Second Recall of Raw Milk in California Because of Bird Flu

California state agriculture officials ordered the recall of raw milk from a dairy farm in the Central Valley after tests found bird flu virus in a sample from the farm’s bulk tank. The state Department of Food and Agriculture warned against consumption of milk from Valley Milk Simply Bottled on the grounds that it “may lead to infection with this rare, emerging flu virus.” No illnesses were reported.

It was the second recall of raw milk products in California in two weeks. Raw Farm LLC, of Fresno, began a voluntary recall of all of its raw milk and cream products on Dec. 3 due to possible bird flu contamination. Valley Milk Simply Bottled is in Modesto, about 100 miles away. The state recall covered its quart, half-gallon, and one-gallon plastic jugs of milk with a code date of DEC 23 2024 through DEC 30 2024.

The H5N1 avian flu virus was identified in a backyard flock in Louisiana, making it the 50th state to report an outbreak, said the USDA on Monday. Nearly 124 million birds in domestic flocks have died of bird flu since the disease first appeared in U.S. flocks in February 2022.