Bird flu detected in raw milk sold in California, health officials say

Bird flu has been detected in a batch of raw milk sold in California stores and the state’s department of public health said Sunday that the public should not drink it. 

The virus was found during testing of a batch of cream top, whole raw milk from Raw Farm, LLC. The company has issued a voluntary recall of the batch, which has a Best By date of Nov. 27, at the state’s request. 

No one has become sick nor contracted the disease from this lot of raw milk, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) noted. However it said in a news release: “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.” 

Unlike most milk sold in stores, raw milk has not been pasteurized, a process that includes heating to a high temperature to kill harmful germs and viruses.

Public health officials say that consuming raw milk can lead to serious health risks, especially for certain vulnerable populations, and it’s encouraged to consume milk or dairy products that are pasteurized, as the process has “greatly reduced milk-borne illnesses” since the early 1900s, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. 

 “Outbreaks due to Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, toxin producing E. coli, Brucella, Campylobacter, and many other bacteria have all been reported related to consuming raw dairy products,” the CDPH said.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who president-elect Donald Trump has selected to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, is a fan of raw milk. Last month on X he criticized the Food and Drug Administration’s “aggressive suppression” of it. Actor and wellness guru Gwyneth Paltrow also said in a podcast earlier this year that she drinks raw cream in her coffee every morning from Raw Farm, the same brand behind the recall. 

The virus was detected during testing by the County of Santa Clara Public Health Laboratory of one sample of raw milk purchased from a retail store. Such testing has been done by the lab “as a second line of consumer protection,” the release said. The testing was then verified by the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System. 

Following the positive test, the California Department of Food and Agriculture conducted testing at Raw Farm LLC’s two locations, which yielded negative results for the virus. The CDFA will test for bird flu at raw milk banks twice per week.

Raw Farm, based in Fresno County, announced the voluntary recall of lot ID #20241109 on Sunday. In a brief statement the company said: “All test results performed by RAW FARM and all of the official tests by CDFA (the California State agency that regulates and tests Raw Farm products) have been NEGATIVE. There have been no reported illnesses.”

NBC News has contacted Raw Farm for comment.

The CDPH said that drinking or inhaling raw milk with bird flu virus may lead to illness. Further, touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands after touching raw milk with bird flu virus may also lead to infection. 

It comes as California has reported 29 confirmed human cases of bird flu since early October, primarily stemming from cows, according to CDPH. Of those cases, 28 had direct contact with infected cows, all cases had mild symptoms that were primarily eye infections, and none required hospitalization. 

“No person-to-person spread of bird flu has been detected in California or the U.S,” the news release said.