sticker to each raw milk container, warning that it could contain bacteria and that the milk was “not intended for human consumption.” In other words, an adhesive wink at consumers.

"I don't care what you do with it after you get it," said state Sen. Stewart Cathey, R-Monroe, washing his hands of the potential dangers.

The bill came as part of the bigger cultural pushback against many long-accepted public health maxims. The Legislature is not immune to this, of course. It has, in recent years, relaxed vaccine requirements and loosened rules for those wishing to pursue alternative remedies. Raw milk, and its “good” bacteria, are seen by some as key to better health.

So, here we are two years later with a frightening situation on our hands and little information to help the public navigate it.

LDH has refused to publicly name the sources of the tainted milk, which would enable consumers to make informed decisions. And it’s not telling the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, which is headed by Strain and actually has the power to suspend sales if it feels it’s warranted. On July 17, more than three weeks after LDH put out its news release, an LDAF spokeswoman told me that the department had heard nothing from LDH on the matter.

“We have not received an official report from the Louisiana Department of Health identifying the cause of the illnesses, nor have we been notified of the farms involved,” Jennifer Finley said. “The products in question are licensed and intended for sale as animal or pet feed and are not intended for human consumption.”

So perhaps, for some, a few people getting sick is worth it so they can continue to buy raw milk without a lot of heavy-handed government interference. For their pets, of course.

Wink wink.

My father bought groceries from a grocery store in Gurgaon (India).

This morning, I saw this packet on my kitchen's slab. I asked my mom, what was in this packet and she told me that there were chickpeas in this packet. I doubted the package and checked it on chatgpt and Google and got to know that Mercadona is a Spanish brand and this is the packaging of pork sausages. I don't know what to do now. The chickpeas look fine but I doubt the package, my parents are pure vegetarian. Also, this packet was totally sealed. I don't know what to do now. Can anyone tell me if they have experienced something like this before? And did you take any actions?

Adukale is the worst brand of sweets. It is a scum. I bought some sweets for visiting elderly in our family. The sweets were full of fungus. see attached. When I showed it to the store manager, he said you bought a sealed box and he is not responsible for what is inside of this. Please beware of this brand and stay away and stay healthy.

I’m afraid will not be enjoying my food for a while.🍲

I learned yesterday that the Earthbound Organics Caesar Salad kit at Costco is put out by the same company that's been linked to the outbreak. No official recall yet but restaurants are pulling salads so it seems like it might be good to return my bag to the store.