Keep Your Food Safe This Festive Season: NZ Food Safety Tips
New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) is reminding New Zealanders to keep food safety top of mind as they head into the festive season.
Because raw milk is not pasteurised, it does not go through the process that kills bacteria like Campylobacter.
Arran Trust has recalled specific batches of its Arran Farm brand raw (unpasteurised) drinking milk following concerns the product may contain Campylobacter.
The affected product was sold between 23 August 2024 and 17 September 2024 and was sold through a vending machine at Arran Farm Milk Shop in Feilding. It has not been exported.
The product under recall was identified through routine testing.
New Zealand Food Safety acting deputy director-general Jenny Bishop says the concern is that the Arran Farm raw milk may contain Campylobacter, a foodborne bacterium that can cause illness.
“The raw milk should not be consumed,” Bishop says. “Return it to Arran Farm for a refund or, if that’s not possible, throw it out.”
“You can also heat the raw milk until just boiling for one minute to kill any bacteria present before drinking it,” she adds.
“Drinking raw milk carries inherent risks as it may contain harmful bacteria that are killed through the pasteurisation process,” Bishop notes.
Because raw milk is not pasteurised, it misses out on the process that kills harmful bacteria.
Symptoms of Campylobacter infection include vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, fever, headache, and body aches.
The consequences of getting sick from raw milk can be serious for vulnerable people, including pregnant women, older people, babies and young children or those with low immunity.
New Zealand Food Safety recommends those vulnerable people avoid drinking raw milk.
If you have consumed any of this product and are concerned for your health, contact your general practitioner or call Healthline on 0800 611 116 for free advice.
“As is our usual practice, we will work with Arran Trust to understand how the contamination occurred and to prevent its recurrence,” Bishop says.
For up-to-date information, visit New Zealand Food Safety’s recall page: https://www.mpi.govt.nz/food-safety-home/food-recalls-and-complaints/recalled-food-products/arran-farm-brand-raw-drinking-milk-unpasteurised/
Cyclone Vaianu is continuing its track south towards the Bay of Plenty, bringing with it destructive winds, heavy rain, and large swells, says Metservice.
While Cyclone Vaianu remains off the East Coast of New Zealand, the Waikato Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) Group says impacts have been felt overnight.
A Local State of Emergency has been declared for the Waikato for a period of seven days as the region prepares for Cyclone Vaianu to hit the area.
Farmers will get an opportunity to hear about the latest developments in sheep genetics at the Sheep Breeder Forum this May.
Specialist horticulture and viticulture weather forecasters Metris says the incoming Cyclone Vaianu is likely to impact growers across the country.
A group of old Otago uni mates with a love of South Island back-country have gone the lengths of Waiau Toa Clarence from source to sea. Tim Fulton, who joined the group in the final fun to the river mouth, tells their story.

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