Written question asked by Andrew Rosindell (Conservative) on Tuesday, 13 March 2012, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 15 March 2012. It was answered by Anne Milton (Conservative) on Tuesday, 20 March 2012 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Milk: Standards

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the likely risks posed by unpasteurized milk obtained from (a) resellers and (b) farmers.

Answer: We are advised by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), which has responsibility for food safety matters, that the Government's Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food (ACMSF) has assessed the risk posed by unpasteurised or raw drinking milk on four separate occasions, most recently in 2011. The ACMSF assessed the risks of unpasteurised milk in relation to foodborne disease, but did not differentiate between the risks posed by different routes of sales. The ACMSF reports are available at:"http://acmsf.food.gov.uk/acmsfreps/acmsfreports"The FSA board will be discussing a paper on the microbiological safety of raw drinking milk at their next open board meeting on 20 March. The board will consider whether a review of the current controls governing the sale and marketing of raw drinking milk and cream is required.

Secondary information