Bird flu detection prompts raw milk recall in California

California Department of Public Health officials issued a recall for specific raw milk produced by Raw Farm LLC, urging consumers to avoid the product linked to potential health risks amid rising scrutiny over raw dairy safety.

The recall of a specific batch of the cream top came after there was a detection of bird flu virus in a retail sample. The company issued a voluntary recall of the product with lot code 20241109 and with a best by date of 11/27/2024 on the packaging, at the state’s request.

There have been no illnesses reported but health officials advised people not to consume the product out of an abundance of caution. Health officials warned that drinking or inhaling the affected raw milk could potentially lead to illness and touching eyes, nose, or mouths with unwashed hands may also lead to infection.

Bird flu infection symptoms in humans include eye redness or discharge, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, diarrhea, vomiting, muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue, trouble breathing, and fever.

California health experts have previously warned against consuming raw milk because of an elevated risk of foodborne illness. Outbreaks of illnesses related to consuming raw dairy products included Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, toxin producing E. coli, Brucella, Campylobacter, and more. 

Raw milk products don’t go through pasteurization, which is a heating process to kill any bacteria and viruses. 

California has reported 29 confirmed human cases of bird flu since early October. All but one case came from contact with infected cows. There has been no person-to-person transmission of the bird flu detected in the state or the United States. All detected cases have reported mild symptoms. 

The County of Santa Clara Public Health Laboratory has tested raw milk products from retail stores as another line of consumer protection. They previously identified the bird flu in a sample of a Raw MIlk product purchased at a retail outlet, which was verified by the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System.

Anybody with any of the impacted products are advised to return the raw milk to the store where it was purchased. Retailers are also being notified to remove the affected product batch from their shelves by the CDPH.