(NewsNation) — Bird flu was detected in a batch of cream-top whole raw milk, the California Department of Public Health said Sunday.
Raw Farm LLC, which is based out of Fresno, issued a voluntary recall of its quart and half-gallon fluid milk sizes with a lot ID of #20241109 as a result.
No illnesses associated with this batch have been reported, but the health department says because of the ongoing spread of the virus, consumers should not drink any of the affected raw milk. Retailers should also remove the product from their shelves, the state health department said.
Health department officials identified bird flu in one sample of Raw Farm’s milk purchased at a store. This testing was verified by the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System, the health department said.
None of the supply has been halted or paused, and all regular deliveries will continue as scheduled, Raw Farm said on social media.
“All products from RAW FARM are rigorously tested for quality and also tested by the California Department of Food & Agriculture,” the company said in a statement.
While health officials say the bird flu is widespread and causing outbreaks in poultry and U.S. dairy cows, the current public health risk is low, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Currently, there are 55 confirmed total reported human cases in America, with 29 of those in California. Most are farmworkers with mild symptoms.
On Friday, the CDC announced the first reported case of a minor getting bird flu in California.
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Officials warn against drinking raw milk
Raw milk has not gone through the process of pasteurization, which is when milk is heated at a high enough temperature for a certain length of time to kill germs. The CDC warns that it can be a source of foodborne illness including diarrhea, stomach cramping and vomiting. More severe cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome or hemolytic uremic syndrome can lead to paralysis, kidney failure, stroke or even death, the CDC said.
From 1998 through 2018, there were 202 outbreaks linked to drinking raw milk, which caused 2,645 illnesses and 228 hospitalizations, according to the CDC.
Still, raw milk has become more popular as celebrities and social media influencers have touted drinking it. The Associated Press reported in May 2024 that weekly sales of raw cow’s milk were up anywhere from 21 to 65% compared with the same time period in 2023.
President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Health and Human Services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has been a proponent for raw milk, saying at a campaign event earlier this year that it’s all he drinks.
In October, he wrote on X that the “FDA’s war on public health” would come to an end, including its “aggressive suppression” of raw milk, among other items.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
