Starting Sept. 16, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) will begin monitoring dairy cows for H5N1 influenza A at slaughter.
This will be done through the existing National Residue Program, with H5N1 sampling added to muscle samples already collected from dairy cow carcasses. FSIS lab personnel will perform polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, and carcasses will be held pending residue results. No additional holding time will be required.
If H5N1 is detected, the USDA will collaborate with the industry to prevent carcasses from entering the food supply.
