California’s Raw Farm expands raw milk recall after tests detect more bird flu virus

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.

Following testing that discovered avian flu virus in “multiple” retail samples as well as dairy storage and bottling facilities, Raw Farm, located in Fresno, voluntarily recalled all whole milk and cream items from retail locations late Tuesday. 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.

“Californians are strongly encouraged not to consume any raw milk or cream products in their possession or still on store shelves,” the statement read.

The action came after two lots of Raw Farm products were recalled following the discovery of avian flu 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.

Additionally, Raw Farm goods marketed nationwide as “pet food topper” or “pet food kefir” should not be fed to pets as they may cause illness, according to health regulators. 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 cause any H5N1-related diseases. However, the message stated that this is a political matter. “Neither consumer safety nor food safety concerns exist with our products. We are collaborating with our government’s regulatory bodies in an effort 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. Kennedy pledged that President-elect Donald Trump would put an end to the Food and Drug Administration’s “aggressive suppression” of unpasteurized milk and chastised agriculture departments for their crackdown on raw milk.

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