Cows are pictured during an international agricultural exhibition in the outskirts of Minsk June 4, 2014. Farmers and agriculture companies from 14 countries gathered near the Belarussian capital to show their products on Wednesday. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosen
IN PHOTO: Cows are pictured during an international agricultural exhibition in the outskirts of Minsk June 4, 2014. Farmers and agriculture companies from 14 countries gathered near the Belarussian capital to show their products on Wednesday. Reuters/Vasily Fedosenko

The death of an Australian child due to raw milk has prompted New Zealand authorities to issue a warning. A 3-year-old child in Victoria has fallen seriously ill after drinking unpasteurised milk.

Victorian state health department also issued a warning about the consumption of raw milk, according to the New Zealand Herald. Raw milk is often sold as bath milk in some food shops. Australian chief health officer Rosemary Lester said the bacteria in raw milk can affect the bloodstream and kidneys.

A spokesperson for the Ministry for Primary Industries in New Zealand said there were risks when drinking unprocessed milk. She urged milk producers to warn their customers if their milk products might contain disease-causing bacteria. The people that were most at risk to illness from raw milk consumption were the old, young, pregnant and others with a weak immune system.

The ministry has recommended the heating of milk to 70 degrees Celsius to kill bacteria before drinking. The spokeswoman said that food safety risks should be managed and suggested an extensive consultation on policies involved in the sale of raw milk.

In a Radio NZ report, Dr David Everett, president of the New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology, reacted to the news of the child's death and said it was both "sad and disturbing" especially if milk producers are unaware of the risks. He added that the problem may have something to do with the way the product was packaged, transported or stored since these are not always monitored. Everett warned that if certain conditions are not met, pathogenic bacteria might develop. He recommended that raw milk should not be sold for human consumption.

Meanwhile, Andrew Hoggard, dairy and food safety chairman at Federated Farmers, said milk sellers are required to inform consumers of the risks of buying raw milk. He believes unpasteurised milk is at risk of any bacteria that might have come into contact with the cow's milk. He also advised not to overstock on raw milk since it can't be stored for a long time.