A recent alert issued by the California Department of Public Health has cautioned consumers against consuming a specific batch of raw milk due to the detection of avian influenza virus. The department has reassured that no illnesses have been linked to this batch, and pasteurized milk remains safe for consumption. In a statement, the department urged, "Given the ongoing transmission of avian influenza among dairy cattle, poultry, and occasional human cases, it is advised that the public refrains from consuming the affected raw milk as a precautionary measure."

Raw Farm LLC, a Fresno County-based dairy, has recalled its raw milk products in quart and half-gallon containers, identified by lot ID 20241109 and with a best-before date of November 27. The discovery of the virus came after the Santa Clara County Public Health Laboratory conducted tests on raw milk samples from retail outlets, with one sample returning a positive result for H5 avian influenza. Following this, the county contacted stores selling raw milk and recommended the removal of the product while further tests were conducted. The results were confirmed independently by the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory on the subsequent day.

The dairy company has asserted that it adheres to standard safety protocols for monitoring the health of its cattle and that the milk from the recalled batch should no longer be available in stores. Raw Farm emphasized in a press release that "all tests conducted by Raw Farm and the official tests by CDFA (the California state agency overseeing Raw Farm's products) have been negative." Efforts to obtain comment from the California Department of Food and Agriculture are ongoing.

Kaleigh Stanziani, the vice president of marketing at Raw Farm, stated in a video posted on YouTube, "Our supply chain has not been halted, altered, or paused. We are committed to maintaining an abundance of caution at all times and will not be adjusting our delivery routes." Raw milk, which is not pasteurized, can harbor disease-causing pathogens, and public health officials have long warned against its consumption due to the associated risks of illness and mortality. Interstate sale of raw milk is prohibited.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has clarified that there is no scientific evidence supporting the claim that raw milk offers benefits for illnesses or allergies. Despite this, the spread of avian influenza among poultry and cattle in the US this year has sparked renewed interest in raw milk, with some prominent figures, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is reportedly President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to lead the US Department of Health and Human Services, advocating for its consumption.

In June, the FDA urged states to issue stronger warnings about the dangers of raw milk and to utilize their regulatory powers to halt the sale of raw milk in areas where dairy herds have tested positive for H5N1. The latest recall comes in the midst of avian influenza outbreaks among wild birds, poultry, and dairy cattle, with no evidence of human-to-human transmission. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has documented 55 human cases of avian influenza in 2024, 29 of which are in California, mostly involving farm workers in contact with infected animals. Recently, the CDC announced the first US case of avian influenza in a child in California, and an investigation into the child's exposure is currently underway.

Symptoms of avian influenza in humans include common flu-like symptoms such as red eyes, sore throat, runny nose, cough, diarrhea, vomiting, body aches, fatigue, difficulty swallowing, or fever. The California health department advises anyone who has consumed the product and experiences such symptoms to promptly notify their healthcare provider or local health department.