Testing Confirms Pasteurization's Efficacy Against H5N1 Across Dairy Products, - FDA
Source: The DairyNews
The FDA has announced promising preliminary findings from its expanded testing regimen, indicating that pasteurization effectively deactivates the H5N1 virus in various dairy products beyond milk and baby formula.
The latest results, encompassing products such as sour cream and cottage cheese, reinforce previous assertions regarding the efficacy of pasteurization in safeguarding the dairy supply chain. With a total of 297 retail samples scrutinized thus far, these findings constitute a significant step in ensuring the safety of dairy consumption nationwide.
Donald Prater, acting director of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, expressed confidence in the robustness of the data gathered. While acknowledging the need for further examination to ensure comprehensive coverage, Prater affirmed the overall reliability of the current findings.
Dr. Demetre Daskalakis from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided updates on the human health front, reporting that extensive testing has yielded no additional positive cases of H5N1 beyond the initial incident in Texas. Furthermore, laboratory analyses have confirmed the effectiveness of commercially available antiviral flu treatments against the virus.
Meanwhile, the USDA is actively conducting testing on ground beef samples in states with documented cases of H5N1 among dairy cattle. While results are pending, the department remains confident in the safety of the meat supply.
Donald Prater, acting director of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, expressed confidence in the robustness of the data gathered. While acknowledging the need for further examination to ensure comprehensive coverage, Prater affirmed the overall reliability of the current findings.
Dr. Demetre Daskalakis from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided updates on the human health front, reporting that extensive testing has yielded no additional positive cases of H5N1 beyond the initial incident in Texas. Furthermore, laboratory analyses have confirmed the effectiveness of commercially available antiviral flu treatments against the virus.
Meanwhile, the USDA is actively conducting testing on ground beef samples in states with documented cases of H5N1 among dairy cattle. While results are pending, the department remains confident in the safety of the meat supply.
