The FDA suspended a milk testing program. Is it safe to buy & drink in NC?
A recent move by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration could impact the safety of milk products in North Carolina.
The FDA suspended its proficiency testing program for Grade “A” raw milk and finished products, which ensures the accuracy of about 170 food safety labs, according to an internal email obtained by Reuters as of Monday, April 21.
Grade “A” milk, or fluid milk, meets the highest sanitary standards, Reuters reported.
Why is milk testing suspended?
The testing program was suspended because the FDA’s Moffett Center Proficiency Testing Laboratory — part of the agency’s food safety division — can no longer provide laboratory support for proficiency testing and data analysis, according to the email.
The suspension comes after 20,000 employees of the Department of Health and Human Services (which includes the FDA) were terminated as part of President Donald Trump’s work to shrink the federal government, Reuters reported.
The program is currently paused but will resume once transferred to another FDA laboratory, an FDA spokesperson told The Charlotte Observer in an email, but they did not provide a timeline on when that will happen.
How does milk testing work?
The proficiency testing program was introduced by the FDA’s Food Emergency Response Network, developed in 2004 to help the nation’s food testing labs prepare for emergencies concerning contamination and foodborne illness.
Proficiency testing exercises are “designed to ensure that network laboratories are capable of efficiently and competently performing methods needed to address perceived and unforeseen threats to the safety of the nation’s food supply,” according to a 2019 report to Congress.
Are milk products still safe to consume?
Yes. Though the FDA has suspended its proficiency testing program, milk products are still safe to consume in North Carolina.
That’s because milk products are tested at the state level, Jonathan Allen, Director of Graduate Programs for Food Science at NC State University, told The Charlotte Observer.
Allen explained that the physical characteristics of milk samples are examined by state labs, which also test the samples for antibiotics that could be harmful to humans. Then, the milk is pasteurized, which prevents the transfer of pathogens during consumption.
“The federal government is involved in making sure that everything operates the way it’s supposed to be operating during multiple stages of testing,” Allen said.
Allen pointed out that the suspension of the proficiency testing program could lead to delays in state labs’ ability to remain accredited, a process that has to be completed annually.
“The problem is compliance with regulation,” Allen said. “There would be nobody to come in and do that test.”
“Milk is a very perishable product, and if you’re not on top of it, there’s the chance of food poisoning outbreaks, which is why all these regulations are in place,” he added.
How to know your milk is safe
To ensure your milk products are safe to consume, you should always buy pasteurized milk and avoid raw milk products, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Consuming raw milk products can expose people to harmful germs, such as E. coli and listeria, posing a higher risk of severe illness for young children, older adults, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems, the CDC says.
You should also refrigerate perishable foods at 40°F or colder to slow bacterial growth, and never leave them out for more than two hours, according to the CDC.
This story was originally published May 2, 2025 at 1:51 PM with the headline "The FDA suspended a milk testing program. Is it safe to buy & drink in NC?."
