In 1985, Salmonella From This Tainted Fridge Staple Caused Several Deaths

Pasteurized milk is a fridge staple we consider completely safe to consume, given that it's been heated to at least 161 degrees Fahrenheit to destroy any potential pathogens. And yet, it was pasteurized milk from Hillfarm Dairy that caused one of the worst salmonella outbreaks in U.S. history in 1985.

The contaminated milk was produced on March 20 and 30, 1985. On April 1, the public was notified of the potential danger in the two milk lots, and the entire Hillfarm Dairy production was shut down on April 9. Illinois, the home of Hillfarm, was the most affected state in the outbreak, with over 15,000 reported cases. Only about 1,000 cases were reported from the neighboring states of Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. According to the CDC, among the very first 765 cases, 58% were children under the age of 10.

Several people died as a result of the outbreak, although the exact number is shrouded in mystery. The New York Times reported as early as April 17, 1985, that "at least nine deaths have been linked to the outbreak." But a spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Public Health told Dairy and Food Sanitation a year later that "the organism 'directly caused' the deaths of two persons and was a contributing factor in the deaths of four, possibly five, others." The general consensus of the health authorities, however, was that the real count was likely higher.

Raw animal products are the most common cause of salmonella infections, but the milk from Hillfarm Dairy was sold pasteurized. So, what went wrong? The initial theory was that the milk might not have been pasteurized properly or that it had somehow gotten contaminated after pasteurization. In order to get to the bottom of the issue, a special task force was put together to investigate the dairy.

After a five-month investigation, the task force concluded that the most likely cause of the outbreak was faulty equipment that allowed raw and pasteurized milk to come in contact with each other. Computer-controlled machines are a big part of how milk makes its way from the farm to your fridge — that includes sanitation and separation of different milk lots, which is why it's so important the machines work flawlessly.

The large scope of this outbreak might have also been aided by Hillfarm's delayed response to the problem. Salmonella had likely been present at the dairy since summer 1984 and was linked to an outbreak that counted 200 cases in August of that year. Even as the first cases were being reported in 1985, the dairy stayed open and kept producing a week after knowing there was a problem. The New York Times quoted the president of the company that owned Hillfarm saying the dairy wasn't immediately closed because "there was absolutely no indication anything else was wrong."

The salmonella outbreak that cost some people their lives, cost Jewel Food Stores (the owners of Hillfarm Dairy) millions of dollars. Just by losing product and revenue, the company lost $3.5 million (equivalent to about $10.5 million today), the LA Times reported at the time. Adding to the financial pressure were multiple lawsuits filed against Jewel, including at least one wrongful death suit and one lawsuit directly from the Attorney General accusing the employees of dumping the contaminated milk into public sewers and drains.

A class action lawsuit involving 20,000 plaintiffs resulted in a nine-month jury trial. The jury concluded that Jewel didn't act recklessly and therefore doesn't have to pay punitive damages, but the company did agree to pay compensatory damages. $800 plus economic damages were offered to those who were sick up to two days, and $1,000 plus economic damages to those who were sick three to four days. That's equivalent to approximately $2,500 and $3,000 today. Those who were sick longer than four days were asked to negotiate the payouts separately. The Hillfarm Dairy never opened its doors again.