August 2, 2010

New Zealand to accept EU raw milk products

The EU has welcomed a decision by the New Zealand government to open up its domestic market to raw milk products from the EU.

In a statement, the EU commissioner for health and consumer policy, John Dalli, praised the work of the Commission and member states to deliver the change of policy. Until now, milk products had to be pasteurised or heat-treated to be sold in New Zealand.

Dalli explained that the new open policy came about as a result of close cooperation between New Zealand and the EU.

It started with the framework of the EU-New Zealand Veterinary Agreement, under which authorities carried out a risk assessment on Roquefort cheese and certain hard raw milk cheeses that led to an import authorisation in 2008. And then in 2009, New Zealand carried out further risk assessment work on all raw milk products.

This has now been finalised and an import health standard (IHS) has been established.

The commission said New Zealand is the first country to accept EU raw milk products on the basis of equivalence established between EU and New Zealand standards.