Foot-and-mouth disease – No health risk expected when consuming pasteurised milk and dairy produce
- Following the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in Germany, the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment has examined whether the consumption of milk from infected animals poses a health risk to humans.
- According to the current assessment, the consumption of heat-treated (pasteurised) milk poses no health risk, even if the milk comes from animals infected with the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus. Products made from pasteurised milk such as yoghurt, milk powder or infant formula and other products made from it also pose no risk to human health according to the current state of knowledge.
- The heat treatment of milk (pasteurisation) leads to a significant reduction in the amount of viruses in the milk. Corresponding thermal processes are also used in the production of the aforementioned dairy produce.
- Overall, the scientific findings to date suggest that only the intake of very high amounts of virus (through intensive, direct contact with infected animals or through repeated consumption of highly contaminated, non-pasteurised milk) leads to human disease in individual cases.
- Between 1921 and 1997, only around 40 cases of human infection with the FMD virus were reported worldwide. In contrast to infected animals, human infections with the FMD virus are mild with complete recovery.
Risk profile on the foot-and-mouth disease
- How does the foot-and-mouth disease virus enter the body via milk and dairy produce?
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The foot-and-mouth disease virus is excreted by infected animals via vesicle contents in the mouth and claw area as well as body secretions and faeces, including milk. The virus can then be ingested orally by humans when consuming
milk and dairy produce that has not been sufficiently heated. - Is there a health risk?
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According to current knowledge, the consumption of pasteurised milk from animals infected with foot-and-mouth disease and the consumption of dairy produce made from it is safe for human health.
- How high in quality is the data?
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The quality of the data is high. The reduction of virus levels in milk through heat treatment (pasteurisation) has been proven in various studies. In the production of milk powder, infant formula or whey powder, a thermal inactivation process such as pasteurisation is also used at the beginning of the process. Specific laboratory tests for further virus reduction in the production of these dairy products are not available to the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment. However, as drying processes with high temperatures are used, a further slight reduction in the amount of virus can be assumed.
1 Subject of the assessment
The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment) issues a statement on possible health risks from the consumption of pasteurised milk and products with corresponding heat treatment (e.g. milk powder, infant milk formula) and products made from these (e.g. confectionery with whey powder) with regard to human diseases caused by infection with the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus. The background to this is the outbreak of FMD in Germany, in which the FMD virus was detected in a herd of water buffalo in Brandenburg.
2 Result
The consumption of pasteurised milk and products with corresponding heat treatment (e.g. milk powder, infant milk formula) as well as products made from these (e.g. confectionery with whey powder) is safe for human health according to the current state of knowledge, even if the milk is derived from FMD-infected animals. In general, human infections with the FMD virus are extremely rare, show mild courses and were the result of direct and intensive contact with diseased animals. Only after a self-experiment with repeated ingestion of highly contaminated raw milk were symptoms of disease described. Infections and illnesses in humans through the consumption of pasteurised milk and milk products are not known.
The amount of foot-and-mouth disease virus is greatly reduced by heat treatment. When milk is pasteurised, the amount of infectious virus decreases by 4-5 log10 levels (10,000-100,000-fold) at a temperature of 72 °Cshort fordegrees Celsius for 15 seconds (s). A thermal inactivation process such as pasteurisation is also generally used at the beginning of the process in the manufacture of dairy produce, including dried products such as skimmed milk powder, whey protein concentrate or infant formula. Data on the inactivation of foot-and-mouth disease virus during the further production of these dairy products is not available, but it can be assumed that the drying steps used here result in a further slight reduction in infectivity. The manufacturing process of pasteurised milk and products with appropriate heat treatment thus significantly reduces the amount of virus, which is why a health risk to humans from the consumption of these products is not to be expected with a high degree of certainty.
3 Rationale
The full rationale can be read in the PDF document.
Further information on the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment website on foot-and-mouth disease
- Foot-and-mouth disease /(FMD): questions and answers to the FAQ
- BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment communication: Foot-and-mouth disease in cloven-hoofed animals: No hazard to humans through food consumption to the communication