Raw milk producers are not being subjected to the same rigorous testing as dairy farmers who produce milk for ­human consumption.

United Dairy Farmers of Victoria president Tyran Jones said milk from dairy farms was subjected to stringent tests to ensure its safe consumption, but no such tests existed for “raw” milk or “bath” milk.

Mr Jones said milk from his Gruyere farm, 50km northeast of Melbourne, went straight into a refrigerated vat to be chilled to 4C. “It is tested daily for bacteria. The milk factory takes a sample and sends if off for independent testing every day,” he said.

His comments come after a three-year-old child died and several others fell ill after drinking “bath” milk from Victoria’s Mountain View ­Organic Dairy, which is sold as a cosmetic product but has been stored next to consumables in many Victorian stores.

Craig Dalton of The Conversation writes that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has been investigating the role of microbiological contamination in cosmetic injuries, which has resulted in recalls in some instances. ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard recently noted that cosmetic surveys revealing microbiological contamination were a timely reminder as the trend to produce all natural and all organic products may increase pressure on manufacturers to produce cosmetics with less preservatives or less effective natural preservatives.

Complicating this issue is that bath milk is often sold in containers that look just like drinking milk containers and may be stored in refrigerators alongside drinking milk. This may provide a false sense of security leading people to believe it is a food or as safe as a food.

Nevertheless, raw milk apologist are out in force, with David Gumpert writing, the vultures are circling in force with news that an Australian three-year-old may have died from drinking raw milk. 

This is news raw milk opponents have lusted after for many years, and now they mean to use it for full effect, tying it to a new study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control that suggests illnesses from raw milk are rising.  Even though raw milk is already highly restricted in Australia, there are calls for a complete ban now that raw milk has been “proven” by this death to be unacceptably risky. 

Most intriguing, the farmer accused of producing the milk that led to the three-year-old boy’s death says he has been told the child was seriously ill before drinking raw milk. The child’s parents may have been providing raw milk in hopes of improving the child’s health. 

Um, what about the other three kids under five-years-old who developed hemolytic uremic syndrome but have (sorta) recovered?