US FDA Tests Retail Milk Samples for Bird Flu in 17 States, Reports Reuters

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Monday that it conducted tests on retail samples of milk and other dairy products across 17 states for the presence of the bird flu virus. This update provides more detail about tests that were previously reported.

Between April 18-22, the FDA collected 297 samples from retail locations in those 17 states, which originate from products produced at 132 processing facilities across a total of 38 states. The agency emphasized that even if a sample was collected in one state, the milk in a consumer package could come from cows on different farms in multiple states, be pasteurized in yet another state, and then sold in yet another location.

Since late March, bird flu has been confirmed in dairy cattle in nine states. The FDA stated on May 10 that no live virus was detected in the retail milk samples. The agency reassured consumers that pasteurized milk is safe to drink, but it advised against the consumption of raw milk.

Despite the findings, some scientists believe the outbreak may be more widespread. FDA data indicated that around 20% of tested retail milk samples contained remnants of the H5N1 virus. The tested products included a variety of dairy items, such as cottage cheese, cream, half-and-half, sour cream, yogurt, and milk.