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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Friday that a pasteurization method commonly used in the dairy industry effectively kills bird flu in milk, despite prior doubts raised by a federal lab study.

New results from the FDA confirm that pasteurized milk remains safe for consumption even amidst a widespread outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI H5N1) affecting dairy farms in at least eight states.

"We had extensive anecdotal evidence, but we wanted direct proof regarding HPAI in bovine milk," stated Prater, involved in the FDA study. "We developed a custom instrument to replicate commercial processing on a pilot scale."

This announcement follows a study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggesting some bird flu virus might survive pasteurization under laboratory conditions.

Both studies investigated "flash pasteurization" or high temperature short time (HTST) processing, which involves heating milk for at least 15 seconds at 161°F. Unlike the NIH study, the FDA's research took longer to complete due to its design, which more accurately simulated commercial dairy processing steps.

The FDA's findings revealed that the pasteurization process kills the virus even before reaching the final stages, providing a "large margin of safety."

"Our study shows the virus is completely inactivated before it enters the holding tube," Prater added, per CBS News.

Infected cows are likely spreading the virus through raw milk droplets, posing risks to other animals and humans on dairy farms, according to the USDA. However, Eric Deeble, acting senior adviser for USDA's H5N1 response, emphasized that none of the confirmed infected herds have supplied raw milk.

Ongoing tests by the FDA on pasteurized milk and dairy products from grocery stores have detected no live virus, although fragments of dead virus suggest potential missed infections. A second round of testing is currently underway, including an examination of cheese made from raw milk.