Avian Flu Virus Not Found in Dairy Samples, FDA Announces
May 1, 2024, 1:51 PM ET
By [Editor]
Retail dairy samples recently tested for the avian flu virus, including cottage cheese and sour cream, did not detect any viable virus that would represent a risk to consumers, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday.
Updates on Bird Flu Investigations
In a joint press briefing with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Dr. Donald Prater, acting director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition for the FDA, shared updates on ongoing bird flu investigations.
Multi-State Outbreak in Dairy Cows
A multi-state outbreak of bird flu in dairy cows was first reported in late March, according to the CDC.
More Positive Retail Milk Samples
Early last week, initial testing results from the national retail milk study showed that about 1 in 5 retail milk samples had tested positive for HPAI viral fragments.
No Viable Virus Detected in Second Group
This week, the agencies announced they had not detected “any viable virus” in a second group of test samples.
Preliminary Testing Results
Dr. Prater stated, “Today we’re announcing an additional set of results from our national study of 297 total retail dairy samples. The second group represents an additional 201 samples of pasteurized retail dairy products, including cottage cheese and sour cream in addition to fluid milk… these samples … did not detect any viable virus.”
Powdered Infant Formula and Milk Products
Additional testing was conducted on retail powdered infant formula and powdered milk products marketed as toddler formula, all of which came back negative for viral fragments or virus.
Affirming the Safety of Milk Supply and Pasteurization
These results affirm the safety of the US commercial milk supply and the efficacy of pasteurization in inactivating HPAI, according to the FDA.
Continued Surveillance and Recommendations
The FDA, in collaboration with the CDC, USDA, and local health partners, is continuing surveillance of milk production, processing, and pasteurization to manage the emerging disease.
The FDA strongly advises against the consumption of raw milk and recommends against the manufacture or sale of raw milk or raw milk products.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
