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Have serious outbreaks of foodborne disease been caused by raw milk consumption?
Globally, outbreaks of illness caused by raw milk consumption occur regularly. Recorded outbreaks include cases of death, stillbirth and miscarriages. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, raw milk is responsible for nearly three times more hospitalisations than any other foodborne source. In New Zealand a disease outbreak associated with raw milk consumption occurred in May/June 2011 and involved eight people. In 2009, an outbreak of campylobacteriosis in Northland due to raw milk affected 16 people.
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Have bacteria associated with severe foodborne disease been found in raw milk in New Zealand?
An on-going MPI survey has sporadically identified in New Zealand raw milk the presence of harmful bacteria such as Listeria monocytogenes, Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli and Campylobacter.
Can we eliminate harmful bacteria in raw milk from our dairy farms?
Most harmful bacteria are present as a normal flora of the gut of ruminants and are ubiquitous in the environment. No matter how carefully the cows are milked there is always a possibility of these bacteria being present in raw milk. Pasteurisation is the only reliable method to kill pathogens in the milk.
What can I do to minimise the risk of getting ill from raw milk?
If you decide to consume raw milk make sure that you are getting milk sourced from trusted farmers. Although adherence to good hygienic practices during milking and storage cannot guarantee microbial safety of raw milk, it reduces the risk of bacterial contamination. Keep raw milk under refrigeration (4C or less) and discard if it has spent more than two hours at room temperature. The young, elderly, pregnant and immuno-compromised (i.e. those whose immune system is weakened) should avoid consumption of raw milk completely as they are at greatest risk from
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infection.
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