Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) advises consumers not to drink Brookvale Pines Farm raw milk with “best if used by” dates through March 22, 2025, as it may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. This advisory comes after the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets, and Food notified DHHS that a cow at the farm was diagnosed with Listeria infection.

 Brookvale Pines Farm raw milk was sold in half gallon containers at the Brookvale Mercantile, located in Brentwood, New Hampshire. The farm is not selling raw milk while further testing is ongoing. Brookvale Pines Farm raw milk was last available for purchase on March 12, 2025.

 Customers who currently have Brookvale Pines Farms raw milk with “best if used by” dates through March 22 in their refrigerators are advised not to drink it and to dispose of the product. Anyone who has consumed raw milk from Brookvale Pines Farm should monitor for symptoms of Listeria infection, called listeriosis, and contact their healthcare provider if they develop severe illness.

 Brookvale Pines Farm is working closely with DHHS to conduct ongoing milk testing, contact customers who may have purchased raw milk from the farm, and ensure the public’s health and safety.

 “Raw milk is milk that has not undergone pasteurization, a heating process that gets rid of harmful germs,” said Iain Watt, Director of the DHHS Division of Public Health Services (DPHS). “As a result, raw milk may contain bacteria like Listeria, which can cause serious health concerns.”

 While not everyone exposed to Listeria monocytogenes becomes ill, the bacteria can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections. Early symptoms of a Listeria infection can include fever, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, which often resolve on their own without antibiotic treatment. Sometimes, the infection can spread beyond a person’s gut to their bloodstream, and even to the central nervous system, causing symptoms including headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions. Older adults, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of severe disease.

 To report an illness after raw milk consumption, contact DPHS at 603-271-4496. For more information about raw milk, visit the CDC website.