increase font size
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is reminding consumers to take care when drinking raw unpasteurised milk, a high-risk food.
"We have seen a number of recent cases of foodborne illnesses linked to raw milk and it's important that consumers remember and understand that there are risks with drinking raw milk," says MPI animal & animal products director, Matthew Stone.
Raw milk has not been pasteurised (heat treated) to kill harmful bacteria like Campylobacter and Salmonella that could be present.
"Many people who drink raw milk do not always fully understand the risks and don't realise that there is the possibility of getting sick from the harmful bacteria in the milk."
"Pregnant women, young children (particularly babies), the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems should not drink raw milk as they are at greatest risk of getting sick and the consequences for them can be more severe, and in some cases can lead to death," says Stone.
"No matter how carefully the animals are milked there is always a risk that harmful bacteria can get into the milk. There is no way of telling by taste, sight or smell if the milk you are drinking contains any harmful bacteria so we recommend that people heat their raw milk until just boiling (or to 70°C for one minute) before drinking it."
Keeping raw milk refrigerated (4°C or less) also reduces the risk of any harmful bacteria in the milk growing to levels that will make people sick. Milk should be discarded if it has been left out of the fridge and reached room temperature.
"People who choose to drink raw milk should make sure they are getting their milk directly from the farmer and are only buying it for personal and household consumption."
Testing confirms H5 bird flu in a single northern giant petrel, found dead on a remote Cape Palliser beach in the Wairarapa, says Dr Mary van Andel, the Ministry for Primary Industries' (MPI) Chief Veterinary Officer.
The apple sector is working with the Government to unlock access to two key markets that could bring millions in revenue for apple growers.
A Palmerston North shearer has been sentenced to six months' community detention and 12 months' supervision after being found to have physically abused three lambs while shearing them.
OPINION: A simpler, clearer, more effective Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme.
The country's second largest milk processor is warning against 'complacency' during a review of competition regulations in the dairy sector.
As the cost-of-living crisis continues to put pressure on household grocery budgets, new figures show pork remains one of the most affordable fresh meat options for New Zealand families.
OPINION: In politics, credibility is and should be big. It must surely rank higher than charisma, which is quite trite and superficial. Yet, voters nowadays are often wooed and influenced by how someone looks or talks at a superficial level. TV plays a huge role in this.
Farmers can spend less time on paperwork, thanks to a new data sharing agreement between DairyNZ’s DairyBase and LIC’s MINDA software.
Kaikōura families affected by July's severe storm have found a practical solution to a problem that's kept some children away from regular schooling for weeks: a washed-out section of Inland Kaikōura Road, which has stopped the local school bus from running its usual route.
Rural New Zealand is welcoming the Government’s recent package of rural healthcare initiatives.
Interest in agritech and production animal systems has prompted Massey University's School of Agriculture and the Environment to new majors to its popular animal science degree.
OPINION: After hogging the media limelight for telling a NZ Chinese MP to "go back home", Winston Peters has decided…
OPINION: With fuel prices soaring, one would have expected most farmers to be reclaiming excise duty on petrol.
