As part of the Government of Canada´s One Health approach, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and Health Canada, is taking proactive measures to monitor Canadian dairy cows for HPAI.

Commercially sold milk and milk products remain safe to consume. In Canada, milk must be pasteurized before sale. The pasteurization process kills harmful bacteria and viruses, including HPAI, ensuring milk and milk products are safe to drink and eat.

Raw (unpasteurized) milk at processing plants
As of September 3, 2026, CFIA laboratories have tested 11,925 samples of raw milk from trucks arriving at processing plants in all provinces across Canada. All samples have tested negative. The samples tested monthly include milk collected from approximately 2,700 dairy farms across Canada. For more information on the number and distribution of Canada´s dairy farms, see – Number of farms, dairy cows and dairy heifers.

This is another proactive surveillance measure to monitor Canadian dairy cattle for HPAI and helps ensure that HPAI is caught early if introduced in the national herd.

Pasteurized commercial milk (sold at retail)
From May to September 2024, CFIA laboratories tested 1,211 retail milk samples from across Canada. All samples tested negative.

Milk pasteurization study
Under the leadership of Health Canada, CFIA laboratories carried out a study in May and June 2024 on the effectiveness of pasteurization to inactivate HPAI virus in milk. Consistent with similar studies published internationally, the results showed that pasteurization is effective.