A strain of bird flu has been detected in a batch of cream top, whole raw milk from Raw Farm, LLC in California. The company has issued a voluntary recall of the batch, which has a “best-by date” of Nov. 27.
Unlike most commercially available milk, raw milk has not undergone pasteurization, a process in which the milk is heated to a high temperature to eliminate harmful germs and viruses.
Public health officials warn that drinking raw milk can pose significant health risks, particularly for vulnerable groups. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises people to consume only pasteurized milk or dairy products, as pasteurization has significantly reduced milk-borne illnesses since the early 20th century.
According to the California health agency, consumption of raw dairy products has been linked to dangerous outbreaks of bacteria including Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli, Brucella and Campylobacter.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., appointed by President-elect Donald Trump to head the Department of Health and Human Services, is a supporter of raw milk. Last month, he criticized the FDA’s “aggressive suppression” of it on social media. Actress Gwyneth Paltrow also revealed in a podcast earlier this year that she adds raw cream from Raw Farm to her coffee each morning, which is the same brand that was involved in the recent recall.
The virus was identified in a sample of raw milk purchased from a retail store, which had been tested by the Santa Clara County Public Health Laboratory as part of its secondary consumer protection measures. The test results were then confirmed by the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System.
Following this positive test, the California Department of Food and Agriculture conducted its own testing at Raw Farm LLC’s two locations, both of which came back negative for the virus. The CDFA will continue testing raw milk at milk banks twice a week for bird flu.
Based in Fresno County, Raw Farm issued a voluntary recall for lot ID #20241109 on Sunday. In a brief statement, the company confirmed that “all test results performed by RAW FARM and all of the official tests by CDFA have been NEGATIVE. There have been no reported illnesses.”
Raw Farm did not respond to requests for further comment.
The California Department of Public Health noted that consuming or inhaling raw milk infected with the bird flu virus could cause illness. Additionally, touching your eyes, nose or mouth after handling raw milk with the virus may result in infection.
This recall comes amid reports of 29 confirmed human cases of bird flu in California since early Oct., mostly linked to infected cows, according to CDPH. Of these cases, 28 had direct contact with sick cows. All cases experienced mild symptoms, mainly eye infections, and none required hospitalization.
The CDPH confirmed that no person-to-person transmission of bird flu has been detected in California or the U.S.
