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Bird flu has just been detected in cartons of raw milk sold in California, the state's health agency said Sunday, deepening concerns about the spread of the virus — especially amidst a growing trend in consuming unpasteurized dairy products.
A strain of the avian virus known as H5N1 was discovered in a single batch of "cream top, whole raw milk" sold by Raw Farm, a dairy operation based in Fresno, that had a "best by" data of November 27, 2024, the California Department of Public Health said in a statement.
A voluntary recall has been issued by Raw Farm, and stores have been instructed to pull the milk product from their shelves. At this time, no illnesses have been linked with the bad batch — though it may simply be too soon to tell.
The H5N1 avian virus was once thought to only infect birds, which was bad enough on its own. An outbreak that began in 2022 has affected over 110 million chickens in the US so far, which either die from the disease or are culled to stop the spread.
But this year, the bird flu has repeatedly broken the species barrier, infecting cats, cows, and humans. There are 55 human cases of H5 bird flu in the US so far, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with the first detection occurring in April.
The bird flu's encroachment on the food supply has been alarming. H5N1 was first detected in dairy cows in March. In the month following, the Food and Drug Administration found signs that, for the first time, bird flu was being passed into cow's milk. (Most human cases have been with workers who are in prolonged contact with infected birds and cattle.)
Genetic evidence of bird flu was even detected in commercial brands of pasteurized milk, but it has since been proven that pasteurization successfully neutralizes the virus, meaning dairy products treated this way are still safe to consume.
But increasingly, many consumers are becoming adamant about drinking milk that hasn't been treated at all. This is dangerous in general, since raw milk can transmit a host of ailments, ranging from E. coli to salmonella. Now we can apparently add bird flu to that list.
Despite the health risks, raw milk advocacy has taken an unusual hold in American right wing circles. No longer is it just a questionable nugget of bro-science wisdom — it's now a feature of the broader culture war landscape. The push has been so successful that sales of raw milk have spiked compared to previous years, and some states have passed laws to ensure easier access to these products.
Among its most high-profile advocates is noted health nut Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been nominated by president-elect Donald Trump to head the Department of Health and Human Services. It goes beyond mere personal preference for RFK: he has lambasted the FDA over its "aggressive suppression" of raw milk as part of his hostile stance against government regulation.
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