The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, in collaboration with federal and state agencies, is developing an updated surveillance strategy to monitor the milk supply used in raw milk cheese processing for potential highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) contamination.
This initiative follows preliminary research from Cornell University, commissioned by the Department and FDA, suggesting HPAI may survive the standard 60-day aging process in some raw milk cheeses. Scientists at Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences tested HPAI stability using lab models and commercial cheese samples made with contaminated raw milk.
Officials aim to enhance early detection efforts to ensure the safety of raw milk cheese products.
New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “Working with our federal and industry partners, we remain committed to first and foremost ensuring the health and safety of consumers and providing the dairy industry the support they need to navigate these challenging times related to HPAI. Thanks to Cornell’s groundbreaking research, we are able to stay ahead of HPAI and implement a testing strategy on the national and state level that will help us ensure the food supply remains safe for consumers.”
There are no cases of HPAI in humans in New York State and the Department of Health continues to remind New Yorkers that the risk to humans is low.
State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “We remain vigilant as we monitor the risk of H5N1 in New York. While there is no immediate threat to public health and no known cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in humans in New York State, this is a prudent measure to protect public health. We will continue to work with our state and federal partners to develop effective strategies to monitor detections in dairy and foods to ensure our residents remain safe.”
