Raw milk

Raw milk is milk that has not undergone a heat treatment process such as pasteurisation to kill pathogenic bacteria.

Raw milk products are products such as cheese that are made from milk that has not undergone a heat treatment process.

Raw milk and raw milk products may come from a number of milking animals including cow, goat, sheep, buffalo, horse and camel.

What are the risks associated with drinking raw milk?

Unpasteurised milk presents an increased risk of being contaminated with germs and does not provide any dietary advantage compared with pasteurised milk.

Raw milk is known to carry several disease causing organisms including:

• Campylobacter jejuni (campylobacteriosis)
• Salmonella
• Listeria monocytogenes (listeriosis)
• Escherichia coli

Complications from drinking raw milk can be extremely severe and may result in death. For example, Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome (HUS) can result in renal failure and death in otherwise healthy people.

What effect does pasteurisation have on milk?

Pasteurisation is an important public health measure supported by scientific studies around the world and in Australia. Following the introduction of pasteurisation there was a significant reduction in illnesses associated with milk recorded, demonstrating pasteurisation is an effective means of eliminating pathogens from milk.

The nutrient value of milk is generally unaffected by pasteurisation. Vitamin C is the most heat sensitive vitamin and pasteurisation results in a small loss of the vitamin. However, in terms of a healthy diet, this loss is not particularly significant as milk is not a major source of Vitamin C, especially if fruit and vegetables are consumed in the diet.

What are the laws in Queensland for milk?

The heat treatment of milk and milk products, such as pasteurisation, is required by the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (the Food Standards Code).

In Queensland, all milk sold (except goats’ milk) must be pasteurised. Unpasteurised goats’ milk is permitted subject to compliance with the dairy scheme which includes strict requirements for testing, appropriate recall procedures, and labelling. The statement ‘Caution— This milk is an unpasteurised product and may contain organisms that could be injurious to health’ is required to be included on the product.

The pasteurisation of milk and manufacturing of other dairy produce is administered by Safe Food Production Queensland under the Food Production (Safety) Act 2000.

What about raw milk cheeses?

Raw milk cheeses for human consumption must be approved by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). The maturation of the cheese must meet certain time, temperature and water content requirements, a process which has a similar outcome to pasteurisation in that it reduces pathogens.

FSANZ conducted a risk assessment for a small number of raw milk cheese types/varieties including Extra Hard, Swiss-type, Cheddar, Blue, Feta and Camembert. The Extra Hard and selected Swiss-style cheese were determined to present a low to negligible risk to public health and safety due to high curd cooking temperature. Other types of cheese (Cheddar, Feta and Camembert) were considered a high risk due to growth and/or survival of pathogens during cheese making.

What about raw milk products for cosmetic use?

Raw milk products labelled as bath milk for ‘cosmetic use only’ should only be sold as a cosmetic product. They cannot be sold as a food as they are not pasteurised.

Laboratory tests undertaken on samples of raw milk products sold as bath milk revealed the majority of the samples tested contained harmful organisms – namely E. coli and staphylococci. These harmful organisms can cause severe illness and even death.

Consumers are urged to use products as per its intended use and not consume raw milk products. Every raw milk product that is permitted for sale in Australia must be labelled with a statement to the effect that the product has not been pasteurised.

What do retailers of raw milk products need to know?

The Food Act 2006 provides severe penalties for selling raw milk as a food and misleading conduct related to the sale of food, both of which carry significant financial penalties.

Retailers have a duty of care to customers to only sell food that is safe and suitable for consumption. If retailers sell bath milk as a food, they are risking prosecution and are placing customers at risk of illness. To avoid possible prosecution and even civil action from customers who may become ill, retailers should make it quite clear that bath milk products are not suitable for drinking.

If you have any further questions relating to the sale of raw milk, contact your local Queensland Health Public Health Unit.