Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) and food safety
Learn about food safety, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza and how to keep you and your family safe.
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Food safety and HPAI
Avian influenza is a contagious viral infection that mainly affects birds but can sometimes infect humans and other mammals. There are many types of avian influenza, which are all caused by various strains of type A influenza virus (e.g., H5N1, H7N3, H9N2). Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) virus is a strain of avian influenza that emerged in Asia in the late 1990s affecting poultry flocks and occasionally infecting people after occupational exposure, such as farm workers being exposed to infected poultry.
In March 2024, HPAI was detected in dairy cattle in the United States. HPAI has not been detected in dairy cattle in Canada. Federal, provincial and territorial authorities are closely monitoring the evolving situation of HPAI.
HPAI is not a food safety concern and the risk of transmission to humans remains low.
If we become aware of a potential food safety risk, we will take appropriate actions to protect the safety of Canada's food supply.
Safe food practices
HPAI is a reminder that your food can contain bacteria and viruses. You should always remember to follow safe food handling and cooking practices to help keep yourself, family and friends safe.
- Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling raw meat and poultry. If you do not have running water, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
- Clean, then sanitize any surfaces that will come in contact with food such as countertops, cutting boards and knives.
- Avoid cross-contamination of raw and ready-to-eat or cooked foods by using separate cutting boards. Use one board for washed produce or ready-to-eat food and another for raw meat or poultry.
- Wash plates or utensils used to handle raw food before reusing it for cooked food.
- Cook all of your food to recommended safe internal temperatures. Use a digital food thermometer to check that the temperature has been reached.
Raw meat and raw eggs are not pathogen free and must be handled properly to lower your risk of infection.
Cooking and Pasteurization inactivate HPAI
It is important to note that there is no evidence to suggest that the consumption of fully cooked poultry, beef, game meat, organs or eggs can transmit the influenza A(H5N1) virus to humans. All evidence to date indicates that thorough cooking will kill the virus. Safe food handling, preparation and good hand hygiene are always important.
There is no evidence to suggest that beef can transmit avian influenza to humans. Furthermore, a study by the US Department of Agriculture showed that HPAI virus is inactivated by cooking temperatures above 63°C in ground beef. Health Canada recommends cooking beef whole cuts (for example, steak) to a temperature between 63°C (medium-rare) and 77°C (well done) and to cook ground beef to a temperature of 71°C. Cooking your food to a safe temperature will kill the HPAI virus and other pathogens.
Pasteurization is a process that uses heat to kill harmful microorganisms while retaining the nutritional properties of milk. Pasteurized milk and pasteurized milk products remain safe to consume. Milk must be pasteurized in order to be sold in Canada.
Drinking raw or unpasteurized milk comes with an increased risk of serious illness because it has not been pasteurized to eliminate harmful microorganisms.
Under the leadership of Health Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) laboratories carried out a study in May and June 2024 on the effectiveness of pasteurization to inactivate HPAI virus in milk. Consistent with similar studies published internationally, the results showed that pasteurization is effective.
The pasteurization treatments tested were chosen to simulate those used by the Canadian dairy industry, and showed that they were effective at inactivating high concentrations of the virus that were added to raw milk. Please see more information on the scientific study.
Since the discovery in the USA of cattle infected with HPAI in 2024, there have been several published studies on pasteurization of milk containing HPAI, including those by Health Canada and the CFIA. All of these studies have contributed to the weight of evidence in Canada and among researchers globally that pasteurization is an effective way to ensure the safety of the milk supply.
Understanding HPAI Virus in Cheese
Health Canada researchers are actively investigating how the HPAI virus behaves in cheese, particularly in those made with unpasteurized milk. These studies include:
- Developing methods to detect influenza virus in cheese
- Collaborating with the CFIA laboratories to evaluate if temperatures below pasteurization conditions inactivate HPAI virus in milk used for cheese production
- Exploring how the influenza virus may be inactivated during the cheese-making process
The results from this research are expected in 2025. This information will help us understand the virus better and prepare for any eventual detection of HPAI on Canadian dairy farms. It will also allow Health Canada to give Canadians timely information to make informed decisions about their health.
Related links
- Avian influenza A(H5N1): Prevention and risks
- Human Health Issues Related to Avian Influenza in Canada
- AI wildlife handling guidance webpage
- Rapid Risk Assessment Update (April 2024)
- Avian influenza A(H5N1)
- How to Protect Yourself from Avian Influenza A(H5N1) at Work
- Latest Bird Flu Situation - CFIA
- Commercial milk sampling and testing for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viral fragments in Canada - CFIA
- Avian Influenza in Wild Birds - ECCC
- Avian Influenza in Canada - Polar Knowledge Canada
- Food safety
- Safe cooking temperatures
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