Contrary to what has been observed in recent months in the United States, Canadian milk does not contain fragments of the H1N5 virus responsible for avian flu.
Posted at 6:41 p.m.
Analyzes carried out by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) have shown that none of the 600 samples of milk sold at retail on Canadian soil contains particles of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
In early May, the Canadian government announced the introduction of additional protection measures against HPAI. This decision was taken in the wake of revelations concerning American milk, a large proportion of which carried the virus.
“Obtaining negative results indicates that HPAI viral fragments are not found in milk,” we can read on the Canadian government website. These results therefore support the absence of the virus in Canadian dairy cows. »
Since the end of March, the H5N1 virus has been detected in several herds of cattle in the United States and cases have also been reported in humans.
Pasteurization to the rescue
CFIA laboratories have also conducted a study since last May to ensure the effectiveness of pasteurization against the HPAI virus in milk.
Pasteurization treatments have thus been shown to be “effective in inactivating the high concentrations of the virus added to raw milk”.
According to the CFIA, these data are intended to be reassuring regarding the safety of the milk supply in Canada, even in the event that the virus is detected on the territory.
