After the United States, it is Canada’s turn to strengthen protective measures against avian flu. While cases have been reported in American herds, Canadian milk will be subject to more rigorous screening tests.
This is what the Government of Canada said in a press release on Friday, announcing additional protective measures to prevent the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), particles of which have been detected in dairy products in the United States in April.
Although cases of avian influenza have been reported in dairy cattle in the United States, the H5N1 virus that causes them “is not a food safety concern,” the release said.
In addition to testing milk for retail sale, Canada will expand screening in cattle to include voluntary testing “in those who do not exhibit clinical symptoms of HPAI.” Lactating dairy cows imported from the United States will be required to test negative for HPAI, according to the release.
More caution
Since the discovery of avian flu cases in herds in the United States, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has also strengthened requirements for the importation of American dairy cattle on April 29, 2024, according to the press release of the Government of Canada.
“We understand that the safety of milk and dairy products could be of concern to the Canadian population,” reads the Government of Canada press release. However, the CFIA, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and Health Canada ensure that dairy products sold on the market are indeed safe.
Milk from Canadian dairy cows “must be pasteurized before being sold,” an effective measure to inactivate the virus, assures the Government of Canada, citing a recent study by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Cases detected
These new measures come as cases of avian flu appear in American cows. Since the end of March, 36 cattle herds in nine states and one person in Texas have tested positive for the H5N1 virus.
The American commercial food chain, however, is not affected, assured representatives of the FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), in a press conference, Wednesday. Many dairy products such as milk, cottage cheese and baby formula are now under the microscope of American public health.
USDA results released this week show that a large proportion of U.S. cows carry the virus that causes HPAI but have no symptoms, according to Richard Webby, an avian flu specialist at St. Jude, Tennessee.
However, these cases do not pose a risk to consumers. “Pasteurization eliminates viruses that are much more resistant than H5N1,” emphasizes Geneviève Toupin, veterinarian at the CFIA.
With the collaboration of Mathieu Perreault, The PressAnd USA Today