Bird flu detected in raw milk sold in California, health officials say
Bird flu has been detected in a batch of raw milk sold in California stores, and the state’s department of public health said Sunday that the public should not drink it.
Bird flu has been detected in a batch of raw milk sold in California stores, and the state’s department of public health said Sunday that the public should not drink it.
The virus was found during the testing of a batch of cream top, whole raw milk from Raw Farm, LLC. The company has issued a voluntary recall of the batch, which has a "best by date" of Nov. 27, at the state’s request.
No one has become sick nor contracted the disease from this lot of raw milk, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) noted. However, "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," the agency said in a news release.
Raw Farm's Cream Top - Whole Milk.Raw FarmUnlike most milk sold in stores, raw milk has not been pasteurized, a process that includes heating to a high temperature to kill harmful germs and viruses.
Public health officials say that consuming raw milk can lead to serious health risks, especially for certain vulnerable populations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourages people to consume milk or dairy products that are pasteurized, as the process has “greatly reduced milk-borne illnesses” since the early 1900s.
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