Selangor Health Dept reminds consumers not to drink raw milk

Dr Khalid Ibrahim

SHAH ALAM, June 15 (Bernama) -- The Selangor Health Department has reminded consumers not to buy and drink raw or unpasteurised milk that is not properly processed.

Its director Datuk Dr Khalid Ibrahim said the reminder was issued following the cases of goat milk from a farm in Pulau Indah, near here, was detected to have contained Brucella bacteria.

“Samples taken from the farm found that the milk contained Brucella bacteria as well as violating Section 13 (1) of the Food Act 1983.

“The incident involves eight people who showed the symptoms after drinking goat’s milk from the farm recently,” he said in a statement today.

Dr Khalid said the raw milk intake was risky among individuals with low levels of immune system especially the elderly, pregnant women and children.

He said the raw milk could be contaminated due to pollution or infection in animals that then could cause illness to humans.

The milk composition provided a good medium for the growth of various harmful bacteria including Brucella spp. and Mycrobacterium spp., he said.

“When buying raw milk, make sure to properly boil it first before drinking. Consumers are advised to drink pasteurised milk such as those with the ultra-heat treatment or ultra-high temperature treatment (UHT) apart from taking note of the storage method and expiry date,” he added.

Dr Khalid said if consumers showed symptoms associated with the consumption of raw milk, they were advised to seek treatment at nearby clinic immediately.

He also warned sellers and milk producers to comply with the requirements as stipulated under Regulation 51 of the Food Hygiene Regulations 2009 that prohibits the sale of unprocessed milk and to adhere to the prescribed method.

--BERNAMA