In a new take on faith-based food safety, Jeff Brown, owner of the Dungeness creamery in Washington state which produces raw milk and was linked to three cases of E. coli illness in Dec. 2009, was quoted as telling the Seattle Times this morning,

"Everything God designed is good for you."

I don’t know who designed small pox, but I don’t want it.

Not sure who designed aflatoxins in food, but don’t want that either.

And I don’t want pathogens in milk, especially when there is an easy technological fix – pasteurization.

The story cites the state Department of Health as saying between 2005 and 2009, 395 Washingtonians with lab-confirmed cases of foodborne pathogens reported consuming raw-milk products shortly before getting sick.

Brown maintains the government has unfairly damaged his farm’s reputation.

"You know how you can tell they’re lying? Their lips are moving. … God designed raw milk; man messed with it. You draw your own conclusions."