SAN DIEGO — The California Department of Public Health is warning the public statewide today to avoid consuming a specific batch of cream top, whole raw milk produced and packaged by Fresno County-based Raw Farm LLC due to a detection of bird flu virus in a retail sample.
At the state’s request, the company issued a voluntary recall of the affected product, which has lot code 20241109 and a best-by date of 11/27/2024 printed on the packaging. Consumers should immediately return any remaining raw milk to the store where it was purchased.
The CDPH is also notifying retailers to remove the affected product from their shelves.
No illnesses have been reported, but health officials — out of an abundance of caution — said consumers should not consume any of the affected raw milk. Drinking or accidentally inhaling raw milk containing the bird flu virus may lead to illness.
Touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands after touching raw milk with the bird flu virus may also lead to infection.
Symptoms of bird flu infection in humans include eye redness or discharge, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, diarrhea, vomiting, muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue, trouble breathing and fever. Anyone who has consumed a voluntarily recalled product and is experiencing these symptoms should immediately contact a health care provider.
State health experts have long warned against consuming raw milk products due to elevated risks of foodborne illness. Outbreaks related to consuming raw dairy products have been reported due to Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, toxin-producing E. coli, Brucella, Campylobacter and other bacteria.
Raw milk products are not pasteurized, a heating process that kills bacteria and viruses such as bird flu. According to health experts, pasteurized milk and milk products are safe to consume because the heating process kills pathogens, including bird flu, that can cause illness.
The County of Santa Clara Public Health Laboratory has been testing raw milk products from retail stores as a second line of consumer protection. The county identified bird flu in one sample of a Raw Farm product purchased at a retail outlet. The testing was then verified by the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System.
Since early October, California has reported 29 confirmed human cases of bird flu, all but one of which came from direct contact with infected dairy cows. No person-to-person spread of bird flu has been detected in California or the U.S. To date, all cases have reported mild symptoms (primarily eye infections).
Raw Farm, formerly known as Organic Pastures, has a history of food safety issues. In 2023, its unpasteurized dairy products were linked to a Salmonella outbreak that sickened 20 people in California.
In February, federal health officials traced an E. coli outbreak to cheese products from Raw Farm.
