Unpasteurised Dairy

• Vulnerable people such as pregnant women, people with compromised immune systems, the elderly or young children should not consume raw milk or raw milk cheeses as they can get seriously ill.

• It is illegal to sell unpasteurised cow’s milk in Australia for human consumption.

• There are a few unpasteurised hard or semi-hard cheeses imported into Australia, including extra hard type cheeses (parmesan types), the Swiss cheeses Emmental, Gruyere and Sbrinz, and Roquefort cheese but these have to undergo strict production processes and testing - they will be labelled that they have not been pasteurised.

• If you milk your own cow or goat, always ensure that it is healthy - if you wish to pasteurise the milk at home, here is a simple method:

1. Using a double boiler, place the milk in the top and water in the bottom

2. Place an accurate, metal-stem thermometer and spoon in the milk during the entire pasteurization

    process - a metal-stem thermometer is recommended over glass because it will not break.

3. Heat the milk, while stirring constantly, to 75°C and hold it at that temperature for no less than 15

    seconds - constant stirring is important for obtaining even distribution of the heat and to ensure that all

    the milk is heated to 75°C.

4. At the end of the 15 second holding time, place the top portion of the double boiler containing the milk

    in a pan of cold water - continue stirring the milk to achieve rapid cooling.

5. When the milk temperature is below 55°C, replace the cooling water with ice water and continue to cool

    the milk, with occasional stirring, until the temperature is 5°C or below.

6. Pour the cooled milk into clean containers, cover, and store in the refrigerator at 5°C or colder until used.