Mountain View farm has recalled the organic raw milk linked to the death of a three-year-old in Victoria and the severe illness of five other children, the Australian consumer watchdog has announced.
On the same day the company lashed out at the media and government over reactions to the child’s death.
Victoria’s health department had issued a warning about drinking the unpasteurised milk, which is sold as a cosmetic product by Mountain View but comes in one- and two-litre bottles similar to those containing drinkable milk.
The company made the decision to recall the product after “negotiations” with the Australian competition and consumer commission (ACCC), a spokesman for the consumer watchdog told Guardian Australia.
“The recalled product is called Organic Bath Milk and labelling indicates that it is a cosmetic product. It also carries a warning that the product is not suitable for human consumption,” an ACCC deputy chair, Delia Rickard, said in a statement.
“Nevertheless, this product is sold in containers that resemble commonly used milk containers, and four children under the age of five have fallen ill after drinking contaminated raw milk in the last few weeks, while the death of the three-year-old has been referred to the coroner.”
Rickard urged people not to drink raw milk, saying the message from health authorities is clear.
“If you have this product, do not drink it in any circumstances. Return it to the place of purchase for a full refund,” Ms Rickard said
The ACCC is currently investigating consumer law regulators into possible breaches of consumer law by raw milk sellers.
While the product comes with a warning that it is for “cosmetic purposes only”, posts on the company’s social media accounts link to others espousing the benefits of drinking raw milk.
The owner of Mountain View, Vicki Jones, told Guardian Australia on Thursday that what consumers did with the product once they got home was up to them. Her company is based on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria.
Pasteurising milk kills potentially deadly pathogens and has been a legal requirement in Australia since the 1940s.
