Bay Area stores pull some raw milk off shelves after bird flu found in batch
SANTA CLARA COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) -- Bay Area grocery stores are pulling some raw milk off their shelves after traces of the bird flu virus were found last week in a batch of raw milk.
That batch was sold by Raw Farm, a company out of Fresno County and the detection was screened by Santa Clara Public Health officials.
Santa Clara County has been testing raw milk from local retail stores as part of the county's monitoring program for bird flu.
RELATED: Bird flu found in sample of California raw milk, officials say
The company, Raw Farm, posted this message on Sunday:
"We're not making a big deal about it because it's not a big deal. That's kind of the awkward thing about this voluntary recall."
Also on Sunday, the California Department of Public Health issued a warning and posted about the risks associated with raw milk.
What is raw milk and why are we talking about it?
Dr. Zachary Rubin, an allergist, explains.
"If you don't pasteurize it which is essentially just heating it for about 15 seconds at 161 degrees Fahrenheit and then cooling it down again you're leaving a lot of these dangerous pathogens that are not safe for human consumption," Dr. Rubin said.
He said there have been studies over several decades looking at why pasteurized milk is safer to consume.
"There's a lot of misinformation, incorrect information that's been floating around for several years about proposed benefits of raw milk including treating allergies and asthma which is something I take care of on a regular basis," Dr. Rubin said.
MORE: North Bay's Straus Creamery sales explode after going viral by San Francisco TikToker
Dr. Rubin has addressed this topic before to his over one million followers on TikTok.
"It's not anything that's new, but I think the fact is it's becoming more of the national conversation as we've been seeing politically," Dr. Rubin said.
Last month Robert F Kennedy Junior, who President-elect Donald Trump selected to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, posted on X criticizing the FDA's "aggressive suppression" of raw milk.
Christina Hildebrand owns Real Food Bay Area, a local distributor of raw milk and other foods from farms in Grass Valley, Stockton and San Martin.
Hildebrand points to state regulations and required testing at farms.
"There are processes in place to make sure that people don't get sick," Hildebrand said.
Hildebrand said a lot has to do with the health of the cow and the cleanliness of the farm.
"In some states, you can't buy raw milk at all, and there are other states where you have to go to the farm," she said. "I think as long as the farm is doing what it needs to ensure that the raw milk is safe and I think the raw milk farmers are very, very conscientious about their cattle."
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Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist with UCSF, said it's not about exaggerating the dangers of raw milk, it's about looking ahead.
"If you have two types of flu happening at the same time they can swap genes and make a superbug and I think that's what we're worried about with avian flu that it may mutate," Dr. Chin-Hong said.
Dr. Chin-Hong added that although the state has good surveillance over milk, it's still the largest dairy contributor.
"The more dairy cattle get avian flu the higher the risk is going to be over time so at the minimum what I would love viewers to do is just pay attention and to follow this closely but not to be afraid," he said.
No illnesses have been reported from the batch where bird flu was detected.
State officials say pasteurized milk is safe to drink.
