According to a study published in Food Microbiology, raw milk aged cheeses are relatively safe. The cheeses must be aged at least 60 days, at temperatures not less than 35 degrees F. The aging process produces low pH, low water activity, and high salt content that renders the cheese inhospitable to bacteria, yeast, and molds. The regulations regarding raw milk aged cheeses were enacted in 1950, "long before contemporary pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli 0157:H7, and Campylobacter had been recognized," according to the study. Those bacteria can tolerate inhospitable environments such as low pH and low water activity. In the last 20 years, "many small and several large foodborne outbreaks linked to consumption of cheese made from unpasteurized milk have occurred, both … [Read more...]