More bird flu finds prompt LA County to expand raw milk recall

A Department of Public Health investigation has identified additional retailers where raw milk products tainted with bird flu were sold in Los Angeles County, and officials Wednesday urged the public to avoid eating or drinking additional raw milk products.

Consumers should avoid all raw milk and cream products that have been voluntarily recalled by Fresno-based Raw Farm LLC after multiple detections of the H5 bird flu virus in the company’s milk and dairy cows over the past week, according to the LA County Department of Public Health. People who bought the recalled products should immediately return them to the stores where they were purchased.

All sizes of raw whole milk and cream products produced after Nov. 9 have been recalled.​

Raw milk has not undergone the pasteurization process that kills harmful bacteria. Raw milk and products made from it such as queso fresco may carry harmful germs including listeria, salmonella, campylobacter, E. coli, viruses and parasites, health officials said.

Pasteurized milk remains safe to drink, according to the county. Pasteurization is a heating process that kills illness-causing germs without eliminating milk’s nutritional value.

State public health officials identified the bird flu virus in Raw Farm products last week, and additional testing by the California Department of Food and Agriculture, or CDFA revealed the presence of bird flu in bulk milk storage and bottled products at the company’s bottling facility.

Although the recall applies only to raw whole milk and cream, state health officials urged the public to avoid consuming any Raw Farm products including raw milk, cream, cheese and kefir. Raw milk pet food topper and pet food kefir marketed to pet owners are also recalled due to multiple detections of bird flu in the Raw Farm dairy storage and bottling sites.

In addition to the statewide voluntary recall, the CDFA has placed the dairy farm under quarantine, which suspends any new distribution of its raw milk, cream, kefir, butter and cheese products produced on or after Nov. 27, officials said.

No illnesses associated with this recall have been reported in LA County, according to the health department, which added that “inspectors will be visiting retail establishments where these products are sold to ensure that they are no longer available for purchase.”

Retailers where the recalled product was sold in LA County include:

• Back Door Bakery, 8349 Foothill Blvd., Sunland;
• Bristol Farms, 7880 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles;
• Eataly, 10250 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles;
• Erewhon Market, 475 S. Lake Ave., Pasadena;
• Erewhon Market, 26767 Agoura Road, Calabasas;
• Erewhon Market, 4121 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles;
• Erewhon Market, 7660 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles;
• Lassen’s Natural Foods, 1631 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles;
• Lassen’s Natural Foods, 2080 Hillhurst Ave., Los Angeles;
• Lassen’s Natural Foods, 710 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles;
• Lazy Acres, 1841 N. Western Ave., Los Angeles;
• Lazy Acres, 2510 Pacific Coast Highway, Hermosa Beach;
• Mothers Market & Kitchen, 6677 W. Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles;
• Mothers Market & Kitchen, 2475 Cherry Ave., Signal Hill;
• Sprouts Farmers Market, 1302 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles;
• Sprouts Farmers Market, 1751 Westwood Blvd., Los Angeles;
• Sprouts Farmers Market, 8985 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles;
• Sprouts Farmers Market, 915 N. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles;
• Sprouts Farmers Market, 2245 Yosemite Drive, Eagle Rock;
• Sprouts Farmers Market, 7925 Atlantic Ave., Cudahy;
• Sprouts Farmers Market, 5660 Sepulveda Blvd., Culver City;
• Sprouts Farmers Market, 12060 Lakewood Blvd., Downey;
• Sprouts Farmers Market, 14411 Hawthorne Blvd., Lawndale;
• Sprouts Farmers Market, 1515 Hawthorne Blvd., Redondo Beach;
• Sprouts Farmers Market, 4230 Pacific Coast Highway, Torrance;
• Sprouts Farmers Market, 15801 Whittier Blvd., Whittier;
• Sprouts Farmers Market, 11522 Alondra Blvd., Norwalk;
• Sprouts Farmers Market, 11900 South St., Cerritos;
• Sprouts Farmers Market, 4253 Woodruff Ave., Lakewood;
• Sprouts Farmers Market, 820 N. Western Ave., San Pedro;
• Sprouts Farmers Market, 4600 E. Pacific Coast Highway, Long Beach;
• Sprouts Farmers Market, 920 Foothill Blvd., La Canada Flintridge;
• Sprouts Farmers Market, 400 W. Huntington Drive, Monrovia;
• Sprouts Farmers Market, 39 N. Rosemead Blvd., Pasadena;
• Sprouts Farmers Market, 6607 Fallbrook Ave., West Hills;
• Sprouts Farmers Market, 10821 N. Zelzah Ave., Granada Hills;
• Sprouts Farmers Market, 24285 Magic Mountain Parkway, Valencia;
• Sprouts Farmers Market, 21821 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills;
• Sprouts Farmers Market, 1011 N. San Fernando Blvd., Burbank;
• Sprouts Farmers Market, 11315 Ventura Blvd., Studio City;
• Sprouts Farmers Market, 835 W. Foothill Blvd., Claremont;
• Sprouts Farmers Market, 655 S Grand Ave., Glendora;
• Sprouts Farmers Market, 1375 Foothill Blvd., La Verne;
• Sprouts Farmers Market, 239 S. Diamond Bar Blvd., Diamond Bar;
• Sprouts Farmers Market, 2630 E. Workman Ave., West Covina;
• Sprouts Farmers Market, 150 E Main St., Alhambra;
• Vitamin City LB, 6247 E. Spring St., Long Beach;
• Vitamin City, 642 W. Arrow Highway, San Dimas; and
• The Whole Wheatery, 44264 10th St. W, Lancaster.

More retailers may be confirmed as the investigation continues, officials said. 

“Raw milk, even from healthy cows, may be contaminated with harmful germs that can make you very sick,” according to the Department of Public Health’s announcement. “In fact, raw milk is one of the riskiest foods to consume. People who get sick from raw milk might have many days of diarrhea, stomach cramping, and vomiting. Some people might develop severe or even life-threatening diseases, including pregnancy loss; blood infection; hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can result in kidney failure, stroke, and even death; and Guillain-Barré syndrome, which can cause paralysis and even death.”

Additional symptoms of bird flu in humans are eye redness or discharge, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, diarrhea, vomiting, muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue, trouble breathing and fever.

Drinking or accidentally splashing raw milk with bird flu virus into the eyes may lead to an infection, as will touching the eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands after contacting tainted raw milk, officials said.

For more information on bird flu in humans, visit ph.lacounty.gov/acd/diseases/h5n1.htm. For bird flu in animals, see ph.lacounty.gov/vet/HPAI.htm.

Residents with questions may call the Public Health InfoLine at 833-540-0473 daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

More from Health