The bird flu virus has been present in raw milk – a reminder of how pasteurization protects health

As the H5N1 bird flu virus continues to spread Poultry flocks and dairy cattleConsumers could also be concerned about whether the U.S. milk supply is protected to drink. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the reply is yes. so long as the milk is pasteurized.

However, in late November 2024, California regulators recalled two batches of raw, unpasteurized milk from a dairy farm in Fresno after the bird flu virus was detected within the milk. The dairy afterwards has recalled all of its raw milk and cream products from trade because of possible bird flu infection. State regulators quarantined the farm and halted any redistribution of its raw milk, cream, kefir, butter and cheese products made on or after Nov. 27.

Immediately following the recalls, no cases of human avian influenza linked to the milk were identified. However, officials urged shoppers to not drink the raw milk from the affected batches and to return it to the shop where they purchased it.

Despite warnings from health experts that it could contain raw milk high concentrations of the bird flu virustogether with many other pathogens, Raw milk sales within the USA have increased. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump has said he’ll nominate head of the Department of Health and Human Services, has claimed that raw milk “promotes human health.” contrary to the warnings of FDA officials and food scientists.

As Extension Food Scientist in a state where the sale of raw milk is legalI provide technical support to assist processors produce prime quality and protected dairy products. I also wish to help people understand the confusing world of pasteurization methods on their milk labels and why experts strongly advise against consuming raw milk and products comprised of it.

What could make milk unsafe?

Dairy products, like many foods, pose risks that may lead to numerous illnesses and even death. Milk comes from animals that graze outdoors, live in stables and lie in mud and dung. The milk is picked up from the farm by tanker trucks and delivered to the processing plant. These environments provide quite a few opportunities for contamination by pathogens that cause disease and produce organisms that cause food spoilage.

For example, comes from environmental sources comparable to soil and water. Mild infections with listeriosis cause flu-like symptoms. Unfortunately, more serious cases are too common and might result in miscarriages in pregnant women in extreme cases even death.

Other pathogens commonly related to dairy animals and raw milk contain which may cause serious gastrointestinal infections and result in kidney damage; essentially the most common reason for diarrheal illness within the United States; And which cause abdominal pain, diarrhea and other symptoms.

Store drinks safely with heat

In the 1860s French microbiologist Louis Pasteur discovered that heating wine and beer killed the organisms that caused spoilage, which was a major problem in France on the time.

This heating process that became often called pasteurizationwas introduced to the United States before World War II, at a time when milk was in charge 25% of all foodborne illness outbreaks within the United States. In 1973, the federal government required that each one milk sold across state lines within the United States be pasteurized, and in 1987 this became the case Prohibition of interstate sales of raw milk.

Pasteurization involves heating each particle of a food to a particular temperature over a continuous time period to kill the product's most heat-resistant pathogen. Different organisms react in another way to heat. Therefore, controlled scientific studies are needed to find out how long a given organism will kill at a given temperature.

Since 1924, the policy has guided pasteurization within the United States Class “A” pasteurized milk regulation.a federal guide that’s updated every two years to reflect the present state of science adopted by all 50 states. Pasteurization equipment within the United States must meet strict requirements, including sanitary design, safety controls, and material standards.

Pasteurization methods

Dairy processors can choose from various kinds of pasteurization. When used accurately, all of those methods result in the identical result: germ-free milk. To provide an extra margin of safety or to cut back bacteria that could cause milk to spoil, processors may treat milk beyond minimum times or temperatures, extending the product's shelf life.

Smaller processors that process limited quantities use so-called Vat pasteurizersalso called batch pasteurizers. The milk is pumped right into a temperature-controlled tank using an agitator, heated to not less than 63 degrees Celsius and kept there repeatedly for half-hour. It is then cooled and pumped out of the vat.

The mostly used method for business milk is High-temperature short-term pasteurizationwith which large quantities of milk could be treated. Milk is pumped at high speed through a series of thin plates to succeed in a minimum temperature of 161 F (71 °C). It then travels through a holding tube for 15 seconds, whereby the temperature is mechanically checked and cooled for safety.

The most complex and expensive systems are Ultra-pasteurizers and ultra-high temperature pasteurizersPasteurize the milk in only a number of seconds at temperatures above 285 F (140 C). This approach destroys many spoilage-causing organisms and provides the milk a significantly longer shelf life than other methods, although products made this fashion sometimes have more of a “cooked” taste.

Ultra-high temperature products are processed in a sterile environment and packaged in sterile packaging comparable to lined boxes and bags. They can last as long as a yr before being opened. Ultra-high temperature packaging makes it protected for kids to take milk to high school for lunch day-after-day.

Bird flu in milk

Detecting avian influenza virus fragments in milk is a brand new challenge for the dairy industry. Scientists don't have an entire picture of the risks to humans, but they’re learning.

Previous research has shown that virus particles enter the milk of infected cows, but that The virus is inactivated by pasteurization. The FDA advises consumers to not drink raw milk because there is proscribed details about it whether it might probably transmit bird flu.

The agency also urges manufacturers not to supply or sell raw milk or raw milk products, including cheese, comprised of milk from cows showing symptoms of illness.

Bird flu occurs time and again in recent speciesand from the start of December 2024 There have been 57 confirmed human cases within the United States. Of these, all but two were individuals who worked with livestock.

Two current cases – a baby in California and an adolescent in Canada – could suggest that young individuals with immature immune systems are more at risk of the virus than adults. While medical researchers are still determining how H5N1 is transmitted, I agree with the FDA that raw milk poses risks that will not be value taking.