Bah Bird Flu. About raw milk safety and why we we're not worried.

written by

posted on

December 13, 2024

*DISCLAIMER: I'm not a doctor or a scientist. I'm a passionate real food consumer that loves research and learning new things. Sources are listed at the very bottom.

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Did you hear the news? Raw Farm USA, a raw milk supplier in California, was shut down last week. Why? Because bird flu (in some capacity) was detected in their milk.

Wow! This is getting serious. Bird flu is not longer just a worry but something that's being enforced.

As you know, we take milk safety very seriously at Miller's Bio Farm.

It's our goal to produce an ultra low risk product for you. And, with the proper farming practices and safety standards, we believe raw milk can be a nourishing and healthy and safe food.

First off, our cows are fed a natural diet of 100% grass and spend a lot of time exercising outside in the fresh air and sunshine. This keeps them naturally happy and healthy. No need for routine drugs or anything like that. Health problems are rare.

Second, we have small herds of max 50 cows per farmer. This allows the farmer to keep a close eye on their cows. They can detect any issues quickly.

Third, we have meticulous practices for milk safety. This includes making the udders and teats free of manure and dirt, cleaning with extra hot water (nearly boiling), using acid sanitizers for equipment, and having a fully stainless steel piped system for bottling milk.

We go above and beyond what's simply "required" as a raw milk producer in PA. Not only do we hold a raw milk permit and go through the required inspections and tests, we also test every batch of milk on site for general bacteria counts. This ensures we are cleaning well and there aren't any big issues.

But...

When it comes to bird flu, we're simply not worried.

I've tried to dig in and find something of real concern. But, I can't. From what I've read, there's simply no scientific basis for the vilification of raw milk as it relates to bird flu.

Here are the three biggest points:

1- There have been zero cases of bird flu linked to raw milk consumption.

Of the 58 total cases of bird flu in humans in the US this year, none have been linked to raw milk consumption. All have been dairy workers who are believed to got it through direct contact with poultry and cattle [1].

So why the worry? Why the hubbub? Why require testing and shut farms down?

It's as if the powers at be are desperately trying to find a connection, to find the first case.

In fact, this past Wednesday, there were dozens of articles that came out saying a child in California tested positive for bird flu and it's linked to raw milk. An hour later, articles came out saying the child in fact tested negative. But, that bad press was already out there and likely won't be edited.

I don't understand how enforcement can be allowed when there's no proof to justify it.

2- Testing for bird flu in milk detects fragments of the dead virus, which doesn't necessarily mean the virus can infect milk drinkers.

This month, the USDA enacted a new federal order that requires raw milk samples to be collected and shared with the USDA for testing. This includes both raw milk intended for pasteurization or intended to be sold as raw milk. If there's a positive test, the USDA can track those animals [2].

But, what are they testing for exactly? Well, the qPCR tests are looking for RNA fragments that belong to the virus. It doesn't mean the virus in the milk is intact or can actually infect anyone.

This leads me to a question --- did any of the RNA fragments match viruses other than bird flu? Well, I don't know. But I assume they could, since bird flu is a strain on influenza, and we all know how many strains of the flu there are!

Then, they do an egg inoculation test. The viral fragments are injected into an egg. If the virus replicates and grows, then the sample is considered to contain "live virus". If it doesn't, then it's considered safe, having only "dead virus" [3].

3- Raw milk is innately antiviral. It inhibits the growth of viruses both in the milk as well as in your body.

There's a pretty awesome study from 1987 that tests the growth of rotavirus and coronavirus in raw vs. pasteurized milk. It's so simple, it would be hard to misread the results.

It found that, when a virus is added to raw milk, there was zero viral growth. Did you get that? Zero viral growth. But, when the same virus is added the pasteurized milk, 30-80% of the live virus was recovered depending on the level of inoculation [4].

This means that the synergistic properties of raw milk do not allow viral growth within the milk. Raw milk kills viruses in it. Pasteurized milk breeds them (of course this would be after pasteurization). Wow!

Moreover, there's a systematic review from 2023 that looks at dozens of studies on the antiviral properties that drinking raw milk gives to the consumer. It found over and over again that there are bioactive compounds in raw milk that, when consumed, stop viral entry, block replication, and inactivate viruses [5].

So, science says that raw milk not only kills viruses within it but, when you drink raw milk, it can also help you fight viruses in your body. Another wow!

It seems to me that most of the bird flu drama might be political...?

Did you know the USDA commissioned Moderna to develop a bovine bird flu vaccine in July [6]? In fact, they started field trials this fall [7]. It seems that a warp speed bird flu vaccine for cows is just about to be released. That timing!

The "powers at be" continue to repeat that "the milk supply is safe" and "pasteurization kills the virus." But, after COVID, I think we might know what repetitive phrases like that mean. Could there be an agenda?

Are you worried about bird flu? What's your take on the situation?

I'd love to hear from you. Comment below -- no account required, start typing for the guest option to appear 😊

PS: The media sure does a good job of instilling fear. We understand that you may not have the same viewpoint as the farm. You might be hesitant about raw milk right now. That's 100% OK. This is why we offer both raw and minimally pasteurized milk. The choice is yours!

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Sources

Ugh greenwashed labels. What does it take to get ___ on a label anyway?

Not a fan of the confusing, greenwashed labels in store? Yea, me too! And it's especially real for me, because I'm responsible for getting our labels approved with the "powers that be". Here's a little story with a big inside scoop... I made new labels for our bone broth a little while ago. It didn't go as smoothly as planned. Why? I put the little icons about our farming practices on them. They look like this: Yup, despite being 100% accurate and true, they were denied!! We're not allowed to put those statements on our food labels. So, I asked the USDA guy, "What would it take to get those claims on the labels, anyway?" The answer was kinda shocking. First off, there's some guidance on wording. Silly technicalities in my opinion. For example, you can't use the term "No Spray" but you can say "Produced without the use of synthetic pesticides." Or another example is that you can't say "No Routine Antibiotics or Vaccines" but you can say "Raised without routine use of antibiotics or vaccines." Second, the processor needs to update their documents to provide traceability. In other words, they need to document how they make sure the bones for our bone broth don't get mixed up with bones from other farms. I mean, this is pretty simple, especially with small batch foods like ours. But the documentation needs to be meticulous. Drafting it in government-approved language can be time consuming and/or costly. And lastly, once you get the wording and process right, you need proof. This was the real shocker for me: Want to know what proof would suffice for all the claims above? A 2-3 sentence affidavit (AKA a super short letter) signed by all farmers that supply us. That's it!? This lead me to a bunch of questions: What if a company submits a letter from one farmer but actually has other farmers that supply them, too? What if a company changes farmers? Will they submit new letters?What if a company's farmers change their practices in the future? Will they immediately update their labels?Are the "powers that be" checking on this? Is anyone checking on this?Is this why most farms and food facilities don't allow outside people coming in? It seems to me that, if a business isn't doing what the label says, the only way to find out is via a whistleblower. And the only way to make them stop is to take them to court. You know, like what's happening with Vital Farms and their pasture raised egg claim right now. It seems to me that, all that good natural stuff on labels - grass fed, pasture raised, antibiotic free, etc - doesn't mean it's true. Certifications are a little better, but the same kinda thing can be said about those, too. This is why, at Miller's, we choose to NOT sell in stores. No wholesale for us. In fact, we don't even have an on farm store. We only sell directly to our customers via our website. And, we choose to only get certified for what's required. This way, we can make our own natural standards. And, we can provide you will all the info and proof you need. Descriptions, photos, blog posts, test results, and more. So, what do you think? Should we do the affidavit thing to get claims on our bone broth labels? What proof do you need to feel confident in your food choices? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below (no account required - just start typing) or contact us 😊

Bah Bird Flu. About raw milk safety and why we we're not worried.

As you know, we take milk safety very seriously at Miller's Bio Farm.

When it comes to bird flu, we're simply not worried.

1- There have been zero cases of bird flu linked to raw milk consumption.

2- Testing for bird flu in milk detects fragments of the dead virus, which doesn't necessarily mean the virus can infect milk drinkers.

3- Raw milk is innately antiviral. It inhibits the growth of viruses both in the milk as well as in your body.

It seems to me that most of the bird flu drama might be political...?

Are you worried about bird flu? What's your take on the situation?

More from the blog

Ugh greenwashed labels. What does it take to get ___ on a label anyway?

Should I choose animal rennet or vegetable rennet in my natural cheese?

Is yolk color is no longer a great indicator of the egg's nutrition?

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Miller's Bio Farm, 523 Valley Road, Quarryville, PA 17566