Raw milk producers warned

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has directed unregistered raw (unpasteurised) drinking milk suppliers throughout the country to stop selling their product until they comply with the legal requirements for sale.

MPI compliance staff executed search warrants at non-compliant raw drinking milk suppliers in Auckland, Hawke’s Bay, Manawatu¯ , Horowhenua, Nelson and Southland on Tuesday, following a year-long operation.

MPI manager of food compliance Melinda Sando said the purpose of the co-ordinated site visits was to gather evidence of the offending and to allow further investigation of non-compliant sales.

‘‘We believe that the suppliers we visited . . . are operating outside of the regulatory framework. By not adhering to the rules for selling raw drinking milk, they are putting consumer health at risk.’’

Sando said there had been instances of people getting sick after drinking raw milk from some of the visited suppliers.

Sando said people should be able to choose to drink raw milk if they wanted to, but that the milk they consume should be produced within the regulations set by MPI.

She said the suppliers in question had been using various tactics to continue selling their product, including selling it as bath milk or pet milk.

Sando said all suppliers were able to take part in the consultation process around the introduction of new raw drinking milk regulations, which came into effect in 2016.

‘‘The suppliers need to stop selling unregulated product immediately. They’ll be able to resume selling once they have met all requirements to make them compliant.

‘‘We hope they put human health first. It’s the responsible thing to do.’’