The Food and Drug Administration released on February 11 a draft assessment of the risk of listeriosis from soft-ripened cheese consumed in the United States and Canada. When the assessment is finalized, FDA intends to use it, along with other information and scientific assessments, in the agency's reevaluation of the current 60-day aging requirements for cheese made from raw milk.
The assessment, a joint effort between FDA and Health Canada, has been under development for the past five years. During that time, IDFA set up a plant visit for FDA inspectors and provided data in a company-blind fashion to help the agency gain an accurate picture. Cary Frye, IDFA vice president of regulatory and scientific affairs, also reviewed the draft assessment along with other external reviewers before it was released to the public.
Using Pasteurized Milk Most Effective Approach
The draft risk assessment provides a comprehensive look at how the risk of listeriosis can be reduced in soft-ripened Camembert cheese from both commercial cheese operations and smaller artisanal and single-herd farmstead operations. It confirms that making soft-ripened Camembert from pasteurized milk is the most effective approach to reducing the potential for listeriosis.
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