Woman Warns Against Costco and Walmart Milk After FDA’s ‘No Testing’ Policy — Reveals Safer Options
It seems harmless to chuck open a bottle of milk and pour it into a pan to make a cup of coffee or squeeze a lemon into it to make butter. However, as nutritious as it may seem, raw milk is also a breeding ground for bacteria and pathogens that may sneak into it via a cow’s body, milking equipment, unsanitary production farms, or improper milk storage, per NIH. Unless milk hasn’t gone through a battery of tests, it always carries an inkling of risk that may end up harming the consumer. In the U.S., this risk has now rocketed in numbers.
Reuters reported that effective April 21, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has “suspended its quality testing program for Grade A milk” and other dairy products, per a memo issued by President Trump to remove 20,000 staffing employees from the Department of Health and Human Services, due to federal budget cuts. The FDA also suspended "existing and developing programs" that the organization used to accurately test bird flu in milk and cheese and pathogens like the parasite Cyclospora in other food products.
The announcement came as a terrifying shock to some consumers, including the TikTok user @cheyford95, whose warning became viral. “Just learned that, as of today, the FDA stopped testing milk in the United States.” She said the only safe brands to purchase milk 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. They will not be tested for any diseases, any pathogens, anything like that,” said the woman.
Kroger, as also mentioned in the above list, clarified to The Daily Dot that all the milks sold under their brand 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. Kroger will continue to maintain internal testing that complies with all standards,” a spokesperson from the company told the outlet.
@cheyford95 also cited Doctor Zachary Rubin (@rubin_allergy), a pediatric allergist. On the other side, Dr. Rubin posted his own video to share his thoughts on the uproarious trend. “You may be wondering with this news what to do to help keep you and your family safe. And here's a couple of ideas to consider,” the doctor told the viewers. Sharing the first piece of advice, he said, “If you drink cow's milk instead of getting pasteurized milk, look for ultra-pasteurized milk, where the milk is cooked at higher temperatures, which is more likely to kill off more microbes and have a longer shelf life.”
He also suggested “plant-based alternatives” like almond or oat milk. But this, he said, would depend on whether the person has some underlying health issues. Meanwhile, people flocked to @cheyford95’s TikTok to speak their concerns. “Get the raw milk from your local farmers' market. Tastes better and way more nutritious! Never went back to store-bought milk since,” suggested @shiamcinnis. @tiona_rodriguez quipped, “I drink it straight out of the cow so I'm good.” Several people recommended almond, coconut, or oat milk as alternatives.
You can follow @cheyford95 and @rubin_allergy on TikTok for informative videos.