As Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the incoming administration’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, continues to tout the use of raw milk, California health authorities acted Sunday to recall raw milk that had been contaminated with bird flu.
While no illnesses have been reported, the state’s Department of Public Health warned residents against drinking the batch of cream top, whole raw milk from Fresno County’s Raw Farm LLC and advised consumers to return the product to where it was purchased. Raw Farm LLC has issued a voluntary recall of the affected lot code 20241109.
“No illnesses associated with this lot of raw milk have been reported. Out of an abundance of caution, and due to the ongoing spread of bird flu in dairy cows, poultry, and sporadic human cases, consumers should not consume any of the affected raw milk,” it said in a release.
The County of Santa Clara Public Health Laboratory had identified bird flu in one sample of raw milk purchased at a retail outlet. In response to this positive test, the California Department of Food and Agriculture will begin testing raw milk in bulk tanks for bird flu twice a week — instead of just once.
After testing both of Raw Farm LLC’s locations, that department’s results were negative for the virus.
The news comes as human cases of dangerous H5N1 bird flu have risen across the country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now reports 55 across seven states. The majority of those cases are in California, and the agency reported it had confirmed the first avian influenza H5 virus infection in a child in the US last week. How the child, who is recovering from their illness, was infected with H5N1 remains a mystery.
“Consistent with previously identified human cases in the United States, the child reportedly experienced mild symptoms and received flu antivirals. There were low levels of viral material detected in the initial specimen collected, and follow-up testing of the child several days later was negative for H5 bird flu but was positive for other common respiratory viruses,” it said.
In Canada, a teenager infected with H5N1 remained in critical condition.
Of the cases reported in the Western Pacific Region from January 2003 through this past September, the World Health Organization says there was a case fatality rate of 54 percent. No one in the US has died this year and none of those infected in California or the US have been hospitalized. Authorities maintain that the risk to the American public remains low.
It is unclear how many of those infected were drinking raw milk, but many were dairy workers in California.
Public health experts have warned consumers against drinking raw milk or raw milk products due to elevated risks of foodborne illness, including outbreaks of E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria. Raw milk products are not pasteurized, a heating process that kills bacteria and viruses like bird flu.
While the US has been pasteurizing milk since the 1890s, and the Food and Drug Administration issued a regulation prohibiting the interstate sale of raw milk in 1987, 30 states allow the instrate sales of raw milk. Fewer than 1 percent of Americans have rejected pasteurization. Kennedy has pledged that the “aggressive suppression” of raw milk is about to end. He drinks raw milk.
“If you work for the FDA and are part of this corrupt system, I have two messages for you: 1. Preserve your records, and 2. Pack your bags,” he wrote last month on X. HHS oversees the FDA.
But, the FDA urges consumers who purchase raw milk to understand the health risks involved.
“While raw milk puts all consumers at risk, the elderly, immune-compromised people, children and pregnant women are especially vulnerable to the hazards of raw milk consumption,” the FDA says. FDA’s consumer education will continue to focus on helping consumers understand the risk to these populations.”
