FRESNO, Calif. – The California Department of Public Health suspended sales of all foods produced by Fresno-based company Raw Farm after avian influenza was detected in a small number of its products. The action comes as the state tries to contain the virus.
The virus, also known as bird flu, has reached cattle at 475 California dairies and has infected 31 Californians to date. Almost all cases can be attributed to close contact with infected cattle or poultry, and there’s been no evidence of spread between humans or from consuming contaminated animal products.
However, the risks of raw milk are unknown. Unlike most retail dairy products, raw dairy foods have not been pasteurized – a process that involves heating to a temperature that kills bacteria and viruses that may be present in the milk.
The state placed Raw Farm under quarantine, which halts the sale of any of its products – including milk, cream, butter, cheese and kefir – that were produced after Nov. 26.
The state also recalled all milk and cream produced by the company between Nov. 9 and Nov. 27.
“Raw Farm milk products have tested positive for bird flu at both retail and dairy storage and bottling sites in recent days,” wrote the CDPH in a press release on Tuesday. “Public health experts have long warned consumers against consuming raw milk or raw milk products due to elevated risks of foodborne illness.”
No human bird flu cases have been associated with these products. The agency also wrote that Raw Farm is fully cooperating with health officials as well as the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
In a statement posted Tuesday to Instagram, Raw Farm officials asserted, without evidence, that the situation is political.
“There are no food safety issues with our products or consumer safety. We are working towards resolving this political issue while being cooperative with our government regulatory agencies,” reads the statement.
In a video posted to Instagram on Nov. 30, Raw Farm president Aaron McAfee warned consumers of supply disruptions.
“There will be shortages. And we apologize for this inconvenience. We know how critical our raw milk is to your diet and your wellbeing,” he said.
McAfee told the LA Times at least two of his cows had fevers in October, but had not tested positive for the virus.
Proponents of raw milk tout the product as nutrient-dense and richer in vitamins and probiotics than pasteurized milk. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, however, warn of the risks of exposure to bacteria including E. coli, listeria and salmonella. Earlier this year, a number of cats were reported to have died after drinking raw milk from infected cattle in Texas.
California has reported more than half of all human cases of bird flu in the U.S. Although symptoms have been relatively mild, epidemiologists warn the virus could change over time.
“We know with influenza viruses there’s a risk of what’s called viral reassortment, which is essentially when a host gets infected with multiple different strains at once,” Stanford University infectious disease expert Abraar Karan told KQED earlier this fall. “It’s hard to predict what changes could occur.”
