Update Regarding COVID-19

As cases of the coronavirus disease (also known as COVID-19) continue to be found in the United States, food-industry professionals are monitoring public health while preparing for any market effects. The spread of the virus has raised concerns about how it may affect public health as well as our economy, including dairy production.  This page offers general resources about the virus, its spread, the disease it causes, and how people can protect themselves, as well as NMPF resources focused on dairy’s response to the pandemic.

Pasteurized milk and dairy products are safe.

The FDA has confirmed that heat treatment kills other coronaviruses, so pasteurization is expected to also inactivate this virus. In addition, there is no evidence that this strain of coronavirus is present in domestic livestock such as cattle. The virus is spread through aerosol transmission and close human contact, not through food products.