Valley Milk Simply Bottled raw milk has been recalled for H5N1 bird flu. Consumers who have purchased this milk should not drink it. The recall includes all “Valley Milk Simply Bottled Raw Cow Milk” and “DESI Milk Raw Cow Milk” sold in quart (32 oz), half-gallon (64 oz), and one-gallon (128 oz) plastic jugs marked with the code date DEC 23 2024 through DEC 30 2024.
The problem was discovered when officials from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) tested samples from a raw milk bulk tank at the farm and found H5N1 (bird flu) virus.
Don’t Drink Raw Milk Recalled for Bird Flu, Health Officials Warn
CDFA officials say drinking raw milk containing bird flu virus could lead to infection with this “rare, emerging flu virus.” Symptoms of bird flu infection include:
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Difficulty breathing
- Fever
- Eye redness or discharge
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Muscle aches
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Raw Milk is Frequently Recalled
Because it isn’t pasteurized, raw milk is frequently recalled for bacterial contamination. And bird flu recalls have recently been issued by other producers. The CFDA says it has been testing for bird flu throughout the state and has been working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on the national effort to monitor bird flu in animals.
Raw milk laws vary from state to state. Some allow sales at retail stores or farmers ‘markets, others mandate that it be sold only on the farm where it is produced, and some permit members of cow-sharing programs to drink the milk. In California, retail sales of raw milk are legal, but health officials say pasteurized milk, which has been heated to kill bacteria and viruses, is the only safe milk to drink.