Milk treatment time up 10sec

14 December 2001




Milk treatment time up 10sec

MILK producers must improve hygiene to reduce the risk of infection, according to a new draft strategy by the Food Standards Agency.

Dairy companies will have to treat milk in the pasteurisation process at a temperature of 72C for 25sec, instead of 15sec under the proposals. The strategy is aimed at killing the organism mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP), thought to cause Crohns disease.

Food agency officials believe this precautionary action should start immediately in case a link between the organism and the disease is proved. Health officials are concerned that 5000 cases of the disease develop each year, predominantly in children and young people.

The agencys strategy follows a survey of pasteurised milk from eight dairies that showed MAP could affect 2.1% of British milk. The bacteria currently affects 90,000 people in Britain, causing chronic diarrhoea, stomach pain, vomiting and weight loss. &#42


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