As of May 14, 2024, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has completed testing of more than 140 retail milk samples from across Canada and has detected no remnants of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus. It was announced that it was not done.
Testing milk at retail level is a reversal from an earlier statement less than three weeks ago. The CFIA said it only tests milk from cows suspected of being sick..
“Following recent news that dairy cows in the United States have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and reports that HPAI fragments have been detected in pasteurized milk sold in the United States, “We understand that Canadians may be concerned about the safety of milk and dairy products,” the CFIA said in a news release.
In a proactive approach to surveillance, the CFIA is working with the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to increase testing of milk at the retail level to look for viral fragments of HPAI. The CFIA uses a type of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test that allows it to detect HPAI, or fragments of the virus, even if the virus is not infectious.
“A negative result means the HPAI fragment is not present in the milk. This supports current reports that the virus has not been detected in Canadian dairy cows,” the CFIA said.
Milk from Canadian dairy cows must be pasteurized before sale, so commercial milk and dairy products are safe to consume, the CFIA says. The pasteurization process kills harmful bacteria and viruses, including HPAI, ensuring that milk and dairy products are safe to drink and eat.
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