US: Raw milk recall in California expands after bird flu virus detection

Los Angeles, Dec 5: Public health officials in the western US state of California said they have secured a broad, voluntary recall of all raw milk and cream products from a local dairy farm due to possible bird flu contamination. The California Department of Public Health said in a news release on Tuesday night that the statewide recall includes all Raw Farm, LLC raw milk and cream remaining on retail shelves.

The department warned consumers against consuming any raw milk products from the quarantined farm, reports Xinhua news agency. The move followed two limited recalls of Raw Farm products after bird flu was first detected in samples of raw milk produced by Fresno based Raw Farm on November 21. Officials said that Raw Farm milk products have tested positive for bird flu at both retail and dairy storage and bottling sites in recent days.

The California Department of Public Health said that customers "should immediately return any remaining product to the retail point of purchase." In addition, public health officials urged consumers "to avoid consuming any Raw Farm products for human consumption including raw milk, cream, cheese, and kefir, as well as raw milk pet food topper and pet food kefir marketed to pet owners." The California Department of Food and Agriculture has placed the farm under quarantine, suspending any new distribution of its raw milk, cream, kefir, butter and cheese products produced on or after November 27.

Public health experts have long warned consumers against consuming raw milk or raw milk products due to elevated risks of food borne illness. The California Department of Public Health noted in its news release that no human bird flu cases associated with the product have been confirmed to date, and the state is working closely with federal and local partners to investigate the situation and better understand how it might impact consumers.

"California continues to monitor and respond to bird flu outbreaks in dairy cows and poultry," said the department, adding that "bird flu virus levels have been demonstrated to be high in raw milk from infected cows, and sporadic human cases identified in workers in close contact with infected dairy cows and their milk indicate that raw milk is infectious to humans."

So far, 58 human cases of H5 bird flu have been reported in the United States during 2024, with 32 in California, according to the latest data released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.