Wisconsin, nationally known as “American’s Dairyland”, is initiating monthly milk testing on all dairy farms to monitor for bird flu (H5N1). This proactive measure comes as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is allegedly suspending its national milk testing program, due to significant staff reductions.
According to NewsNation, an internal email from the FDA’s Division of Dairy Safety announced in April that the agency was halting its proficiency testing program for Grade “A” raw milk and finished dairy products.
However, the claim that the FDA is suspending routine safety inspection is false, according to a FDA spokesperson. The administration says they’ve been working on a shift of the routine food efforts in states for years.
The alleged suspension is attributed to the significant workforce reductions within the FDA’s food safety and nutrition division, after the termination of over 20,000 positions within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This was overseen by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the secretary of the HHS under President Trump’s Administration.
The Trump Administration must stop turning their backs on America’s Dairyland and betraying our farmers, producers, and agricultural industries by trying to gut funding Wisconsin’s farmers and producers were promised.
Food safety experts have long expressed concern that budget cuts during the Trump’s term could lead to reduced oversight of the nation’s food production and supply chains, an outcome favored by industry groups but one that might increase the risk of harmful outbreaks for consumers. According to a CBS report, FDA officials are evaluating proposals to shift many routine inspection responsibilities to state and local agencies.
New mandatory testing in Wisconsin could free up resources to focus on higher priority and foreign inspections. CBS News says 42 other states, including Puerto Rico, have contracts to outsource such inspections.
A press release sent from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) announced the implementation of the new mandatory National Milk Testing Strategy (NMTS), required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
The release states this new program aims to enhance surveillance of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPA/H5N1) in dairy cattle and address the affected herds. At least 58 people in the U.S., primarily farm workers, have contracted bird flu, experiencing mild illness after close contact with infected cows, contaminated milk, or poultry, according to AP News.
Under the NMTS, Wisconsin will begin mandatory monthly milk sampling. With assistance from industry partners, one milk sample per dairy farm will be collected each month and tested at the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (WVDL).
These samples will primarily be gathered through existing milk quality labs, ensuring minimal disruption to dairy operations while obtaining farm-level results.
The release highlights that if H5N1 is detected, DATCP’s Division of Animal Health will notify the farm and work with them on quarantine requirements. Farms may continue shipping milk if it meets “normal” standards. This includes milk that is not bloody, stringy, or off-colored.
Additionally, the FDA and USDA said they will continue to emphasize that the commercial milk supply is safe due to the pasteurization process. Health officials say the risk of bird flu to the general public remains low. The virus is destroyed through pasteurization, making commercially processed milk safe for consumption.
Despite the FDA’s setbacks in employees, federal and state labs continue to monitor food samples, the Wisconsin DATCP says. Wisconsin’s proactive approach shows its commitments to safeguarding its dairy industry and ensuring public health.
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