California raw milk recalled after positive test for bird flu virus

State health officials warned consumers Sunday after detecting bird flu virus in a retail sample of raw milk from a dairy in Fresno.

Officials with the County of Santa Clara Public Health Laboratory identified bird flu in one sample of raw milk purchased from a retail store, according to a news release from the California Department of Public Health. The Santa Clara County office has been testing raw milk from retail stores as a “second line of consumer protection,” the state health department said.

The California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System tested and verified the results.

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No one has reported illnesses from this lot of raw milk, the department said.

Raw Farm, the Fresno-based dairy that produced the raw milk, voluntarily recalled a single lot, which included quart and half gallon sized fluid milk, the dairy said in a statement.

Mark McAfee, the owner of Raw Farm, said every lot that has been tested by the company and the California Department of Food and Agriculture showed negative results for bird flu virus.

The recalled lot was produced on Nov. 9 and has an expiration date of Nov. 27.

Raw Farm alerted retailers to remove products from the impacted lot from their shelves and said consumers can return the product at stores for a replacement or refund.

The state Department of Public Health said it is warning consumers from drinking any potentially contaminated raw milk from the affected lot because of the ongoing spread of bird flu in dairy cows and poultry as well as some cases that have infected people.

“This is a very contentious time,” for raw milk, McAfee said.

“I just know that there’s a grandly elevated political environment with RFK Jr. now wanting more raw milk for people in America,” he said. President-elect Donald Trump has nominated anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.