Contrary to what has been observed in recent months in the United States, Canadian milk does not contain parts of the H1N5 virus responsible for bird flu.
Analysis conducted by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) showed that none of the 600 milk samples sold in retail stores on Canadian soil contained particles of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
In early May, the Canadian government announced additional protective measures against bird flu. This decision came in the wake of the discovery of American milk, a large percentage of which carries the virus.
“Obtaining negative results indicates the absence of HPAI virus fragments in the milk,” we can read on the page Canadian government website. These results therefore support the absence of the virus in Canadian dairy cows. »
Since the end of March, the H5N1 virus has been detected in several herds of livestock in the United States, and cases of infection in humans have also been reported.
Pasteurization to the rescue
CFIA Laboratories also conducted a study since last May to confirm the effectiveness of pasteurization against the HPAI virus in milk.
Pasteurization treatments have thus been shown to be “effective in inactivating high concentrations of virus added to raw milk.”
According to the CFIA, these data are intended to provide reassurance regarding the safety of Canada’s milk supply, even if the virus is detected in the province.
