The French Agency for Food, Environmental, and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) recently published a report on the main bacterial hazards associated with dairy products made from raw milk and various raw milk cheeses. ANSES conducted an assessment to identify which types of cheeses are most responsible for foodborne illnesses and should, therefore, be prioritized in public health efforts to control microbiological contamination. Raw milk cheeses are a source of concern for French officials as, over the last decade, 34 percent, 37 percent, and 60 percent of Salmonella, Listeria, and Escherichia coli infections were caused by raw milk cheese consumption, respectively.
Raw milk cheeses that were identified as the main sources of bacterial hazards are: