Scare List: Here is What You Should Avoid Eating during the Bird Flu Outbreak

Last week I wrote about a Texas egg producer halting business after the discovery of a positive test for bird flu in the chickens. The pause in operations was described as temporary. 

Cal Maine Foods is a major national egg producer with locations across the country, many of which are in Texas. When the Farwell, Texas poultry facility announced its action, the story made headlines. 

The facility is required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to depopulate 1.6M laying hens and 337,000 pullets. The Farwell facility is located in the Texas Panhandle. The hens involved comprise about 3.8% of the company’s flock as of last month. 

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller reassured Texans that safety measures and pasteurization protocols ensure that dairy products are not affected by the bird flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed that a Texas dairy worker tested positive for HSN1 after being in direct contact with cattle. That was the second human case of the HSN1 flu in the United States and the first one associated with cattle. Five bird flu cases in dairy facilities across the country have been confirmed by the USDA. Eleven dairy herds have had the bird flu detected in Texas, Michigan, New Mexico, and Kansas. There will likely be a positive result from testing in an Idaho facility. 

Now come the warnings. Though the Texas man last week was only the second American to ever contact HSN1, experts are advising about foods that should be avoided during a potential outbreak that becomes more widespread. Former FDA advisor Dr. Darin Detwiler said that the risk of H5N1 from food is low. He advises that the risk of eating animal products improperly cooked increases the likelihood. 

Rethink how you cook eggs and steak, for example. The steak should be cooked well. Eggs must be thoroughly cooked, not sunny side up, over easy, or poached eggs. Eat scrambled eggs or hard-boiled eggs. 

Avoid products containing raw eggs, like Caesar salad dressing. 

A dozen farms across the US have infected cattle and chickens. It is raising fears over the safety of the food supply. 

But, here he noted that eggs, poultry, and beef have to be cooked to a safe internal temperature ‘because cooking is the kill step.’    

Bird flu often spreads from waterbirds like ducks and geese to livestock like chickens, cows, and pigs. This can lead to animal meat and products like eggs and milk becoming infected.

If you’re cooking a steak or ordering it at a restaurant, don’t order it rare or medium rare. 

Dr Detwiler said that while searing a steak on the outside ‘should be good enough to kill a pathogen, even if the inside is not properly cooked,’ bird flu could travel to the inner part of the meat. ‘I am not convinced yet that simply searing the outside is enough to kill H5N1 in beef,’ he said. 

‘I would 100 percent recommend that it is cooked throughout to a minimum safe cooking temperature for a piece of solid beef.’

Infected cows can transmit bird flu through their milk if it is not pasteurized. The FDA has listed unpasteurized dairy as unsafe for many years but drinking “raw milk” is popular on TikTok and in fitness circles claiming that there are more vitamins and minerals in raw milk. That claim is unfounded. 

‘Raw milk carries a higher risk of exposure to not only avian flu but pathogens such as salmonella, E coli, and listeria, Dr Detwiler said. 

‘Pasteurization is the only effective way of eliminating these pathogens and to make inactive any kind of influenza virus should they be present in milk.’

‘But quite honestly, pasteurized milk is always the safer choice.’ 

Detwiler said he enjoys shopping at farmers markets but he advises against that right now. Purchase eggs, poultry, and beef from major retailers. 

Cows in Iowa are being tested now.

All this leads me to two conclusions – common sense precautions should be enough to keep everyone safe and brace yourself for the prices of eggs and beef, maybe chicken, to go up soon. At least in affected areas. It might be a good idea to stock up now when you see a good price on items you routinely buy that may be included in the warnings.