California suspends Raw Farm raw milk products amid bird flu concerns
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Containers of Raw Farm raw milk are displayed on a shelf in Berkeley, California. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Raw Farm's distribution of raw milk products has been suspended due to the detection of the H5N1 bird flu virus, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) announced.
Why it matters: "H5 bird flu is widespread in wild birds worldwide and is causing outbreaks in poultry and U.S. dairy cows with several recent human cases in U.S. dairy and poultry workers," per the CDC, which notes 31 of the 57 human cases in the U.S. were in California. All but one of California's cases were traced back to cattle as the exposure source.
State of play: "All Raw Farm operations are currently under quarantine, from herds to bottled product, which means that all raw milk product distribution is suspended," said the CDFA's Steve Lyle in an emailed statement on Monday night.
- CDFA dairy inspectors sampled milk from bottled products and bulk milk storage at Raw Farm's bottling facility on Nov. 27 and laboratory test results on Nov. 28 showed the presence of the bird flu virus, per Lyle.
- "All milk tested by CDFA remained at the Raw Farm plant and was not released to consumers," added Lyle, who noted earlier tests had returned negative results.
- Raw Farm had previously voluntarily recalled two affected raw milk batches after the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department detected H5 in them, but the Fresno-based firm emphasized in a statement that there had been no CDFA recalls.
- There have been no reported illnesses in relation to the H5 detection, Raw Farm said.
What they're saying: Raw Farm president Aaron McAfee said in an Instagram video that the dairy team was working in full cooperation with the state to maintain regulatory compliance.
- "There will be shortages and we apologize for this inconvenience," he said.
Zoom out: President-elect Trump's Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is among the proponents of drinking raw, unpasteurized milk — which both the FDA and CDC warn comes with serious health risks, including in regards to bird flu.
- Raw Farm CEO Mark McAfee confirmed in a Monday night email a CNN report that the RFK transition team had asked him to apply for a position as FDA adviser on raw milk standards and policy. He said there had "never been an influenza virus illness related to raw milk" as he touted the benefits.
- However, the CDC recommends that people do not touch or consume raw milk or raw milk products to protect against bird flu.
- "Unpasteurized (raw) milk and any products made from raw milk, including cheese, ice cream, and yogurt, can be contaminated with germs that can cause serious illness, hospitalization, or death," per the CDC.
- "Most of the nutritional benefits of drinking milk are available from pasteurized milk without the risk of illness that comes with drinking raw milk."
What we're watching: The already-limited testing and tracking of bird flu is raising concerns about impacts on the current outbreak and any future ones, despite the H5N1 virus being slow to transmit easily to and between humans, per Axios' Tina Reed.
Go deeper: Bird flu in humans: What to know
