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New York officials have barred Big Brook Farm in Lee Center from selling raw milk after a state sample tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes and follow-up testing confirmed the bacteria. As of Oct. 1, 2026, no illnesses had been confirmed; consumers who drank the milk should watch for symptoms that can take up to 70 days to appear.
New York has barred Big Brook Farm from selling raw milk after a sample collected by a state inspector tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, with follow-up testing confirming the bacteria. State officials warned the public on Sept. 30 not to consume the farm’s raw milk; no illnesses had been confirmed as of Oct. 1.
The state’s warning named Big Brook Farm in Lee Center. New York Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard A. Ball said the initial sample was taken by a state inspector and returned a positive result. The state then conducted follow-up testing, which also found the pathogen, according to the report by Food Safety News.
The farm may not resume raw milk sales until testing shows its milk is free of the pathogen. The available information does not identify the amount of milk involved, the dates it was sold, or specific stores or customers who may have received it. Consumers are advised not to drink raw milk from the farm.
The warning comes after a similar notice in 2024, when testing also found Listeria monocytogenes in the farm’s milk. The report does not provide further details about the earlier incident or whether the two cases are connected. As of Oct. 1, officials had reported no confirmed illnesses associated with the current finding.
Why the Milk Sales Ban Matters
The prohibition addresses a potential exposure before any illnesses have been confirmed. Listeria can cause serious infection, and food containing the bacteria may not look, smell or taste spoiled. Consumers therefore cannot reliably judge the safety of the milk by its appearance or smell.
People who drank the farm’s raw milk should pay attention to symptoms and contact a health professional if they become ill, telling the clinician about the possible exposure. Reported symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache and neck stiffness. Listeria infections require laboratory testing to diagnose and may resemble other illnesses.
The potential consequences are greater for pregnant people, older adults, young children and people with weakened immune systems. Infection during pregnancy can be mild for the pregnant person while still causing serious harm to the fetus or newborn, including premature delivery, newborn infection or stillbirth, according to the source report.
The report cites research finding that people who drink raw milk are 800 times more likely to become sick than people who drink pasteurized milk. That figure is presented in the source as a comparison of illness risk; it does not provide the study details or population used for that estimate. The immediate action in this case is narrower: do not consume the named farm’s raw milk while the state’s sales restriction is in place.
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Earlier Listeria Finding at the Farm
Raw milk has not been pasteurized, a heat-treatment process used to kill harmful bacteria. The source report says raw milk can carry pathogens including Listeria, Salmonella and E. coli. The current warning concerns milk from one named farm; it is not a report that all raw milk in New York tested positive.
New York issued a comparable warning involving Big Brook Farm in 2024, after testing at that time found Listeria monocytogenes. The new state sample and confirmatory testing prompted the Sept. 30, 2026, warning and sales restriction. The report says selling raw milk across state lines is illegal, but it does not describe the farm’s distribution area or the rules for intrastate sales in this case.
The timing matters because Listeria symptoms may take as long as 70 days after exposure to develop. That delay means the absence of reported illnesses on Oct. 1 does not establish that no one will become sick later. It also means people who consumed the milk may need to remain alert for symptoms over the coming weeks.
“The sample of the dairy’s milk collected by a state inspector returned a positive result.”
— New York Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard A. Ball, in the Sept. 30 warning as reported by Food Safety News
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Exposure Details Still Unreported
The report does not say how much milk was affected, when the sampled milk was produced, or when and where any potentially implicated product was sold. It also does not identify whether officials have contacted customers, retailers or other recipients, or whether any product remains in consumers’ homes.
No illnesses had been confirmed as of Oct. 1, but that status could change as the investigation develops. The possible 70-day incubation period makes the timing of any later reports relevant. The source does not give details about the testing methods, the state’s plans for additional sampling, or the criteria Big Brook Farm must meet to regain permission to sell.
Although the farm faced a similar warning in 2024, the available reporting does not establish whether the current positive result is related to the earlier one. It also provides no information about the source of the contamination or any corrective steps already taken by the farm.
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Testing Will Determine Reopening
Big Brook Farm’s raw milk sales must remain halted until testing demonstrates that the milk is pathogen-free. The next concrete milestone is the outcome of further testing, but the report does not provide a timetable or say when the state expects results.
Consumers who drank the farm’s raw milk should monitor for symptoms for up to 70 days after possible exposure. Anyone who develops symptoms should seek medical advice and disclose the possible Listeria exposure. As of the latest status in the source, officials had not confirmed an illness linked to the milk; any new health reports or state test results could change that picture.
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Key Questions
Which farm’s raw milk is covered by the warning?
The warning concerns Big Brook Farm in Lee Center, New York. Officials advised the public not to consume its raw milk.
Why has the farm been barred from selling raw milk?
A state inspector’s milk sample tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, and follow-up testing confirmed the bacteria. Sales are prohibited until testing shows the milk is pathogen-free.
Have any illnesses been confirmed?
No illnesses had been confirmed as of Oct. 1, 2026, according to the source report. Listeria symptoms can take up to 70 days to develop, so that status may not capture all possible later cases.
What should someone do after drinking the farm’s raw milk?
Monitor for symptoms such as fever, nausea, vomiting, muscle aches, severe headache or neck stiffness. Anyone who becomes ill should seek medical care and tell the clinician about the possible Listeria exposure.
When can the farm resume raw milk sales?
The farm may sell raw milk again only after tests show it is free of the pathogen. The report does not state when that testing will happen or how many negative results will be required.
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