New Zealand's Food Safety Authority is looking at relaxing its stance on longstanding prohibitions which have protected the public from illness due to raw milk.
Dozens of infectious diseases from bacteria such as salmonella, campylobacter, listeria, e.coli and TB have been linked to the consumption of raw milk.
The agency is proposing a framework that would allow a wider variety of raw milk cheeses and other products to be sold and produced in New Zealand. Similar proposals have been made in Australia.
"Letting more raw milk products onto the market would mean striking a balance between ensuring the safety of our food while giving consumers the right to choose," Food Safety Authority standards director Carol Barnao said.
Rich-list cheese afficionado Doug Myers unsuccessfully fought over a decade ago to bring the populace the flavour of raw milk cheeses.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and Fonterra's predecessors, have historically expressed concerns that occurrence of bacterial diseases, such as tuberculosis, in domestic dairy produce could harm overseas perceptions of exported butter and cheese.
New Zealand trade officials have in recent years argued against US claims that to be judged safe, dairy products need to be made from pasteurised milk.
But there is no plan to allow New Zealanders access to any more liquid raw milk than they are presently allowed - five litres sold at the farm gate for personal consumption.
But an easing of rules for some products such as cheeses is proposed.
Raw milk has become trendy in the United States despite its sale being illegal in 22 states.
The country's Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has said raw milk or raw milk products were implicated in 45 food-borne illness outbreaks that resulted in over 1000 cases of illness from 1998 to May 2005.
In New Zealand, the FSA is developing a framework to allow both local production of some raw milk products and the importation of a similar range while maintaining a level of protection for consumers.
But it noted that the move may concern people who consider that raw milk products pose significant health risks to vulnerable consumers.
And an outbreak of illness associated with consumption of raw milk products could still damage New Zealand's reputation as a reliable and trusted supplier of safe and suitable food.
Manufacturers have traditionally worked hard to avoid exporting dairy products perceived as posing risks to consumers - Fonterra has been known to bury thousands of tonnes of cheese in case it was contaminated with listeria.
Under the proposed framework some products such as the extra-hard grating, Parmesan-style raw milk cheeses would be rated as posing no greater food safety concerns than pasteurised cheeses.
Roquefort would be classed as a low risk for the general population but potentially posing higher risk for vulnerable consumers, such as pregnant women, babies and toddlers, the frail elderly and patients with compromised immune systems.
A third category would be raw milk products that cannot currently be produced to an acceptable level of safety for the general population.
Submissions on the proposal close on September 30.
NZPA