HC Deb 24 March 1999 vol 328 cc315-6W
Mr. Luff

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the policy of his Department in relation to stocks of cheese made with milk from a dairy herd which subsequently experiences an outbreak of bovine TB. [78110]

Ms Jowell

The Dairy Products (Hygiene) Regulations 1995 require that raw cows milk shall come from animals belonging to a herd which is officially tuberculosis free, otherwise it may be sold for human consumption only after it has been heat treated.

Where cheese has been made with heat treated milk there would be no food safety implications. However, in the case of cheese made from unpasteurised cows milk, the Department would liaise with food authorities to ensure that there were no public health implications or food safety risks before allowing the marketing of that cheese.

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