Pasteurization May Not Kill Bird Flu in Milk: Experts

Agencies say pasteurization kills viruses, but the FDA declined to say if testing related to the current strain has been performed.

A man shops for milk in California in a file photograph. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Milk in circulation in the United States may contain avian influenza, or bird flu, according to some experts.

“There could be viruses in the milk on grocery shelves right now,” Gail Hansen, a veterinary expert who was formerly the state public health veterinarian for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, wrote in a recent op-ed.