Brazil Reviews Raw-Milk Cheese Rules as Debate Reaches Uruguay
Brazil is examining possible amendments to regulations covering artisanal foods made with raw milk. The issue is expected to be addressed at a Senate hearing connected to Bill No. 531/2024, although no date has been set. Government representatives, cheese producers, universities and agricultural organisations are expected to participate.
Brazilian producers and legislators have raised concerns about differences between domestic sanitary requirements and rules applied to comparable products in other markets. Senator Carlos Viana of Minas Gerais has linked the review to the Mercosur-European Union trade agreement and called for Brazilian legislation to be updated. He has noted that some current provisions derive from rules introduced in the middle of the 20th century, while European regulations include specific provisions for traditional raw-milk products.
Canastra cheese at the centre of the discussion
The debate includes Canastra cheese, a traditional product from Minas Gerais, as well as other Brazilian artisanal varieties. Producers say technical studies support the safety of artisanal Minas cheese and are seeking rules that reflect the characteristics of its production methods.
Uruguayan dairy specialist Pablo Würth said the Brazilian review was consistent with the new commercial context and argued that requirements should be aligned across markets. “The regulations should be the same; in other words, the rules of the game should be equal in both markets. Otherwise, whoever has the stricter rules will be disadvantaged when trying to gain access,” he said.
Würth also said Uruguay might need to reconsider its own regulations, while arguing that the issue should be addressed at Mercosur level because the bloc has common provisions. “Uruguay will have to do this. It will have to review what Brazil is doing, or rather the Mercosur regulations, because the regulations are Mercosur,” he said.
Safety controls and maturation
Microbiological testing is one of the main points under discussion. Würth identified differences between local criteria and those used in Europe for microorganisms including Listeria monocytogenes. He also pointed to the expense of testing bacterial loads, which can weigh heavily on small artisanal producers.
According to Würth, collective structures in some European countries help finance these controls. He said Uruguay has fewer intermediary organisations and less state support available for such costs. He also identified maturation periods as an important safety measure: longer ageing can be used to manage risks, while some Uruguayan products reach the market before completing comparable periods.
Uruguay’s certification system
Uruguayan artisanal cheese producer Enrique Celio welcomed the prospect of a Brazilian regulatory review. He has visited the Canastra Cheese Route in Minas Gerais, where he observed small dairies and work carried out with public agencies to improve hygiene and practices for handling raw milk.
Uruguay is pursuing a separate initiative through the National Dairy Institute, known as INALE. The institute has introduced the “Certified Artisanal Dairy” label for establishments that use only milk from their own farms and meet specified production, environmental and social good-practice requirements. Celio called the certification “a major step, a step forward”, while warning that its distinction would need to produce tangible benefits for producers and dairies.
Brazil and Uruguay have different production structures. Celio said Uruguay has relatively few artisanal producers and limited output compared with Brazil. During his visit to Minas Gerais, he saw small operations with varied production systems, including cows producing seven or eight litres of milk per day and milking arrangements involving calves.
Brazilian Canastra producers visited by Celio sold their cheese in São Paulo through distributors and commercial contacts, using the country’s large domestic market. The Brazilian Senate discussion is at an early stage, while Uruguay is advancing its certification scheme. The two processes have placed raw-milk cheese safety, regulatory alignment and commercial conditions on the Mercosur agenda.
