Raw milk products contaminated: health officials

The B.C. Centre for Disease Control is warning people not to consume any unpasteurized dairy products from a raw milk dairy in Chilliwack after tests found some of the items were tainted.

Fecal contamination was found in raw milk, yogurt, cream, butter and cream cheese samples from the Home on the Range dairy, the centre said in a news release Tuesday.

The tests were part of an ongoing investigation by public health officials from the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority and the Fraser Health Authority, the release said.

The dairy distributes products through a variety of outlets in the Lower Mainland, even though the sale of raw milk is illegal in Canada.

Raw milk products can cause serious illness in people, especially young children, seniors and those with weakened immune systems.

There's no scientific evidence that raw milk is healthier than pasteurized dairy products, the centre said.

Health officials advise that anyone with products from the Home on the Range dairy should dispose of them.