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Food Focus August 2007

Border opens to Roquefort

From late August the soft raw milk cheese Roquefort will be able to be directly imported from countries other than Australia, as will raw milk extra-hard grating cheeses. Until now nearly all dairy products on sale in New Zealand have been made from pasteurised milk or have physical and/or chemical characteristics that minimise the risks.

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 – should avoid them.

This is because raw milk products, especially the soft types such as Roquefort, have a higher likelihood of containing microbiological hazards, which may cause severe, life-threatening illness for vulnerable groups. NZFSA has an extensive programme under development to advise consumers in these vulnerable groups of the need to avoid raw milk cheeses.