A new report, prepared for Food Standards Scotland (FSS), outlines the scientific evidence on food safety controls, which can be used to reduce the risks of food poisoning bacteria in the production of raw milk cheeses.
The report, by Dr Catherine Donnelly, was prepared to supply evidence for Scottish artisan cheesemakers and enforcement officials in managing the microbiological safety of artisan cheeses, particularly those produced from unpasteurised milk. The main pathogens of concern posing a risk to the safety of cheeses made from unpasteurised milk are Listeria monocytogenes, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus.
The report, which is in three parts:
- examines categorisation of commonly produced cheese types in Scotland and provides an overview of potential critical control points (CCPs) at each stage of the cheesemaking process, in order to control bacterial pathogens of primary concern;
- analyses currently available predictive models, challenge testing methods and results of challenge testing, providing evidence of the safety, or lack thereof, attained during cheesemaking;
- provides an analysis of microbiological and physicochemical results obtained from cheesemakers, as well as from the scientific literature and recommendations on testing targets and frequencies to assure process control and production of microbiologically safe products.
‘Review of controls for pathogen risks in Scottish artisan cheeses made from unpasteurised milk’ can be accessed at: https://www.foodstandards.gov.scot/downloads/FSS_2017_015_-_Control_of_path….
[Source: FSA, 12 December 2018. https://www.foodstandards.gov.scot/publications-and-research/publications/c…]
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