Raw Milk Recall as Bird Flu Found During Test

A dairy farm in California has issued a voluntary raw milk recall after H5N1 bird flu was detected in samples.

Raw Farm, in Fresno, is recalling cream-top raw milk products produced on November 9. These products have a best-by date of November 27 and the lot ID number 20241109.

The Santa Clara County Public Health Department detected the virus during routine testing of raw milk samples from retail stores. The department detected the virus on November 21, and the following day, the county contacted retailers to recommend that the affected products be pulled from shelves.

Raw milk has been in the news recently as some Republicans have touted the benefits of drinking it, despite the spread of the H5N1 virus among dairy cows. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Donald Trump's pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, has also promoted raw milk.

This colorized electron microscope image provided by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in 2024 shows avian influenza A virus (bird flu) particles, red/yellow, grown in cultured cells. Raw milk from a dairy... CDC, NIAID via AP

According to the California Department of Public Health, no illnesses related to the recall have been reported, but it advises consumers, "out of an abundance of caution," not to drink the affected milk. Affected products should be returned to the retail point of purchase for a replacement or refund.

Newsweek has contacted Raw Farm dairy for comment by email.

The testing, which occurred at the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System at UC Davis, was confirmed on November 23.

The test returned positive results for the "H5" part of the H5N1 virus. However, finding H5 in a California dairy product suggests the presence of H5N1, as no other H5 viruses have been found in dairy cows.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture has been running weekly testing of raw milk in bulk tanks since H5N1 was first detected in California dairy farms. Following this positive test in Raw Farm's raw milk products, the CDFA ran tests at both of the company's locations. While the tests for the virus were negative, the CDFA plans to continue testing for bird flu twice a week.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 55 people in the United States have been infected with the highly pathogenic strain of H5N1 bird flu this year. Of these cases, 32 were associated with cattle and 21 with poultry. Two cases—in California and Missouri—had unknown associations.

On Friday, in California, the CDC confirmed the country's first case of H5N1 bird flu in a child.

People can be infected if the virus gets into their eyes, nose or mouth. It can be inhaled, via droplets or dust in the air, or transmitted via contaminated surfaces. However, the CDC maintains that the current public health risk is low.

How Safe Is Raw Milk?

Raw milk is milk that has not undergone pasteurization processes to remove salmonella, E. coli, listeria and other potentially harmful bacteria and viruses, including bird flu.

According to the CDC, from 1998 through 2018, there were 202 outbreaks of various illnesses linked to drinking raw milk. These outbreaks caused 2,645 illnesses and 228 hospitalizations.

To date, there have been no reports of humans contracting bird flu through drinking raw milk.

However, the CDC has published a report on barn cats in Texas that died after drinking raw milk from cows infected with bird flu. Of the 24 cats that drank the raw milk, half died.

To minimize the risk of bird flu, the CDC advises people not to drink raw milk. The Food and Drug Administration also maintains that "raw milk can harbor dangerous germs that can pose serious health risks."

Kennedy, who does not have any medical training, previously criticized the FDA for its stance against drinking raw milk.

On October 25, Kennedy wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "FDA's war on public health is about to end. This includes its aggressive suppression of psychedelics, peptides, stem cells, raw milk, hyperbaric therapies, chelating compounds, ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, vitamins, clean foods, sunshine, exercise, nutraceuticals and anything else that advances human health and can't be patented by Pharma."

The FDA has disputed that there are any benefits to drinking raw milk and has debunked common misconceptions that pasteurization can cause lactose intolerance and reduce milk's nutritional value.