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The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture issued a warning for Sunshine Dairy raw milk products that may be in consumer refrigerators. Based on routine testing, your milk may contain a harmful germ called Listeria.
Raw milk is legal in Pennsylvania, but it does not come without potential health concerns. In fact, there have been several similar warnings from the Department of Agriculture throughout the summer.
While there have been no reports of illness so far, Listeria is a deadly germ that can pose a significant threat to consumers. Especially those who are pregnant.
Here’s what we know so far about Listeria in Sunshine Dairy raw milk.
On August 18, 2025, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture issued a consumer warning for Sunshine Dairy brand raw milk.
Consumers are urged to “immediately discard Sunshine Dairy brand raw milk purchased between August 5 and August 15, 2025 in Berks, Lebanon, and Schuylkill counties.”
Consumer Warning for:
Sunshine Dairy Raw Milk purchased between August 5, 2025 and August 15, 2025
Routine sampling testing activities revealed the presence of the deadly bacteria, Listeria monocytogenes.
In addition to sales made at the farm, located at 9400 Old Route 22 in Bethel (Berks County), the product was available for sale at three other retail stores.
Retail locations include:
This is not the first raw milk warning in Pennsylvania this summer. In fact, it is the third announcement from The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture since late June.
In July, Byers Organic Dairy brand raw milk tested positive for Shiga toxin-producing E. coli bacteria.
Consumers were advised to discard milk purchased between July 8 and July 10, 2025, with sell-by dates of July 22 and July 23.
In June, Meadow View Jerseys brand raw milk tested positive for Campylobacter bacteria.
In this warning, consumers were advised to discard milk purchased since April 1, 2025, with sell-by dates of April 15 and July 8, 2025.
The same farm had a warning the year before for positive E. coli test results.
Raw milk contamination warnings are both an indication of routine testing activities working, but also raises concerns that so many dairies are struggling with clean milk samples.
It isn’t reasonable to expect that every container of raw milk is tested for harmful germs. But how often is raw milk tested in Pennsylvania?
It isn’t as often as you might think.
According to the Pennsylvania Code for Raw Milk Testing Schedule and Standards, different criteria are tested over certain intervals.
For example, bacterial count, coliform count, somatic cell count, and the presence of drugs and growth inhibitors are all tested twice monthly.
Bacterial count is a measure of any bacteria present in the sample. These are not necessarily harmful germs. Coliform count is an indication of potential contamination. While somatic cell count refers to the number of white blood cells in the sample. Which is an indication of milk quality and cow health. A higher somatic cell count may be a signal that there is some sort of inflammation or infection going on.
What was most concerning, is that testing for pathogenic bacteria is only required every six months.
According to the code, the requirement is to test from the bulk tank (a potentially diluted sample in such a large quantity) every six months. Only Salmonellae, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter, and E. coli O157:H7 are required.
Listeria monocytogenes is the bacteria responsible for the illness, listeriosis. It causes a serious infection often linked to contaminated foods.
The CDC estimates about 1,600 people become sick with listeriosis each year. About 260 of those die from the illness.
Anyone can become infected with Listeria, however, most healthy people do not become seriously ill. There are certain groups, however, that are more at risk of becoming sick or experiencing more severe illness.
High-risk groups include:
There are two types of Listeria illness symptoms. Intestinal and invasive.
The most common form of listeriosis is intestinal illness. The infection is limited to the digestive system.
It often involves vomiting and diarrhea that often begins within 24 hours of consuming contaminated food and lasts around 1 to 3 days.
Most people with this type of listeriosis don’t need antibiotic treatment and generally treat symptoms, keeping hydrated until the illness passes. Those in the higher risk groups may need medical treatment and antibiotics to recover.
Intestinal listeriosis may evolve to a more invasive illness.
Invasive illness occurs when Listeria bacteria move beyond the digestive system and into other parts of the body. In this case, listeriosis affects pregnant and non-pregnant people differently. In both categories, symptoms often begin about 2 weeks after consuming the contaminated food.
Pregnant people generally experience milder personal symptoms such as fever, fatigue, and muscle aches. The greater risk is associated with the unborn child. Listeriosis during pregnancy can lead to still birth, premature delivery, miscarriage, or life-threatening infection in the newborn.
People who are not pregnant often experience symptoms such as headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions. Fever and muscle aches are also possible symptoms. This type of illness can be serious and life-threatening. 1 in 20 non-pregnant people with invasive listeriosis will die from their illness.
Most people with invasive listeriosis require medical treatment and often need hospitalization.
Raw milk has not been heat treated to kill harmful germs. It has not been pasteurized.
The pasteurization process heats the milk to a specific temperature for a specific amount of time that has deemed effective at killing dangerous pathogens.
This pasteurization process kills bacteria responsible for many preventable illnesses and diseases such as:
Milk pasteurization is internationally recognized as an effected means of preventing foodborne illness outbreaks, including listeriosis.
If you have consumed potentially contaminated raw milk, there are a few things you should do.
If you have consumed potentially contaminated raw milk, you may become sick. In some cases, it could take a week or more for symptoms to appear. Seek medical attention if you become sick. Even if you are not severely ill. Your sample may be linked to a potential outbreak investigation.
If you still have it, retain packaging and receipts if possible. Your purchase may help investigators narrow or widen the scope of the investigation. Your assistance may be able to help prevent others from becoming sick.
Finally, reach out to a Listeria lawyer. Listeriosis can cause serious illness and loss. A Listeria Lawyer can help answer questions, investigate your illness, and file a claim to recover the financial burden associated with your illness.
The Lange Law Firm, PLLC has recovered millions of dollars for families with cases just like yours. With a specialty in contamination, products liability, and food safety cases, you can trust the Listeria lawyers of The Lange Law Firm, PLLC to navigate this complicated legal process on your behalf.
They know the questions to ask, the information to obtain, and how to build your case. Their compassionate team will help you through this unfortunate situation and get you the justice you deserve.
Don’t wait! Contact The Lange Law Firm, PLLC today!
Call (833) 330-3663 or click here to fill out an online submission form to get started today with a free consultation.
By: Heather Van Tassell (contributing writer, non-lawyer)
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