Raw milk cheese consumption risks higher according to Canada/US draft assessment

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

by BETTER FARMING STAFF

A joint draft risk assessment by Health Canada and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) could lead to some changes in the way raw milk soft cheeses are handled.

In an email response today to questions about what the draft risk assessment could lead to, Health Canada senior media relations officer Sean Upton said changes “that may be explored” include changes in the requirement for a 60-day storage period for raw milk soft cheese and “new/updated microbiological criteria for soft-ripened cheese.”

Given the possibility of such changes, raw milk cheese advocates and opponents might want to comment on the draft risk assessment during the 75-day comment period which began Tuesday. To comment electronically, go to regulations.gov and search for docket FDA-2012-N-1182. The docket is titled the “draft joint Food and Drug Administration/Health Canada quantitative assessment of the risk of listeriosis from soft-ripened cheese consumption in the United States and Canada.”

One conclusion of the draft assessment is that consumption of soft cheese made with raw milk poses a listeriosis risk 50 to 160 times greater than consumption of soft cheese made from pasteurized milk. The assessment cautions the greatest risk is to the elderly, those with immune compromised conditions and pregnant women. According to the assessment, the only way to level the risk is to have each batch of soft raw milk cheese tested before distribution.

Canadian regulations ban the sale of raw milk but not the sale of cheese made from raw milk.  According to the FDA website, U.S. federal law prohibits dairies from distributing raw milk across state lines if it has been packaged for consumers. However, each state makes its own laws about selling raw milk within the borders of the state. About half the states allow some form of raw milk to be sold to consumers. BF