Traces of Bird Flu Virus Found in US Retail Milk, FDA Says Pasteurization Safeguards Remain

Industry groups have informed lawmakers that fragments of the bird flu virus have been detected in milk samples sold at retailers across the United States. While the FDA acknowledged the presence of viral “particles” on Tuesday, the agency maintains that pasteurization effectively neutralizes the virus, ensuring the safety of the commercial milk supply.

The FDA plans to release additional test results within the coming days. “To date, we have seen nothing that would change our assessment that the commercial milk supply is safe,” the agency stated.

Dairy trade organizations echoed the FDA’s message that commercial milk remains safe despite the detections. The National Milk Producers Federation emphasized, “viral fragments detected after pasteurization are nothing more than evidence that the virus is dead; they have zero impact on human health.” They also noted that existing regulations prevent milk from infected cows from entering the food chain.

However, Rick Bright, former head of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, expressed a desire to review the full study results before making a personal judgment regarding milk consumption.

As of Tuesday, the latest USDA figures indicate that 33 dairy herds across eight states have contracted bird flu.