Milk output resumes after odd outbreak

Umpqua Dairy |
The Roseburg plant is cleaned and sanitized to be free of salmonella

By LYNNE TERRY

THE OREGONIAN

Umpqua Dairy resumed milk production in Roseburg on Wednesday after a statewide salmonella outbreak that took scientists months to solve in a case that still remains a bit of a mystery.
The plant was cleaned and sanitized and 160 laboratory tests taken by the company and Oregon Department of Agriculture have come up negative for harmful bacteria, prompting the state to re-certify the plant.

Unlike most other food-borne outbreaks, the milk and juice that was recalled was not tainted. Rather, the containers were contaminated with salmonella.

Turns out that a machine that washes cases carrying products on a conveyor belt around the plant was infested with salmonella, adding a new twist.

The discovery has food safety investigators wondering whether similar equipment in other dairies could be contaminated.

“(Umpqua) is not that different from other plants in Oregon and around the country,” said William Keene, senior epidemiologist with Oregon Public Health. “How much this is a generalizable concern is something we need to pay attention to.”

Doug Feldkamp, president of Umpqua Dairy, said the company’s washing system is standard in the industry. “All dairies would have one or one that’s similar,” he said.

The discovery of the problem closed the plant and led to Umpqua recalling milk, flavored milk, half-and-half, buttermilk and cream sold under its own and Cascade, Great Value, Lady Lee, Market of Choice and Sherm’s labels. It also pulled Umpqua orange juice, fruit drink and liquid milk products with the plant code 41-62.

The recall of products tainted during processing marked a first for the 80-year-old company, Feldkamp said.

“It was a tremendous shock and a tremendous disruption to our company and our customers,” Feldkamp said.

At least 23 people were sickened from late last October through June. Two people who were hospitalized have recovered, and no one died. Many of the patients were children. All of them got sick the same way — touching tainted containers and then touching their mouths.

“We believe the milk was never contaminated,” Keene said.

The strain in the outbreak — Salmonella braenderup — is rare in Oregon but it took state epidemiologists months to find the source.

Many of the patients questioned about what they had consumed before getting sick mentioned milk, but that didn’t raise concern.

“Ninety percent of people drink milk every week,” Keene said. “So, milk didn’t raise the alarm right away.”

Last week, state authorities confirmed that the plant was contaminated and the washing system was discovered to be at fault.

“The washing machine plumbing was heavily contaminated with salmonella,” Keene said. “Every time (the cases) were washed they were getting visibly cleaned but invisibly they were getting sprayed with salmonella.”

The company dismantled the entire case-washing system, including the conveyor belt, and sanitized it.

“They are completely in compliance,” said Vance Bybee, head of food safety for the Oregon Department of Agriculture. “We have no reason to believe that there’s any worry or concern for future contamination related to salmonella.”

Feldkamp said the company has no idea how the salmonella got into the machine but intends to keep it out in the future.

The company is adding three sanitizing stations and will set up a testing system to monitor the washing equipment and conveyor belt for bacteria.

“We’ve instituted new procedures to monitor that on a regular basis to make sure the problem is taken care of,” Feldkamp said.

He provided no estimates of how much the recall cost the company, but said it will take time to ramp up production and reassure the community.

“We’ve corrected the problem and are moving forward,” he said. “We’re going to work real hard on regaining trust to make sure our customers know that Umpqua products are safe,” he said.