A warning against drinking raw milk was issued by Acting Director of Public Health Dr Mark Veitch on Friday.
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Dr Veitch issued the warning after the Public Health Service was informed about a Huon Valley business providing raw milk to people staying with them.
The warning also came after the Victorian coroner’s investigation into the death of a Victorian toddler from an illness linked to consuming raw milk.
“No matter how carefully it has been produced, raw milk is unsafe due to the risk of bacteria and parasites in the milk,” Dr Veitch said.
“These can come either directly from the cow or from faeces and other contaminants in the farm and shed environments.”
Dr Veitch said germs found in raw milk included Salmonella, E. coli, Staph, Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium and Listeria.
“These germs are very infectious, and can cause gastroenteritis and more serious complications such as miscarriage, kidney failure and bleeding,” he said.
“These harms are why pasteurisation was introduced a century ago to kill germs in raw milk, and is why we have laws against the sale of raw milk to consumers.”
He said everyone was vulnerable to germs in raw milk including young children, elderly people, people with underlying health problems, and pregnant women.
