The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will begin collecting samples of raw cow’s milk cheese from across the U.S. to test for the presence of bird flu, spurred on by the ongoing outbreaks of H5N1 in multiple states.
In the announcement published Monday, the FDA said the goal of testing will be two-fold: detecting the H5N1 virus and taking the necessary follow-up actions to protect consumers. Raw, unpasteurized milk is a known vector of bird flu when derived from infected cow herds. It can also contain pathogens such as E. coli, salmonella, and both Streptococcus and Staphylococcus bacteria.
The agency will collect 300 samples of raw cow’s milk cheese from warehouses and distribution hubs, not retail locations, from across the country. It expects the collection period to last until March though it may be extended.
Samples will come from raw cow’s milk cheese that has been aged a minimum of 60 days, the duration which the U.S. requires raw milk cheese to be aged to mitigate the spread of pathogens. FDA field staff will collect samples from products labeled as aged raw cow’s milk cheese.
The FDA said it plans to publish its findings once the assignment is completed.