Is Cheese Made from Raw Milk Safe?

Cheese safety begins with the state of the milk it is made from. In cheese made with pasteurized milk, the milk has undergone a monitored heat treatment before production. Cheese made with raw milk has no such step; any hazards the milk may carry enter production directly. These hazards do not change the milk’s appearance, smell, or taste, so even milk that looks clean can carry them. What happens during the later stages of cheesemaking therefore matters. That is why the question is not the cheese’s name, but the state of the milk and the production process.

The deciding stage is aging. The internationally recognized benchmark is to age cheese made from raw milk for at least 60 days. During this period, three things progress at the same time in the cheese: lactic acid bacteria make the environment more acidic, salt binds water, and the cheese’s moisture content decreases. Together, all three narrow the conditions in which unwanted microorganisms can survive. The shorter the period, the less complete each of these three factors is, and the cheese is not considered aged. In production where the period is shortened, none of these three factors is sufficient on its own.

That is why risk is concentrated in fresh cheese. Lor, çökelek, fresh white cheese, fresh braided cheese, and unaged brined cheeses have high moisture, low acidity, and short aging periods. If these products are made from raw milk, the protection provided by aging time never comes into play. Older, firm cheeses that have been kept for a long time are notably more resistant. Even between two cheeses with the same name, the aging period makes a big difference. The salt level of the cheese’s brine also plays a role in this balance and is not reduced.

The refrigerator does not change this picture. Listeria monocytogenes, one of the hazards that can cause problems in dairy products, is a bacterium that can also multiply in cold conditions; at 4°C / 40°F, its growth slows but does not stop. In other words, refrigeration does not make fresh cheese safe; it only extends the time. Freezing cheese also stops multiplication but does not eliminate what is already there. What still matters is whether the milk was pasteurized and how long the cheese was aged. For the same reason, opened packaged cheese should also be eaten promptly and kept in a covered container.

The label is where to look when shopping. Packaged products state whether the milk was pasteurized and the aging period; if this information is missing, the product is considered to be made from raw milk. This information is often unavailable for village cheeses sold loose at a counter. Fresh cheese with an unknown aging period should not be served to pregnant people, older adults, young children, or people with weakened immune systems. Heat comes into play with cheeses that are eaten cooked, changing the picture. Cheese heated thoroughly in an oven or pan falls outside this category.