USDA researchers are testing ground beef for the presence of bird flu in areas where the virus has been found in dairy cattle.

While USDA remains confident the U.S. meat supply is safe, it is working on three separate beef safety studies related to the discovery of avian influenza in some dairy cattle.

“USDA has a rigorous meat inspection process” and “multiple safeguards in place to protect consumers” but recommends consumers properly handle raw meats and cook them to a safe internal temperature, the agency stated.

The safety studies follow Food and Drug Administration detections of inactive bird flu virus fragments in retail samples of pasteurized milk and a federal order requiring the testing of lactating cows before shipping them across state borders. Positive test results must be reported to USDA.

The studies also come on the heels of Colombia’s import restrictions on beef from U.S. states with avian influenza H5N1 in dairy cattle.

New requirements

USDA taking action to limit spread of bovine influenza A

Infected cattle

To date, USDA’s National Veterinary Service Laboratory has confirmed 34 cases of H5N1 in dairy cattle in nine states.

To verify the safety of beef, USDA is:

• Sampling retail ground beef in states with positive cases of H5N1 in dairy cattle.

• Sampling beef muscle of cull dairy cows condemned at select Food Safety Inspection Service slaughter facilities.

• Conducting a ground beef cooking study.

“USDA beef sampling at retail and the cooking study is focusing on ground beef, as that is the product that is most commonly produced at facilities that slaughter cull dairy cattle,” USDA’s office of communications stated in an email to Capital Press.

Analysis

For the first study, samples are collected at retail outlets in the states in which dairy cow herds have tested positive for H5N1 influenza virus. The samples will be analyzed by APHIS using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, which indicates whether any viral particles are present.

For the second study, FSIS is collecting muscle samples at FSIS-inspected slaughter facilities of cull dairy cattle that have been condemned for systemic pathologies. The samples will be analyzed by APHIS using a PCR test to determine the presence of viral particles.

For both retail and slaughter samples, any PCR positives will be evaluated for live virus by the USDA Agricultural Research Service.

ARS will also conduct the beef cooking study using a virus surrogate in ground beef and cooking the meat at different temperatures to determine any reduction of the virus, or the degree to which cooking reduces the  pathogen.

The studies are in their initial stages. More information will be shared as it becomes available, according to USDA.