New tool to help raw milk cheese manufacturers

For a very long time it was just about impossible to get in this country, as raw milk cheeses could not be imported into Australia.

Raw milk contains pathogens which are readily killed by the heating which is usually part of pasteurisation. It also contains other bacteria which purists believe make a cheese with superior flavour compared to that made with pasteurised milk.

Due to the food poisoning risks, no one was allowed to legally import or make raw milk chesses in Australia.

In the last few years, there has been a change in regulation, Roquefort can now be imported into the country under very specific and strict conditions.

Cheese manufacturers are now permitted to make raw milk chesses under the same very strict regulations, including prior approval by the state or territory health department.

So how does such a manufacturer know if their cheese meets those requirements?

A Tool has recently been released by the Food Safety Centre to help those making raw milk cheeses meet those regulations.

The Raw Milk Cheese Decision Tool has been developed  in conjunction with several jurisdictions, as well as Dairy Food Safety Victoria to assist these businesses assess whether the cheese and it’s process are suitable and safe.

The tool includes quality checks as well as process review.