More Bird Flu Found in Raw Milk: What You Need to Know to Stay Safe
California raw milk recall expands this week as State officials find more traces of bird flu virus Among the “multiple” batches of raw milk produced by Raw Farm. The farm previously recalled two batches of raw milk – one of which was November 24 another about November 27.
The recalled products currently include all Raw Farm milk and cream produced between November 9 and 27, 2024. The California Department of Public Health has quarantined Raw Farm and warned against “consumption of any Raw Farm products intended for human consumption, including raw milk, cream, cheese and kefir, as well as raw milk pet food ingredients and pet food formulations marketed to pet owners.” Phil.”
There have been no reports of illness from consuming the raw milk, and state health officials say the pasteurized milk is still safe to drink. healthy official Raw milk has long been said to pose certain health risks, but as the avian flu epidemic continues, warnings about raw milk consumption have increased, leading to some sporadic human cases In the United States, it is primarily people who come into direct contact with sick animals. Two cases, one of which is a California child, whose status is currently unknown exposure sourceAccording to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Human-to-human transmission has not been found.
This isn’t the first time the virus that causes bird flu, H5N1, has been found in grocery store milk, either. Earlier this year, at approx. One-fifth sample of pasteurized milk Despite additional genetic testing of the samples, no activated or infectious virus was found. Experts say this is the case because pasteurization is expected to kill or inactivate the avian flu virus, just like it kills other potentially harmful bacteria and viruses.
FDA stated, Milk supply security;Pasteurization is a requirement for commercial milk, which makes up the vast majority of milk on store shelves – though Not all, depends on local laws Around raw milk sales. California, for example, allows the retail sale of raw milk; state health officials regularly test the milk, according to a release from the state on Sunday.
But beyond what the FDA calls “commercial” milk supplies, the trend of consumers choosing raw milk continues. While people who grew up on a farm or around cows may eat unpasteurized milk for dinner, raw milk has a new audience When people are looking for foods they consider more important natural or whole even a larger part health or political trends.
Here’s what you need to know about milk pasteurization and how to consider raw milk health trends during the time of avian influenza.
What is pasteurization? Can it kill bird flu?
pasteurization It is a heating process invented by French chemist Louis Pasteur in the 1860s and has since been widely used as a means of killing harmful bacteria and pathogens that can sometimes cause serious illness. These including bacteria Causes illnesses such as E. coli, listeria, salmonella, and other pathogens.
Pasteurization is also expected to kill or inactivate the virus that causes bird flu, which is why health officials continue to say there is no risk to pasteurized dairy products or commercial milk supplies.
Some dairy products may be Ultra-pasteurizedi.e. the milk is heated faster than typical pasteurization (a few seconds) at a higher temperature and then cooled quickly. This extends its shelf life.
Pasteurized dairy products can be organic or inorganic. Can you buy or sell raw, unpasteurized milk? Depends on your state’s laws. For example, in California you can buy raw milk from the store, although it must be Mark correctly It also comes with a warning that it has not been pasteurized.
Jenna Guthmiller, an immunologist, influenza researcher and assistant professor in the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at the University of Colorado, told CNET this spring that if someone drinks milk contaminated with H5N1, it doesn’t necessarily mean they will become infected. She explained that the flu virus is unstable outside the body, and milk “bypasses our normal process of getting the flu.”
Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease expert and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security, said in an email earlier this year that the discovery of avian influenza virus material in pasteurized milk is not surprising. Will change the public health risk assessment supply of commercial milk.
“Pasteurization is a process that destroys the pathogen’s ability to survive, not a process that eliminates its genetic material,” he said.
Adalja previously noted that it is “unclear” whether live viruses are present in unpasteurized milk or whether humans can become infected by drinking the virus. Influenza viruses are not spread to humans through ingestion. But with raw milk, he adds, “there are a lot of reasons not to drink it in the first place.”
Risks of drinking unpasteurized milk
Drinking or accidentally inhaling raw milk containing the avian flu virus may cause illness, California health officials say explain A batch recall was also announced this week. Infection may also result from contact of contaminated raw milk with unwashed hands to the eyes, nose, or mouth.
This summer, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a separate reminder Risk of drinking raw milk increases after H5N1 virus is detected in raw milk. However, before this article was first published earlier this spring, experts I spoke to basically said that, in general, the flu is difficult to spread to people through their diet. However, the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota report This week, unpublished mouse studies suggested a risk pathway, although the level of risk is currently unknown.
There are also existing health risks associated with raw milk, which is not part of what the FDA calls the “commercial” milk supply.
“It seems to me that there are concerns about raw milk acquisition because it could become part of the food system where people have access to milk outside of going to the grocery store,” said Meg, an infectious disease epidemiologist and national public health advisor for the analysis Meg Schaeffer said. SAS told CNET this spring.
“Yes, we have enzymes in our bodies that kill viruses,” Schaefer said. “This is an unlikely route of infection, but it’s not impossible.”
In general, there are health risks associated with drinking raw milk. In addition to what Guthmiller calls “ancient” bacteria (which used to be a problem before processes like pasteurization cleaned up the food supply), unpasteurized or raw milk can also expose people to E. coli and Listeria Serious diseases such as special bacteria. While it may cause only temporary or mild illness in most people, people with weakened immune systems, the elderly, pregnant women, and young children are particularly at risk of serious health effects from drinking unpasteurized milk.
Children are especially at risk because they are more susceptible to serious illness, Schaefer said. In severe cases, the health effects of drinking contaminated raw milk can lead to kidney failure.
Schaefer also pushed back against the notion that diseases such as tuberculosis that were once a big problem in countries like the United States are no longer a problem. That’s true for TB, she said, but we also have effective treatments. That’s not the case for some of the illnesses children can get from unpasteurized milk, she said.
“These diseases are, if anything, more serious — resistant to antibiotics,” Schaeffer said. She added that some bacteria that may be present in raw milk may go undetected by farmers because they do not cause illness in cows but in humans.
When you buy raw milk from a farm, you know that the farm has set higher safety standards and practicing “good hygiene” during milking reduces the risk of contamination of the raw milk, it won’t eliminate itaccording to the CDC.
Why do people drink raw milk
Proponents of raw or unpasteurized milk prefer it different reasonsincluding its creamier texture and flavor, or rumors that it’s easier to digest or more nutritious.
When it comes to food, you can’t argue with someone’s taste or texture preferences. Research appears to have refuted or debunked most claims regarding the nutritional or health benefits of raw milk compared to unpasteurized milk. For example, the FDA states Raw milk does not cure disease Or the antidote for lactose intolerance. The agency also claims the same information Page People have misused the results of a 2007 study on farm milk consumption rather than raw milk consumption.
In an analysis of the risks and benefits of raw milk research, Healthline It has been reported that any small antibacterial effects in raw milk are negated by refrigeration. It also reported that according to the findings of a survey Systematic reviewslight nutritional losses in water-soluble vitamins (including some B vitamins) are usually already low in milk.
“Several studies have shown that pasteurization does not significantly affect the nutritional quality of milk,” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded. “Scientists don’t have any evidence that drinking raw milk has nutritional benefits.”
As someone who grew up on a dairy farm, Guthmiller herself used to drink unpasteurized milk — and she gets it. When it comes to consuming raw milk, she said, “the risks definitely outweigh the benefits.”
“We’ve gotten to the point where pasteurization makes it look like real milk,” Guthmiller said. Pasteurization “really doesn’t affect the content of the milk” in terms of nutritional quality because it’s done quickly, she said.
If you are looking for proven food products Gut Health Propertieslook at adding kimchi, pickles, sourdough, and more, apple cider vinegar and buttermilk.
The Importance of “Risk vs. Benefit” in Health and Wellness
I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t note in writing this that I’ve tried some things in the health field that are either not recommended by health agencies like the CDC or are, as they say, ” Rooted in Science”. Sometimes I like to wade into the murky waters of health in the maelstrom of potential risks and potential gains. Some milder or less risky, less evidence-based examples include a time in my life when I poured a spoonful Put coconut oil in my coffee every day, in fact I own a pair Anti blue light glasses.
Before avian influenza occurred in the era of cows, idea Raw milk also interests me because I like to prioritize locally sourced and fatty foods for their satiating properties. But you won’t find me heading upstate to buy a jug of fresh raw milk from a local farm. This is true even though my current personal risk is relatively lower than that of children or pregnant women, and even though the milk supply remains safe and avian influenza is virtually impossible to spread through milk. (Besides milk, it’s worth noting Transmission of viruses from animals to humans is a growing threat. ) I could get the same small or hypothetical benefit from other whole food sources other than raw milk without rolling the dice.
