Raw milk cheeses scrutinized in U.S.

Thursday, June 6, 2013

The federal government in the United States is rethinking a 60-year-old law that allows cheeses made with raw milk to be sold to consumers as long as they have aged for at least 60 days.

Aging is supposed to kill dangerous bacteria that cheese carries, but a story in Scienceline, published by New York University's science health and environmental department, cites a University of Vermont study that found gouda and cheddar cheese aged for 100 days contained E. coli. Last fall, 22 people in 13 states were reported infected with listeria, allegedly after eating imported Italian raw milk cheeses which were subsequently recalled.  

Even with an extended aging time, it's not likely that raw milk cheeses will be made 100 per cent bacteria (and risk) free.  

The story says the Food and Drug Administration began its re-evaluation of the 60-day rule in 2009 and won't comment until its study is complete. BF