FDA Says ‘Milk Supply is Safe’ After Bird Flu Virus Detected
Summary from the AllSides News Team
The Food and Drug Administration reported this week that samples of pasteurized milk have tested positive for remnants of the bird flu virus.
Key Quotes: A statement from the FDA stressed that pasteurized milk remains safe, stating, “Pasteurization is a process that kills harmful bacteria and viruses by heating milk to a specific temperature for a set period of time to make milk safer. Even if virus is detected in raw milk, pasteurization is generally expected to eliminate pathogens to a level that does not pose a risk to consumer health … While milk is pasteurized, not sterilized, this process has helped ensure the health of the American public for more than 100 years by inactivating infectious agents.”
Details: Despite the FDA’s assurances, fears of a deadly outbreak remain. This week, Columbia announced restrictions on the import of beef products from U.S. states where dairy cows have tested positive for avian influenza. Government officials have reported that no U.S. beef cattle have tested positive for bird flu.
How the Media Covered It: The Washington Post (Lean Left bias) focused coverage on the government response to the outbreak, comparing it to the initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and reporting that “Federal agencies with competing interests are slowing the country’s ability to track and control anoutbreak of highly virulent bird flu.” Coverage from Fox News (Right bias) only included quotes downplaying the danger.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
As bird flu spreads in cows, fractured U.S. response has echoes of early covid
Federal agencies with competing interests are slowing the country’s ability to track and control an outbreak of highly virulent bird flu that for the first time is infecting cows in the United States, according to government officials and health and industry experts.
The response has echoes of the early days of 2020, when the coronavirus began its deadly march around the world. Today, some officials and experts express frustration that more livestock herds aren’t being tested for avian flu, and that when tests and epidemiological studies are conducted, results aren’t...
From the Center
Colombia becomes first country to restrict US beef due to bird flu in dairy cows
Colombia has restricted the import of beef and beef products coming from U.S. states where dairy cows have tested positive for avian influenza as of April 15, according the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
It is the first country to officially limit trade in beef due to bird flu in cows, in a sign of a broadening economic impact of the virus that has restricted poultry trade globally. Colombia imports a small amount of beef from the U.S. annually, according to government data and market analysts.
From the Right
Bird flu virus found in grocery store milk, but no risk to customers, FDA says
Samples of pasteurized milk on grocery store shelves have tested positive for remnants of the bird flu virus that has already infected herds of dairy cows, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Tuesday.
The FDA stressed that the material is inactivated and that the findings "do not represent [an] actual virus that may be a risk to consumers." Officials added that they're continuing to study the issue.
Bird flu virus, known as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) or H5N1, is a disease that is highly contagious and often deadly...
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