Raw Milk Recalled in This State After Deadly Bird Flu Detected

The California Department of Public Health has issued a warning after a batch of raw, unpasteurized milk sold in the state tested positive for bird flu.

According to NBC, no illnesses have been reported in connection with the contaminated batch as of publishing.

"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 department stated.

Pasteurized milk, meanwhile, remains safe to consume, the agency said.

Raw Farm LLC, based in Fresno County, recalled quart- and half-gallon sizes of its raw milk (lot ID 20241109) with a best-by date of Nov. 27.

In a statement, Kaleigh Stanziani, Raw Farm’s vice president of marketing, said "none of our supply has halted, changed, or been paused. We just want to ensure we’re exercising an abundance of caution at all times."

The Santa Clara County Public Health Laboratory initially detected the H5 bird flu virus on Nov. 21 during routine testing of raw milk from retail stores. On Nov. 22 retailers were notified to remove the product from shelves; on Nov. 23, further testing at the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory confirmed the contamination.

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Raw Farm stated in a release that it intends to keep to its safety protocols to monitor cows for illness, and assured the public that milk from the recalled lot should no longer be available on store shelves.

The company added that internal tests and those conducted by the California Department of Food and Agriculture have come back negative.

This recall occurs amid widespread bird flu outbreaks among wild birds, poultry and dairy cattle, though there is no evidence of any person-to-person transmission as of publishing.

The CDC has documented 55 human cases of bird flu in 2024, including 29 in California. Most infections have been linked to farm workers exposed to sick animals.

Last week, the CDC reported the first U.S. case of bird flu in a child, also located in California, with an investigation into the exposure ongoing.