Risk organisms are pests and diseases that have not appeared in New Zealand previously or have been eradicated to enable New Zealand to be considered by Office International Des Epizooties OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health) as free

The purpose of a Risk Profile is to provide contextual and background information relevant to a food/hazard combination so that risk managers can make decisions and, if necessary, take further action. The place of a risk profile in the risk management process is described in “Food Administration in New Zealand: A Risk Management Framework for Food Safety” (Ministry of Health/Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, 2000). Figure 1 outlines the risk management process.

The purpose of this risk profile is to critically review information to answer the following risk management question: What is the public health risk from C. jejuni/coli in raw milk consumed in New Zealand?

This Risk Profile considers Listeria monocytogenes in cheese. This is an update of two Risk Profiles published in 2005, one addressed L. monocytogenes in low moisture cheeses and the other L. monocytogenes in soft cheeses. The two categories of cheese are now covered in this updated Risk Profile and a revised classification of cheeses has been adopted. Extra-hard cheeses (e.g. parmesan) are excluded from this Risk Profile as these are considered to present a very low risk of causing listeriosis.

Risk profiles provide background information on combinations of foods and hazards, to help risk managers in their decision-making. Risk profiling may result in a range of activities, such as immediate risk management action, quantitative risk assessment, or a programme to gather more data. This risk profile covers Listeria monocytogenes in low-moisture cheeses.

The purpose of this risk profile is to critically review information to answer the following risk management question: What is the public health risk from L. monocytogenes in raw milk consumed in New Zealand?

The purpose of a Risk Profile is to provide contextual and background information relevant to a food/hazard combination so that risk managers can make decisions and, if necessary, take further action. Risk Profiles include elements of a qualitative risk assessment, as well as providing information relevant to risk management. Risk profiling may result in a range of activities e.g. immediate risk management action, quantitative risk assessment, or a programme to gather more data. Risk Profiles also provide information for ranking of food safety issues.

The purpose of a Risk Profile is to provide contextual and background information relevant to a food/hazard combination so that risk managers can make decisions and, if necessary, take further action. Risk Profiles include elements of a qualitative risk assessment, as well as providing information relevant to risk management. Risk profiling may result in a range of activities e.g. immediate risk management action, a decision to conduct a quantitative risk assessment, or a programme to gather more data. Risk Profiles also provide information for ranking of food safety issues.

Requirements for the assessment of dairy heat treatment equipment and systems have been
reviewed because of several key drivers: The move of the dairy sector to coverage by the Animal Products Act 1999 which has made some terminology in the Approved Criteria and associated guidance material obsolete. The requirements were not clear or easy to comply with.