The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that samples of pasteurized milk had tested positive for remnants of the bird flu virus that has infected dairy cows.
The agency stressed that the material is inactivated and that the findings “do not represent actual virus that may be a risk to consumers.” Officials added that they’re continuing to study the issue.
“To date, we have seen nothing that would change our assessment that the commercial milk supply is safe,” the FDA said in a statement.
The announcement comes nearly a month after an avian influenza virus that has sickened millions of wild and commercial birds in recent years was detected in dairy cows in at least eight states. The Agriculture Department says 33 herds have been affected to date.
FDA officials didn’t indicate how many samples they tested or where they were obtained. The agency has been evaluating milk during processing and from grocery stores, officials said. Results of additional tests are expected in “the next few days to weeks.”
Six killed in a 'foiled coup' in Congo, the army says
Seymour 'achieved what I wanted' in 10
How electorate candidates funded their campaigns
‘The Blue Angels,’ filmed for IMAX, puts viewers in the ‘box’ with the elite flying squad
Roads crack, flights grounded as rare earthquake hits US east coast
Roads crack, flights grounded as rare earthquake hits US east coast
Alexei Navalny was about to be freed in prisoner swap, says colleague
Ben Whishaw lights up the Croisette as he joins his co
Christopher Luxon and business leaders to travel to South East Asia on trade, diplomatic mission
Elon Musk gets approval from FDA to implant his Neuralink brain chip into a second patient
MPs 'probably' deserve pay rises, former minister Chris Finlayson says