Arran Trust is recalling specific batches of its Arran Farm brand raw (unpasteurised) drinking milk, as the product may contain Campylobacter.
"The concern with this unpasteurised milk is that it may contain Campylobacter, a foodborne bacterium that can make you sick," says New Zealand Food Safety acting deputy director-general Jenny Bishop.
"The affected product is Arran Farm raw drinking milk sold between 23 August 2024 and 17 September 2024."
The milk was sold through a vending machine at Arran Farm Milk Shop in Feilding. It has not been exported.
"This raw milk should not be consumed. Return it to Arran Farm for a refund or, if that’s not possible, throw it out," says Ms Bishop. "You can also heat the raw milk until just boiling for one minute to kill any bacteria present before drinking it.
"Drinking raw milk carries inherent risks as it may contain harmful bacteria that are killed through the pasteurisation process."
Symptoms of Campylobacter infection are vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, fever, headache, and body aches.
If you have consumed any of this product and are concerned for your health, contact your health professional, or call Healthline on 0800 61 11 16 for free advice.
The product under recall was identified through routine testing.
Visit New Zealand Food Safety’s recall page for up-to-date information and photographs of the affected products.
Arran Farm brand Raw Drinking Milk (unpasteurised)
"As is our usual practice, we will work with Arran Trust to understand how the contamination occurred and to prevent its recurrence," Ms Bishop said.
Raw milk is not pasteurised, which means it misses out on an important process that kills harmful bacteria. Read more about food safety risk associated with raw milk on the NZFS website.
Is it safe to drink raw milk and eat raw milk products?
The consequences of getting sick from raw milk can be serious for vulnerable people. We recommend that pregnant people, older people, babies and young children, or those with low immunity should avoid drinking raw milk.
The vast majority of food sold in New Zealand is safe, but sometimes problems can occur. Help keep yourself and your family safe by subscribing to our recall alerts. Information on how to subscribe is on the NZFS food recall page.
For more information, contact New Zealand Food Safety’s media team on NZFoodSafety_media@mpi.govt.nz.
For general enquiries, call MPI on 0800 00 83 33 or email info@mpi.govt.nz
For media enquiries, contact the media team on 029 894 0328
