While the raw milk dairy disciples of the Australian state of Victoria continue to press ahead with claims of unfairness after a government crackdown – because a kid died and others were injured – and Internet quacks spout nutrition horse manure, a raw milk dairy farmer in New Zealand was asked to stop sales after two outbreaks of illness linked to his product.

The regulators couldn’t be more Canadian unless they said pretty please.

NZ Ministry for Primary Industries director-general Martyn Dunn says Wholy Moo owner, Chris Lethbridge, was asked to stop sales after he was the focus of two compliance investigations in the past six months following two outbreaks of foodborne illness in the Auckland and Northland regions.

“Both outbreaks involved children as well as adults.”

Numbers?

Mr. Wholy Moo told the Advocate last week that he was closing down over compliance costs that were expensive and prohibitive.

“In both cases, the patients reported regularly drinking Wholy Moo raw milk, and MPI investigated.

“The more recent outbreak involved patients getting sick from STEC E. coli O157:H7, a strain of bacteria that, in severe cases, can lead to death.”

MPI and the local district health board were able to test Wholy Moo milk for pathogens and test results have showed that the milk contained STEC E. coli O157:H7.

Since the investigation, Mr Lethbridge has advised MPI that he has chosen to stop his operations.

However, Mr Lethbridge denies that the illnesses have been proven to be linked with his milk product.

“We all get sick but just because they were drinking raw milk means they [raw milk suppliers] get picked on. MPI think they have proven [a link between the illnesses and his product] but I can’t see how they have.”

Mr Lethbridge said he is 99.9 per cent the E. coli was not in his milk when he sold it.

With such statistical prowess, Mr Lethbridge should enter the lottery.

He’d be rich.