The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has begun collecting and testing samples of aged, raw cow’s milk cheese for the presence of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1), better known as bird flu, Food Safety News reported.
The agency plans to collect 300 samples of raw milk cheese from warehouses and distribution hubs, along with their label information. Samples will come from cheese that has been aged a minimum of 60 days — the timeframe that the U.S. requires raw milk cheese to be made in order to reduce the risk of any pathogens. Sample collection is slated to last until March, but there’s a possibility it may last longer.
