Food Safety News has reported health issues linked to raw milk consumption in the United States and India.
A dairy operation in Washington recalled raw milk in late August because of contamination with E. coli. Earlier that month raw milk from the same dairy was linked to Campylobacter jejuni infections. Read the story here.
Meanwhile, scientists in India reported a rare case of Lactococcus lactis cremoris infection in a woman who consumed unpasteurised dairy products before falling sick. Read the story here.
Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurised. It is currently illegal to sell or buy raw milk for human consumption anywhere in Australia.
This position follows two extensive studies by Food Standards Australia New Zealand where raw milk was found to be an unsafe product and therefore should not be authorised for sale in Australia.
The only raw milk products which are allowed in Australia are some hard cheeses where the process of making the cheese delivers a similar result as would happen if the milk had been pasteurised.