how is it safe to drink pasteurized milk when avian flu virus is viable to 165 degrees Fahrenheit and milk is only pasteurized at 145 degrees?

Question

Concerns about possible transmission to people drinking unpasteurized milk are being talked about a lot. Apparently they fed mice unpasteurized milk, and they got the virus, but it seems like the temperature required to kill. The virus is higher than what they used to sterilize the milk. How is this safe?

In: Biology

Answer 1

Avian flu begins to break down at 83’F, it can survive for 1 day at this temperature. At 134’F avian flu can survive for about 30minutes. Milk is pasteurized at about 150’F for 30 minutes which would kill most harmful microorganisms.

I found a document that referenced 165’F to kill avian flu inside a fowl carcass. It specified 165’F internal temperature and “no pink.” To reach an internal temperature of 165’F the external temperature has to be over 200’F, I suspect avian flu dies within seconds at 165’F and eating pink bird meat is bad for humans.

So the pasteurization process is safe because it kills avian flu, not instantly but quick enough, and 165’F is for cooking an actual bird, inside not outside.