The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has begun a domestic sampling assignment to collect and test aged raw cow’s milk cheese for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1). The objectives of the assignment are:
- To determine whether viable H5N1 virus is present in the cheese; and
- To take follow-up action(s) as needed to address contaminated product and protect consumers.
An outbreak of H5N1 in multiple states precipitated this assignment. The FDA is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state partners to investigate and respond to the outbreak, which is impacting poultry, dairy cows, and people in the United States. The FDA’s sampling assignment complements research efforts that the agency is carrying out with its federal and state partners, as well as select research universities. Unlike the research efforts, the FDA’s sampling assignment is a regulatory activity.
Raw milk cheese is made with unpasteurized milk. In the United States cheese allowed to be made from raw milk must be aged for a minimum of 60 days to mitigate the risk from any pathogens, if present.
The FDA will collect 300 samples of raw cow’s milk cheese that has been aged for at least 60 days, along with the label information. Each sample will consist of two packages of product, weighing at least 100 grams.