Brunton Dairy Begins Milk Production Again

It's been a roller coaster ride for Brunton Dairy's milk production.

The dairy suspended production in July then started up two months later, only to suspend milk production . Once again, the 175-year-old dairy is back to producing bottled milk.

According to the Brunton Dairy website, their products are sold in a number of stores around the area, including Soergel Orchard in Wexford and Brenckle's Greenhouse in Zelienople.

Samantha Krepps, spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, said Brunton Dairy successfully completed a routine inspection and is able to resume production of milk and .

"This final inspection is required of any farm operation desiring to begin or resume on-farm processing of their milk and will occur immediately upon the request of the owners of Brunton Dairy," Krepps said.

In October, the state Agriculture Department and Pennsylvania Department of Health advised consumers and retailers who purchased milk from Brunton Dairy to immediately discard all milk after confirming a positive test result for Yersinia bacteria.

The bacteria was found in a one-gallon glass bottle of pasteurized, homogenized fat-free milk as part of ongoing oversight testing of milk samples at the dairy. Production was suspended until additional testing could be completed.

"There are no test results or pending test results that would prevent Brunton Dairy from resuming their on-farm processing and sales of milk and dairy products to the public," Krepps said Wednesday.

Yersinia enterocolitica causes diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, and it can sometimes enter the bloodstream and affect other organs, according to the health department.

Brunton ice cream and bottled milk production was  following reports that more than a dozen people in Allegheny and Beaver counties were  from the farm in Independence Township, Beaver County.  in late September following an extensive round of inspections, only to be .

For a list of stores that carry Brunton products, visit here.