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Raw milk cheeses – food safety

What is the issue?

Raw milk products may soon be more generally available in New Zealand, under a proposal to allow direct importation of the soft raw milk cheese Roquefort from France, and some raw milk hard grating cheeses from Italy.

The proposal is one aspect of risk assessment work being undertaken by NZFSA that could eventually provide for imports of other raw milk products and for New Zealand manufacturers to produce their own.

Up until now the majority of dairy products on sale in New Zealand have been made from pasteurised milk or have physical and or chemical characteristics that minimise their risks for vulnerable population groups.

Roquefort and the Italian grating cheeses Grana Padano, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Romano, Asiago and Montasio have only been allowed into the country via Australia under the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Agreement. Although the grating cheeses have been readily available this way for many years, only small quantities of Roquefort have been imported to date and its niche-market status has meant that few people have come across it. Direct importation will make it more readily available.

What’s different about raw milk cheeses?

Raw milk cheese is made from milk that has not been pasteurised or heat treated and this gives it a particular flavour. Though Roquefort is produced under strict processing criteria and imports will be further monitored by NZFSA, the way it’s made means it may contain higher levels of bacteria compared with heat-treated or pasteurised dairy products and those harder cheeses that have a low moisture content. This is why it represents a higher risk for vulnerable consumers.

Can everyone eat them safely?

Although raw milk products are generally safe for most healthy New Zealanders, some more vulnerable groups of people – such as babies and toddlers, the frail elderly, expectant mothers and anyone whose immune system may be compromised because of a chronic illness, long-term medication or a recent operation – should avoid them.

This is because raw milk products, especially the soft types such as Roquefort, have a higher likelihood of containing microbiological hazards such as Listeria monocytogenes and pathogenic Escherichia coli (including O157:H7). These can cause severe “tummy bugs” and on rare occasions can be life threatening for vulnerable groups.

Note that Roquefort is a blue cheese veined with the mould Penicillium roquefortii. It is also high in naturally occurring free glutamates.

If you or any members of your family fall into one of these vulnerable groups, they should not eat raw milk products.

We recommend vulnerable people familiarise themselves with our free resources: Food Safety when you have low immunity; Food Safety in pregnancy; and Eating safely when you have food allergies. These are available on our website: http://www.nzfsa.govt.nz/consumers/food-safety-topics/foodborne-illnesses/index.htm

How can I tell the difference between raw milk and pasteurised products?

Up until now, all diary products on sale here have been pasteurised or have physical (ie: they’re a ‘hard’ cheese) or chemical characteristics that minimise their risk. If you are buying cheese in a supermarket or speciality shop, check with staff and read the label. Raw milk cheeses are ‘non-heat treated’ or ‘unpasteurised’. Look out too for any point-of-sale information that may be available.

If you’re eating at a restaurant and you’re unsure of the status of the cheese you’re served, check with the waiting staff.

What is NZFSA doing to ensure Roquefort is safe and suitable?

While no food can ever be considered 100% safe, Roquefort and other raw milk products are unlikely to present any food safety concerns for most healthy New Zealanders. Roquefort is produced under European Community (EC) legislation that sets microbiological, food safety and process hygiene criteria that are similar to those in place for the manufacture of New Zealand cheeses. Additional risk mitigation measures by NZFSA include:

• 100% verification of certificates attesting that the relevant EC standards have been met

• ongoing monitoring of products to check for E. coli levels

These measures will lower the risks associated with Roquefort for most healthy New Zealanders to the same level as other common risky foods already available in New Zealand.

How can I reduce my exposure to possible risks with raw milk cheeses?

For healthy people, good personal and kitchen hygiene are essential when handling Roquefort and other more risky foods:

• use separate knives and chopping boards for Roquefort and foods that are ready-to-eat (where there is no cooking step to kill pathogens)

• keep Roquefort wrapped in your fridge, separate from other cheeses and ready-to-eat foods

• make sure your fridge is operating between 2^oC and 4^oC

• make sure you buy Roquefort from a reputable supplier who has stored or transported it correctly to minimise pathogen growth

• be sure to use, or discard Roquefort by the use-by date

• don’t eat Roquefort or other raw milk products if you or any member of your family falls into one of the vulnerable groups.

What is NZFSA doing to increase public awareness about raw milk cheeses?

NSFSA will be running a comprehensive public education campaign to advise caution among vulnerable groups and promote food safety messages through:

• leaflets, posters, point-of-sale brochures

• extensive coverage in lifestyle, food and trade magazines, local and national newspapers

• targeted information to doctors and caregivers of at-risk groups

• information about handling and cross-contamination for restaurants, shops and supermarkets.

Fact sheets and frequently-asked-questions will also be available on our website: www.nzfsa.govt.nz

When is Roquefort likely to be more widely available in New Zealand?

Roquefort could become readily available from July 2007, with other raw milk products soon to follow. NZFSA is currently developing requirements under which it may be possible for New Zealand manufacturers to produce their own raw milk products. It is hoped to have the relevant work completed by the end of 2008. More information on this will be published nearer the time.