FDA health officials have discovered traces of the bird flu virus in some pasteurized milk samples. This finding comes after the bird flu virus was detected in chickens and dairy cows in various states.
The FDA suggests that the virus particles detected are likely residuals from the pasteurization process. Despite the presence of virus fragments in the milk, officials reassure the public that there is no cause for concern regarding the safety of store-bought milk as these remnants are inactive and do not pose any danger to consumers.
Although concerns arose when HPAI was identified in dairy cows in multiple states, the USDA and FDA assert that the commercial milk supply in the U.S. remains safe due to the pasteurization process and measures taken with milk from sick cows.
The FDA update highlighted that almost 99% of the commercial milk in the U.S. is from Grade ‘A’ farms following the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO) for safety. Both the FDA and USDA stress the safety of the commercial milk supply, attributing it to the pasteurization process that effectively eliminates pathogens.
They advise against consuming raw milk or its derivatives as they could contain harmful viruses or bacteria.
The FDA has restated its position that the commercial milk supply is safe and looks forward to gaining more information from various ongoing evaluations of milk samples that are being conducted, with results from additional tests expected in the coming days or weeks.
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