Zemturi recalls fresh milk due to Q fever — at least now it's clear why everyone in Liepāja only drinks coffee

Farm "Zemturi" has recalled more than five tons of fresh milk after Q fever pathogen was discovered in one cow. This is about as surprising as finding out that it's windy in Liepāja in winter — something we already knew, but now it's officially confirmed.

As the farm director explains, this bacteria circulates throughout Latvia and is found in 17% of farms. Liepāja residents have taken it calmly — as Guntis, a visitor to a Pētera Street café, says: "Nobody drinks fresh milk here anyway, we only drink coffee and beer. Fresh milk is a Rīga thing."

A Food and Veterinary Service representative reassures that pasteurized milk is completely safe, which in Liepāja's context means — same as always. In our city, even without Q fever, everyone is conservative when it comes to beverage choices: coffee in the morning, beer in the evening, and in between — tap water.

Production at the farm with 370 cows has practically stopped, as they only produced fresh milk. It's like being a Liepāja entrepreneur who specializes only in summer tourism — you can operate, but the season is short and unstable. At least our cows aren't on Pētera Street — they're only there on Saturdays when farmers go to the market.