Health Law

Umpqua Dairy Products Back on Shelves

By Dan Flynn and Suzanna Schreck

Umpqua Dairy President Doug Feldkamp said workers inside the Roseburg dairy milk processing plant have finished cleaning equipment for dairy product packaging that has been linked to a Salmonella outbreak.

Before production can resume at the plant, Oregon health officials are waiting on test results to ensure the plant is safe.

Feldkamp said the dairy expects to be packaging its products again by the end of the week.

"Everyone here in the company has worked really hard to pitch in and do what we can to tear apart conveyors and sanitize," Feldkamp told the News Review of Oregon.

Dr. Paul Cieslak of the state Public Health Division said officials are testing the cleaned surfaces and the results should be known soon.

As Food Safety News reported, Oregon public health officials reported 23 laboratory-confirmed DNA matches to the Salmonella Braenderup strain in an outbreak that dates back to October 2009.  Two people who were infected required hospitalization.  No one has died.

Since the recall was announced, no other cases have been reported to the health department.

Although the Roseburg milk plant remains closed, brands including Umpqua Dairy, Cascade, Great Value, Lady Lee, Market of Choice and Sherm's are now back on the shelves with the help of four other packaging plants in Oregon and California.

"We want to reiterate that we are making sure the customer gets a wholesome dairy product," Feldkamp said. "Our goal has always been to provide top quality. We want to make sure the customer understands the milk out there is perfectly safe."

The replacement products that have been deemed safe for consumption have the following expiration dates:

? Sept. 6 or later for milk, flavored milk, half-and-half and cream

? Sept. 11 or later for buttermilk

? Sept. 16 or later for Umpqua Dairy brand orange juice and fruit drinks.

Full post as published by Food Safety News on August 30, 2010 (boomark / email).