Like meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood, dairy foods have the potential to cause foodborne illness. What makes dairy foods different from meat, poultry seafood and eggs is that most milk is pasteurized before it is sold as liquid milk, or being made into cheese or ice cream. During pasteurization, raw milk is heated, while being agitated or shaken so every particle of milk, including the foam, reaches a temperature of 145oF. It is then held at that temperature for 30 minutes. A second method of pasteurization is to heat milk to 161oF and hold for 30 seconds. This heating process destroys the microorganisms that cause illness and spoilage.
Pasteurized milk is the base for ice cream, yogurt and certain beverages, as well as cheese.
In Connecticut, raw milk from goats or cows is only available from certified and registered dairies. Raw milk is also used to make certain cheeses. Because the milk is not heat treated, it is possible that raw milk and products such as cheese or yogurt made with unpasteurized milk can be contaminated with microorganisms such as Listeria, Salmonella, or E. coli. When purchasing cheese in a market, farm market, or grocery store, check the label to see if it is made from pasteurized milk. Pasteurized milk and dairy products made from pasteurized milk are thought to be free of pathogenic microorganisms.