Is your milk safe to drink? After a leaked policy change from the Food and Drug Administration regarding its quality testing, you may want to avoid certain types.
The FDA is suspending a proficiency testing process for Grade A milk and other dairy products due to budget cuts and staff reductions, per an internal email reported by Reuters.
This comes amid President Trump's attempt to reduce the federal workforce, cutting 20,000 employees from the Department of Health and Human Services, which includes the FDA. Roughly 3,500 jobs at the FDA have been cut as of April 1, according to NPR.
In a trending video, TikTok user @cheyford95 issues a warning about the lack of milk testing to her viewers. Her clip has garnered over 457,000 views.
She claims that the only safe brands to purchase are Fairlife and Horizon Organics. "All other brands, Costco, Walmart, Kroger, QFC, Aldi, Piggly Wiggly—I don't know what you guys have out in the South—all of those will no longer be safe," she claims. "They will not be tested for any diseases, any pathogens, anything like that."
But is this poster correct? Not entirely.
She cites popular TikTok user Dr. Zachary Rubin, a pediatric allergist with over 1.8 million followers who posted about the change yesterday.
What steps can you take to ensure your milk is safe?
In Dr. Rubin's video, he doesn't warn against particular brands, though he does share some tips for protecting yourself and your loved ones amid the lack of quality testing.
He suggests opting for ultra-pasteurized milk rather than standard pasteurized milk. This ensures the milk is cooked at higher temperatures and is more likely to kill bacterial contaminants.
What milk brands are safe to buy?
Both Horizon Organics and Fairlife milk are ultra-pasteurized, like @cheyford95 mentioned. As a result, they are two of the safest brands to consume. However, other companies and stores also produce ultra-pasteurized milks, so it's recommended that shoppers simply check the labels.
In an email to the Daily Dot, a Kroger spokesperson clarified that all milks sold at Kroger are safe to consume.
"Kroger sells pasteurized and ultra-pasteurized milk, both are safe to drink because the temperature of pasteurization will kill any microorganisms that may be present in the raw form of milk," they said. "Kroger will continue to maintain internal testing that complies with all standards."
What is ultra-pasteurized milk?
Ultra-pasteurized, or ultra-high-temperature (UHT), milk is milk. It just goes through a process to kill more bacteria. This gives the milk a shelf-life of months, per U.S. Dairy, though the product should be consumed within seven to 10 days and refrigerated after opening.
Dr. Rubin also suggests switching to plant-based alternatives if that aligns with your diet.
Finally, he urges viewers to speak up to their representatives. He argues that constituents should voice their concerns regarding the lack of milk quality control testing to reverse the policy change.
Is milk testing gone for good?
An FDA spokesperson told the Washington Post that milk testing is currently paused. They said testing will return when it is transferred from its current laboratory to another FDA lab. This process is underway.
“In the meantime, state and federal labs continue to analyze food samples, and FDA remains committed to working with states to protect the safety of the pasteurized milk supply,” the spokesperson told the Washington Post.
Are buyers abandoning the milky way?
In @cheyford95's comments section, viewers expressed concern.
"My HEB better not..." one user wrote.
"I haven't drank milk for years but wow smh," another said.
"Time to switch to milk from a local farm instead," a third suggested.
Should you be worried?
The FDA's quality assurance program, which is currently halted, is more a test of dairy producers' internal lab testing than of the milk itself. Under the program, the FDA sends milk samples to dairy processing centers' labs and tests whether their testing is accurate.
An assistant research professor in dairy foods microbiology at Cornell University, Nicole Martin, told the Washington Post that consumers shouldn't be too worried about the change.
"Ultimately, we’re a very highly regulated industry, and it’s going to continue to be very carefully regulated and monitored," she said.
The Daily Dot reached out to @cheyford95 via TikTok comment and to Dr. Rubin via Instagram direct message. We also reached out to Kroger via email and to both Walmart and Costco via media contact form.
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