Raw Milk Cheese Makers Unite

American dairies have banded together to form the Raw Milk Cheesemakers Association, which will hold members to safety standards when using unpasteurized milk. The formation of the group is a preemptive attempt to preserve their industry, as government regulation threatens to stop the niche product in the name of food safety. Americans are familiar with the pasteurization process that destroys pathogens with heat in most milk on the market. In recent years, raw milk has become increasingly popular for its purported health benefits, and cheesemakers tend to prefer raw milk because it contains bacteria beneficial for making cheese that would be destroyed by pasteurization. The FDA permits the sale of raw-milk cheeses only if they are matured longer than 60 days because their high acid, low-moisture content prevents pathogens from thriving. But FDA tests have shown that some pathogens survive in aged cheeses as well, so many expect regulation to follow soon.

Learn more about the new group on the Web at www.rawmilkcheese.org.

Related Article by Marion Nestle: Raw Milk Or Raw Deal?

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