A raw milk cheese deal with the UK is set to please Aussie foodies, but not all their local producers.
A dozen raw milk cheeses from the United Kingdom have been approved for export to Australia in a deal likely to please cheese lovers, but not necessarily local cheesemakers.
Australian consumers will be able to choose from a dozen raw milk cheese varieties from the UK following a new deal. Meanwhile only two cheesemakers in Australia can legally sell raw milk cheese.
Government authorities say local cheesemakers are on a level playing field, but not all producers agree. Artisan sheep cheese producer Cressida Cains from Robertson said there was quite a high barrier for Australian cheesemakers to be able to make raw milk cheese.
In the UK, Paul Appleby from the West Midlands region said the “exciting” deal was a win for English cheesemakers, who make the semi-hard cheeses on-farm from fresh cow’s milk.
