# Raw Milk Cheese



## TheNoodleIncident (Nov 22, 2010)

i was in a trader joes in CT yesterday and saw several "raw milk" cheeses....i had been under the impression that raw milk was illegal in the US (and, living in NY, i never see it), but did some reading and apparently its just heavily restricted and actually available in several states, w/ various rules

so, in terms of flavor only (i realize that there are other reasons to debate raw milk, but lets ignore those for now), is raw milk cheese better? i would think that the difference would be more noticeable in un-aged cheeses
i wish i had bought some, not sure why i didnt


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## Bolas De Fraile (Nov 22, 2010)

For me yes, but try some and compare it with a similar pasturised product.


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## CharlieD (Nov 22, 2010)

Taste is such a personal thing that there is no way of telling. I love everything from raw milk, starting with milk it self. But then I also like baked milk, I bet nobody ever evn heard about it, have you?
You must taste it.


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## jennyema (Nov 22, 2010)

TheNoodleIncident said:


> i was in a trader joes in CT yesterday and saw several "raw milk" cheeses....i had been under the impression that raw milk was illegal in the US (and, living in NY, i never see it), but did some reading and apparently its just heavily restricted and actually available in several states, w/ various rules
> 
> so, in terms of flavor only (i realize that there are other reasons to debate raw milk, but lets ignore those for now), is raw milk cheese better? i would think that the difference would be more noticeable in un-aged cheeses
> i wish i had bought some, not sure why i didnt


 
Raw milk cheese can be legally sold if it's been aged for at least 60 days.  It's widely available.

Many people, including myself, find raw milk cheeses to have more complex and robust flavors. They are also supposed to be more nutritious.

But there have been several recent cases of listeria that have been linked to raw milk cheese.


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## taxlady (Nov 22, 2010)

jennyema said:


> Raw milk cheese can be legally sold if it's been aged for at least 60 days.  It's widely available.
> 
> Many people, including myself, find raw milk cheeses to have more complex and robust flavors. They are also supposed to be more nutritious.
> 
> But there have been several recent cases of listeria that have been linked to raw milk cheese.



That might be because raw milk was used or it could have happened anyway. We had a big listeriosis outbreak here in Canada in 2008. It was in packaged meat/cold cuts.


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## taxlady (Nov 22, 2010)

Cheese makers love using raw milk. The flavour is, in some way I can't quite describe, fuller. The texture is also a little different. There is Quebec cheddar from the Lac St-Jean area that has won international gold medals for years and years. It was only sold in Europe until some time in the '90s. Then it started being sold in health food stores in Quebec. The stuff is really yummy.


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## TheNoodleIncident (Nov 22, 2010)

so, unless i misunderstood something i just read, all parmagiano reggiano is made from raw milk....so ive had raw milk cheese afterall

i think i'd really like to try a fresh, raw milk cheese, to be compared to a similar pasteurized version


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## Rocklobster (Nov 23, 2010)

It definitely has more flavor. You be the judge weather they are flavors you like or not.  Personally, I prefer raw milk cheeses. I love the acrid characteristics and richness...They go so well with full bodied wines and rustic bread. A match made in heaven..


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## jennyema (Nov 23, 2010)

taxlady said:


> That might be because raw milk was used or it could have happened anyway.


 
It couldn't have happened anyway.  Pasteurization kills listeria.


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## taxlady (Nov 23, 2010)

jennyema said:


> It couldn't have happened anyway.  Pasteurization kills listeria.



Couldn't have happened anyway? Really?

From 2008 Canadian listeriosis outbreak - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Listeriosis is an infection caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. The outbreak originated from lines 8 and 9 of the Maple Leaf Foods Bartor Road facility (Establishment No. 97B) in North York, Ontario, a neighbourhood of Toronto. There were about 220 possibly contaminated products, each stamped with the code "97B" near the "Best before" date. *Since the bacteria travelled through deli meats, which are cooked (and as a result are usually free of pathogens), the contamination likely occurred during packaging.* (emphasis mine)​


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## jennyema (Nov 23, 2010)

taxlady said:


> Couldn't have happened anyway? Really?
> 
> From 2008 Canadian listeriosis outbreak - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
> Listeriosis is an infection caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. The outbreak originated from lines 8 and 9 of the Maple Leaf Foods Bartor Road facility (Establishment No. 97B) in North York, Ontario, a neighbourhood of Toronto. There were about 220 possibly contaminated products, each stamped with the code "97B" near the "Best before" date. *Since the bacteria travelled through deli meats, which are cooked (and as a result are usually free of pathogens), the contamination likely occurred during packaging.* (emphasis mine)​


 
You are referring to deli meats.  Diffferent thing.

It can't happen to non-raw milk *cheese*, as it by definition has been pasteurized.

You said_ "That might be because raw milk was used or it could have happened anyway."_

It couldn't have happened anyway.  It was because it was raw milk (unpasteurized) cheese that it became contaminated.  Had it been pasteurized (and therefore not raw milk) it would not have been.


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## taxlady (Nov 23, 2010)

jennyema said:


> You are referring to deli meats.  Diffferent thing.
> 
> It can't happen to non-raw milk *cheese*, as it by definition has been pasteurized.
> 
> ...



I'm confused. What makes you think that the packaging equipment at a cheese producer can't get contaminated?


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