FDA completes another round of tests, finding that pasteurized milk products are safe

The Food and Drug Administration has completed a second round of peer-reviewed testing, finding that milk and other dairy products that undergo pasteurization are safe for human consumption because the H5N1 avian virus is killed.

While pasteurization is effective in making milk and milk products safe from the virus, raw milk remains a risk for consumers.

The FDA released the results of the second retail sampling survey of dairy products and provided information on the first survey. 

The second sampling survey was coordinated with USDA for the analyses. It tested 167 dairy products collected at retail locations for highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1). 

The samples included pasteurized fluid milk and products made from pasteurized milk, such as pasteurized cheeses, cream cheese, butter and ice cream. They also included aged raw milk cheese, a product from milk that was not pasteurized. No viable H5N1 virus was detected in the products.

On Aug. 13, the FDA announced the results of the agency’s second survey of retail dairy products. Samples were processed and analyzed by a USDA-Agricultural Research Services (ARS) laboratory from June 18 to July 31. All 167 samples were found to be negative for viable H5N1 virus. 

The FDA’s second sampling survey tested dairy products collected at retail locations, including aged raw milk cheese, pasteurized fluid milk, and products made from pasteurized milk, such as pasteurized cheeses, cream cheese, butter and ice cream.

The samples, collected by a third party, were aseptically repackaged to remove identifying manufacturing marks and then sent to USDA-ARS for extraction and analysis. The USDA reported the results to the FDA. No viable virus was detected in the samples. 

These results strengthen previous assessments that commercial pasteurization inactivates the H5N1 virus. The USDA ARS and FDA are submitting the survey results for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. 

Since 2022, the United Stttes has reported 14 human cases of Avian flu in three states. However, no one is blamed for consuming milk or dairy products. Four were linked to exposure to dairy cows, which has occurred since March. Ten had exposure to poultry, reported between April 28, 2022, and July 25, 2024.

Since the current round of bird flu began in early 2022, more than 100 million birds from commercial flocks have been lost in 48 states. Since March, the number of infected dairy herds has reached 190 in 13 states, with 63 infected herds in Colorado.

The CDC’s flu surveillance systems report no indicators of unusual influenza activity in people, including avian influenza A(H5). More poultry outbreaks are expected this fall as migratory wild birds begin to migrate.

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