Ground beef tested negative for bird flu, USDA says

Tests of crushed beef purchased astatine unit stores person been antagonistic for bird flu truthful far, nan U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday, after studying nutrient samples collected from states pinch herds infected by this year's unprecedented outbreak of nan microorganism successful cattle.

The results "reaffirm that nan nutrient proviso is safe," nan section said successful a statement published precocious Wednesday aft nan testing was completed.

Health authorities person cited nan "rigorous nutrient inspection process" overseen by nan department's Food Safety Inspection Service, aliases FSIS, erstwhile questioned astir whether this year's outbreak successful dairy cattle mightiness besides frighten nutrient eaters.   

"FSIS inspects each animal earlier slaughter, and each cattle carcasses must walk inspection aft bulldoze and beryllium wished to beryllium fresh to participate nan quality nutrient supply," nan section said.

The National Veterinary Services Laboratories tested 30 samples of crushed beef successful total, which were purchased astatine unit outlets successful states pinch dairy cattle herds that had tested positive.

To date, dairy cattle successful at slightest 9 states — Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota and Texas — person tested affirmative for H5N1, which is often lethal to poultry and different animals, like cats, but has mostly spared cattle speech from sometimes disrupting their accumulation of beverage for a fewer weeks. 

More results from nan section related to vertebrate flu successful beef are expected soon. Samples collected from nan beef musculus of dairy cows condemned by inspectors astatine bulldoze accommodation are still being tested for nan virus. The section is besides testing really cooking beef patties to different temperatures will termination disconnected nan virus.

"I want to emphasize, we are beautiful judge that nan nutrient proviso is safe. We're doing this conscionable to heighten our technological knowledge, to make judge that we person further information points to make that statement," Dr. Jose Emilio Esteban, USDA nether caput for nutrient safety, told reporters Wednesday.

The studies travel aft nan USDA ramped up testing requirements connected dairy cattle moving crossed authorities lines past period successful consequence to nan outbreak. 

Officials said that was successful portion because it had detected a mutated type of H5N1 successful nan lung insubstantial of an asymptomatic cattle that had been sent to slaughter. While nan cattle was blocked from entering nan nutrient proviso by FSIS, officials suggested nan "isolated" incident raised questions astir really nan microorganism was spreading.

Signs of vertebrate flu person besides made its measurement into nan unit dairy supply, pinch arsenic galore arsenic 1 successful 5 samples of beverage coming backmost affirmative successful a nationwide Food and Drug Administration survey. 

The FDA has chalked those up to harmless fragments of nan microorganism near complete aft pasteurization, pointing to experiments showing that location was nary unrecorded infectious microorganism successful nan samples of products for illustration beverage and sour pick that had initially tested positive.

But nan find has worried wellness authorities and experts that cows could beryllium flying nether nan radar without symptoms, fixed farms are expected to beryllium throwing distant beverage from sick cows.

One herd that tested affirmative successful North Carolina remains asymptomatic and is still actively producing milk, a spokesperson for nan state's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services told CBS News. 

It remains unclear really H5N1 has ended up successful nan beverage supply. Don Prater, nan FDA's apical nutrient information official, said Wednesday that beverage processors "can person beverage from hundreds of different farms, which whitethorn transverse authorities lines," complicating efforts to trace backmost nan virus.

"This would return extended testing to trace it that far," Bailee Woolstenhulme, a spokesperson for nan Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, told CBS News. 

Woolstenhulme said wellness authorities are only capable to easy trace backmost beverage to alleged "bulk tanks" that bottlers get.

"These bulk tanks see beverage from aggregate dairies, truthful we would person to trial cows from each of nan dairies whose beverage was successful nan bulk tank," Woolstenhulme said.

In:
• Bird Flu
• United States Department of Agriculture