Raw Milk Farm Suspended After Officials Find Bird Flu In Products

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump's nominee for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, has called raw milk regulations a "war on public health."

A California producer of unpasteurized raw milk, the preferred milk of Department of Health and Human Services secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has been forced by the state to suspend operations after officials found the bird flu virus in its products.

All operations at Raw Farm ― a Fresno-based producer of raw milk, cheeses, pet foods and other dairy products ― are “currently under quarantine, from herds to bottled product, which means that all raw milk product distribution is suspended,” Steve Lyle, director of public affairs for the California Department of Food and Agriculture, said in a statement Monday.

The bird flu virus, or H5N1, was found in samples collected late last month, Lyle said.

“CDFA dairy inspectors sampled milk from bottled products and bulk milk storage at Raw Farm’s bottling facility on Wednesday, Nov. 27, and laboratory test results made known on November 28 showed the presence of the bird flu virus,” he continued. “All milk tested by CDFA remained at the Raw Farm plant and was not released to consumers.”

State, county and federal officials are all continuing to investigate Raw Farm’s operations, Lyle said.