California regulators halt unlicensed raw goat milk after two toddlers fall critically ill
Two toddlers in San Diego County became severely ill with E. coli after drinking raw goat milk from an unlicensed farm, prompting state officials to issue a cease-and-desist and close the case without penalties.
In June 2025, two toddlers in the San Diego area were hospitalized with life-threatening hemolytic uremic syndrome after drinking raw goat milk from Moonlight Ridge, an unlicensed farm that advertised the product on Facebook. Parents Emily Marris and Iris Galindo provided investigators with texts showing the farmer, Courtney Baker, knew the milk was being given to children yet continued to market it as “clean and tested.”
State regulators conducted an undercover purchase, issued a cease-and-desist order and later closed the case without fines, arguing they could not prove the milk was intended for human consumption. Baker later claimed the milk was sold only for pet use and that testing showed no pathogens. The families have filed a civil lawsuit alleging negligence. The episode highlights gaps in California’s raw-milk regulations and the broader national debate over raw-milk safety.
Why it matters
It shows how loopholes let unsafe raw milk reach children, risking serious illness.
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