This study was undertaken at the request of the New Zealand Food Safety Authority/Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to update the raw milk cheese component of a previous study of human disease associated with raw milk and raw milk products, titled ‘A systematic review of the human disease evidence associated with the consumption of raw milk and raw milk cheeses’ (Jaros et al. 2008)

NZFSA (now MPI) commissioned this report to develop guidelines for conducting challenge trials relevant to manufacturing cheese from raw milk, with the intention of helping determine the safety of raw milk cheeses.

This report details the available methods for the detection of coagulase-producing staphylococci and their enterotoxins that could be applied at various stages during cheese production from the view of their possible use by small cheese makers.

An investigation into the effect of milk time and temperature storage variables, together with internal mould ripening, on the survival and growth of Listeria monocytogenes during soft cheese production.

Literature review of publications on the effect of processing on the survival of bacterial pathogens in raw milk products.

This document updates the 2007 Risk Profile considering STEC in raw milk. The purpose of this update is to critically review new information to answer the following risk management question: Has the public health risk from STEC in raw milk consumed in New Zealand changed since the 2007 Risk Profile?