After state health and agriculture officials discovered avian flu virus in further milk samples, a California farm suspended production and extended a recall of raw milk sold in stores.
Late Tuesday, Fresno-based Raw Farm voluntarily withdrew all whole milk and cream products from retail locations after tests revealed the presence of avian flu virus in some retail samples as well as dairy storage and bottling facilities. All Raw Farm milk and cream produced between November 9 and November 27 are subject to the recall.
The farm was placed under quarantine by the California Department of Food and Agriculture, which also halted the sale of raw milk, cream, kefir, butter, and cheese products made on or after November 27.
According to a statement from officials, Californians are strongly advised not to consume any raw milk or cream products that are in their possession or that are still on store shelves.
The action came after two lots of Raw Farm products were recalled after avian flu was initially found in retail milk on November 21.
According to health experts, there are no verified cases of avian flu virus among individuals who drank raw milk. Pasteurized milk is safe to consume since it has been heat-treated to eradicate the virus.
According to health officials, pet owners should also refrain from giving their animals Raw Farm goods, which are distributed all over the country, as pet food kefir or topping since they can make them sick. After consuming tainted raw milk, cats on farms with diseased cows have died and suffered brain damage.
In March, the bird flu virus, sometimes referred to as Type A H5N1 avian influenza, was initially identified in dairy cows in the United States. Nearly 500 of the 700 afflicted U.S. herds have been found in California, where the illness has been spreading quickly.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the virus has infected 57 people in the United States so far this year, 31 of them were in California. Workers in the dairy and poultry industries who had direct contact with diseased animals have reported mild infections. No known cause of the illnesses has been found in two cases, one involving a toddler in California and the other involving an adult in Missouri. In the United States, there have been no reports of bird flu cases spreading from person to person.
Since raw milk might contain bacteria that can cause illnesses ranging from minor to fatal, health officials have long advised against consuming it.
Mark McAfee, the owner of Raw Farm, has advocated for less regulation of raw milk. Farm officials said they were striving to quickly restore supply in an Instagram post on Wednesday.
Our products don’t include any H5N1-related infections. However, the message stated that this is a political matter. Our products don’t have any problems with consumer safety or food safety. Working along with our government’s regulatory bodies, we are trying to find a solution to this political problem.
The nation’s top health official, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., has promised to permit raw milk to be distributed more widely. Kennedy is a customer of McAfee’s products, he told The Associated Press. Kennedyhas criticized agriculture departmentsfor cracking down on raw milk and promised that the Food and Drug Administration saggressive suppressionof unpasteurized milk would end under President-elect Donald Trump.
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