- Avian flu, or bird flu, has been detected among cattle and chickens in multiple states.
- Pasteurized animal products should still be safe to consume.
- Raw meat, dairy, or eggs may not be safe right now.
Since the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (or, bird flu) reached cows and hens, there have been concerns about the safety of produce, and whether Americans should avoid certain foods.
The USDA said that as of now, there is no concern that this should pose a risk to consumers. At the same time, it noted that this is a "rapidly evolving situation."
The USDA reported cases of HPAI in cattle herds across multiple states on March 25. As of Tuesday, that virus had reached chickens in Texas, Cal-Maine Foods announced, "resulting in the depopulation of approximately 1.6 million laying hens" as a precaution.
Dr. Samuel Alcaine, an associate professor of food science at Cornell University, said the USDA and CDC have been tracking avian flu for a while now, but the recent detection of it in cows is a new development.
"Overall, I don't think there's a significantly increased risk to the US consumer as long as they're already following the basic food safety practices that we should be following at home anyways," he said.
Still, he shared the measures you can take to stay safe.
Most animal products are safe to eat
The US agriculture industry has strict protocols about quarantining sick animals so as not to spread the virus, The New York Times reported.
Additionally, most commercial animal products, such as milk, cheese, and liquid eggs (egg yolks) go through a pasteurization process.
Alcaine said that according to existing research on the avian flu, "the temperatures that we use for pasteurization are more than adequate to inactivate the virus."
Embrace firm egg yolks
To be extra safe, fully cook your meat and eggs, said Alcaine. Just as you would to prevent salmonella or E.coli infections, you should cook meat and eggs at hot-enough temperatures to prevent illness.
According to the CDC's salmonella guidelines, you'll want to cook eggs until both the egg and yolk are firm, such as hard-boiled or scrambled eggs. (You can also use pasteurized eggs if you're craving them poached.)
Cook meat to the right internal temperature
For meat, the CDC recommends cooking ground meats to 160°F and poultry to 165°F.
Additionally, Alcaine said you'll want to be wary of cross-contamination, such as keeping the utensils used to handle raw meat and eggs away from cooked food.
Raw animal products can carry bacteria
Most states require dairy products to be pasteurized, and any products that cross state lines must be pasteurized by federal law, Dr. Sumiko Mekaru, the vice president of research & innovation at PHC Global, a bio risk threat intelligence platform provider, told ABC News.
However, some states allow the sale of raw milk and unpasteurized cheese, which have been growing in popularity over recent years.
While Alcaine said that there's no evidence yet that this particular virus is spread through eating raw food, "we do know that things like raw milk also have issues with salmonella and listeria contamination."
In general, drinking raw milk can lead to side effects like vomiting and diarrhea, and just to be safe, the CDC also suggests abstaining in light of this recent outbreak.