FDA Says New Round of Tests Prove the U.S. Milk Supply is Safe From H5N1 Virus

Thu, 02 May 2024 13:04:55 GMT

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is once again confirming the milk supply is safe with a new round of tests as proof. The latest round of tests come as the U.S. dairy industry continues to battle the outbreak of HPAI H5N1 in cows.

Just days after FDA and USDA confirmed viral material of highly pathogenic avian influenza was found in retail milk samples , FDA says further testing shows pasteurization is killing the virus. A lab at St. Judes Children’s Hospital is taking the genetic material found in the milk and culturing it in live eggs to ensure it didn’t regrow.

According to FDA, the additional testing confirms the safety of the commercial milk supply with what it calls substantial data. The tests were done on 297 samples of milk from 38 states. FDA also tested retail powdered infant formula and says all results were negative.

International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) tells AgWeb this also confirms the requirement of pasteurization, or heat treatment, of milk in order to move interstate in this country, works in killing all bacteria and viruses.

“The testing that the FDA has continued to release has only cemented that further,” says Matt Herrick, senior vice president of public affairs and communications at IDFA. “The results they received at the end of the week on Friday, determined that the virus was in fact dead. So it would not regrow and would not infect, and pasteurization, at the standard times and temperatures under the federal pasteurized milk ordinance, is effective.”

IDFA also adds more than 99% of all the milk and dairy products in our country are pasteurized.

“And that’s been ongoing for decades and decades,” he says. “And that’s what ensures the safety of our commercial milk supply.”

Related News: USDA Now Requiring Mandatory Testing and Reporting of HPAI in Dairy Cattle as New Data Suggests Virus Outbreak is More Widespread

A week ago Tuesday, the FDA also reassured consumers the pasteurized milk they drink is safe after the agency announced retail milk samples tested positive for fragments of HPAI H5N1. Further testing by a lab at St Jude’s Childrens Hospital showed the virus is not live, which means there is no risk to human health. However, FDA noted additional testing was still being done.

Dr. Richard Webby runs the lab at St. Jude that conducted the testing. He told AgWeb his lab confirmed there is no virus in any of the retail milk samples, but says it was a small sample set they’ve tested so far and more testing is coming. He says even with the limited tests completed so far, his findings show pasteurization is killing the virus.

“It is actually expected that RNA will remain in the milk after pasteurization. Heating (pasteurization) will kill the virus but won’t necessarily destroy the genetic material of the virus (RNA). On its own, the RNA isn’t infectious. It is important to reiterate that the presence of RNA does not mean there is live virus. In contrast, our data says there is no live virus,” Webby told AgWeb.

He says genetic material of the virus, or RNA, is similar to the DNA inside human cells and provides the code to make all of the proteins the virus needs. However, he says while it’s key for influenza viruses, this is different from other viruses in that on its own, the RNA can’t do anything.

“It has to be nicely coated in virus proteins and delivered properly to the inside of a cell. Pasteurization destroys this part,” he explains.

Related News: A Message to the Ag Industry about H5N1

Considering his lab was unsuccessful at regrowing the virus, he says the testing confirmed the RNA in milk is from dead virusses, and therefore, the milk can’t cause any infection.

“In my opinion, based on the small data set we have, yes, the milk is safe,” he says. “I am still consuming it at home.”

Webby points out there is much more researchers still need to learn about HPAI H5N1, especially in cattle. He says influenza in cows is new, and the industry continues to learn as more research is conducted.

In late March, USDA APHIS confirmed the mystery illness that was impacting dairy herds in the Texas Panhandle, New Mexico and Kansas now had a diagnosis: Influenza A. USDA says genetic sequencing revealed it was the same strain of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) that’s been in the U.S. for two years. The outbreak has now been confirmed in nine states , however, it’s unclear how many herds it’s impacting.

The CDC claims the outbreak has been confirmed in 36 herds , but testing of retail milk samples last week put that number into question. Viral fragments were found in nearly 40% of the milk samples tested, indicating the outbreak is more widespread that current government reports.

Passing the Torch from One Generation to the Next at Steinhurst Dairy

Fri, 29 Oct 2021 15:13:49 GMT

The speech “So God Made a Farmer,” given by Paul Harvey in 1978 to the National FFA Organization, tugs at every farmer’s heart. After all, it is both admirable and an honor when a child wants to be just like their parents when they grow up. Ohio dairy farmers Kurt and Robin Steiner can attest to their brimming pride when it was announced over the loudspeaker on senior football night that their oldest son, Christian, would take over the family farm after he graduated college.

Like many farm kids, Christian, along with siblings, Nicole and Zach, were taught the values of hard work, commitment and sacrifice on their family farm, Steinhurst Dairy, in Creston. Ohio.

When they look across the landscape of their family farm, Christian and his siblings see bountiful blessings.

“You see the animals when they’re born, raised all the way up,” Christian says. “You see God’s creation every day you work outside, and you work with your family.”

Est. 1959

The importance of family runs deep for Christian, who represents the eighth generation of dairy farmers in Wayne County. His grandfather, great-grandfather and great uncles helped established Steinhurst Dairy on their current location in 1959. His father, Kurt, describes his childhood farm as a typical rural Midwestern dairy.

After graduating from Ohio State in 1988, Kurt decided to head west to California to take a job with Cargill. He worked there for two years before landing another job with a big chemical company, but deep down, Kurt knew Ohio was home. He returned to his family dairy in 1994. At the time, his family was milking 140 cows in a double-6 herringbone parlor.

Kurt came back with a team player attitude and knew he needed to be an asset to his father and his uncle, John.

“I came back with the mindset I needed to shut up and listen for a couple of years,” he says.

Slowly, the Steiner family started to expand their dairy that now sits at 600 milking cows and 1,100 acres of cropland.

Despite the hustle and bustle of farming, the Steiner’s took time to pause in 2002 to talk about succession planning and what it would take to bring Kurt and his younger brother, Eric, into the operation as partners. With the help of a family attorney, the Steiner’s put together an extensive succession plan that addressed death, buyout of partners, how long the younger generation would have to work before coming into the farm as a partner and so much more for their family dairy. This conversation is vital for any dairy operation, but the Steiner’s would realize just how beneficial it would be for them in the coming years.

Handling Grief

As if 2009 wasn’t hard enough with a lackluster dairy economy, life suddenly came to a halt for the Steiner family on Super Bowl Sunday afternoon when Kurt’s father passed away from a heart attack.

Crediting solid management, where every partner pulled their weight, and a life insurance policy the farm had on their father, the dairy was able to continue without additional headaches.

“Our dairy didn’t miss a beat as far as keeping things moving forward,” Kurt says. “You don’t plan for death, but it certainly can happen quickly.”

After their father’s death, Kurt and Eric became 54% owners and their uncle John, a 46% owner, which was outlined in the succession plan.

In 2016, John had a stroke. He was sidelined for a year, only to return for a few months before undergoing a heart valve replacement. The surgery unfortunately never allowed him to go back to work on the farm. However, his leadership continues to be appreciated by the partners today.

Just, two months ago, at the age of 52, Eric went in for prostate cancer surgery, returned home, went into cardiac arrest and passed away. Kurt recalls his last words to Eric before his surgery: “I love you. Don’t worry about coming back. We will take care of it.”

Although Kurt was referring to taking care of the dairy while his brother recovers, a life insurance policy helped take care of the farm. Kurt notes none of his business partners walked off the dairy like everyone had envisioned.

“You’re not going to be here forever, so you better have it together,” he adds.

Succession Planning Advice

Kurt readily admits his farm doesn’t have it all figured out when it comes to succession planning. He wholeheartedly believes the key ingredient is communication among the partners during the long process.

“If there’s no communication, it is never going to work,” he says.

Appreciating the younger generation’s drive and passion is something Kurt admires.

“Truthfully, I don’t think there is a greater joy than watching your kids want to take over what you’ve established,” he adds.

After graduating from Ohio State University – ATI in 2018 with a degree in dairy science, Christian oversees the calf and heifer program as well as fresh cow protocols for the farm.

According to Kurt, the farm’s culture also plays a part in succession planning because the next generation isn’t going to operate and run the family business the same hours and the same way as the previous. He believes establishing work-life balance illustrates to the younger generation they too can achieve the very same balance.

“When a kid sees dad was able to attend activities and come inside for supper, this all sets the stage for what’s next,” he notes. “If the old man is dragging down the attitude of everybody and never taking a break, why would the younger generation want to come back to work in an environment like that?”

It’s a blessing, Kurt adds, that Robin came from dairy roots.

“She understood it all from day one,” he notes. “Sometimes the spouses who are not from this kind of background watch their friends’ spouse join in on all the fun things over the weekend and if you’re spouse isn’t prepared for that, it can be a rough adjustment.”

Crediting a solid foundation built on faith and family, the Steiner’s have been able to work together on the family farm.

“If you can foster a positive culture in your operation, where members want to be together, then you realize this life is worthwhile is key,” Kurt adds.

Every quarter, the Steiner family gathers for management meetings where no finger pointing is allowed.

“Everyone is expected to come with ideas.”

Understanding it is easy to be pulled into different directions and put off conversations for another day, Kurt highly recommends not postponing transition planning for tomorrow.

“It could simply be too late,” he adds.

The one question Kurt says needs to be agreed on is the end objective for the farm.

“What is the future goal of the farm?” he questions. “If you figure that out, it makes the whole succession planning a lot easier because if everyone wants it to continue to the next generation, then you just have to figure out how to execute it.”

The key component is communication and defining expectations for all members, including non-farming family members.

“Have those uncomfortable conversations,” Robin says.

Those conversations the Steiner’s executed early on, along with open communication, hard work and strong values have allowed Steinhurst Dairy to pass the torch from one generation to the next despite a string of grief and mountains of heartache.

Milk Quality

FDA Says New Round of Tests Prove the U.S. Milk Supply is Safe From H5N1 Virus

Related News: USDA Now Requiring Mandatory Testing and Reporting of HPAI in Dairy Cattle as New Data Suggests Virus Outbreak is More Widespread

Related News: A Message to the Ag Industry about H5N1

Passing the Torch from One Generation to the Next at Steinhurst Dairy