The Safe Cheesemaking Hub
Controlling Hazards in Cheese
Strategies for Controlling Hazards in Cheese Production. This section provides targeted resources to help cheesemakers identify and manage biological, physical, chemical, and radiological hazards throughout the production process. From pathogen control and thermal treatments to GMPs and allergen management, these tools support safer operations and regulatory compliance.
Resources
What sort of hazard do you need resources on?
Biological Hazards
Physical Hazards
Chemical Hazards
Biological Hazards
- Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy Pathogen Control Guidance Document: Provides best practices for establishing effective pathogen controls in a dairy manufacturing facility for Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and Cronobacter sakazakii.
- Innovation Center For U.S. Dairy Brine Food Safety Best Practices: Because brine systems come in direct contact with products, it is important to make sure they do not become a food safety issue. This document focuses on the key elements of brine management with an emphasis on microbiological controls.
- 2nd Edition Neogen® Environmental Monitoring Handbook: Guidance for environmental monitoring efforts to identify, control and document contamination in food production environments.
- Thermal Treatments
- Pasteurized Milk Ordinance: (PMO) Reference in Federal specifications for procurement of milk and milk products that is used as the sanitary regulation for milk and milk products served on interstate carriers; and is recognized by the Public Health Agencies, the milk industry, and many others as the national standard for milk sanitation.
- FDA Aging Rule: FDA Sampling Report & 60-Day Aging Rule for Raw Milk Cheese.
- Joint FDA / Health Canada Quantitative Assessment of the Risk of Listeriosis from Soft-Ripened Cheese Consumption in the United States and Canada | FDA: Evaluates the effects, on consumers’ risk of listeriosis, of various steps and conditions in the production of soft-ripened cheese.
- Thermization App: This application allows the user to determine the milk hold time and temperature necessary for log-reductions of 2 foodborne bacterial pathogens pertinent to cheeses (Listeria monocytogenes, Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli) made with unpasteurized bovine milk; this app has been updated July 2025 to include inactivation of H5N1 virus (“avian influenza”) that has been circulating in certain regions of the US since March 2024.
- Storage & Distribution: Challenge study which evaluated the ability of 67 market cheeses to support growth of Listeria monocytogenes (LM), Salmonella spp. (SALM), Escherichia coli O157:H7 (EC), and Staphylococcus aureus (SA) over 15 days at 25°C.
Physical Hazards
- Resources For Growing Your Cheese Business Safely: Guidance document available in English and Spanish for cheesemakers producing specialty, Artisan, or fresh style cheeses. Designed for smaller producers and highlights the basics of food safety for owners, managers, and employees with links to free supplementary resources and videos.
- Food Safety Training Resources on GMPs and other hazards: Overview of the types of food safety training that employees need to learn about and links to guidance documents, videos, visual reinforcement tools, and specialized trainings to assist in the training process.
- WI-CDR GMPs Training Video: Training video highlighting basic Good Manufacturing Practices.
- Dairy Plant GMPs English: Training poster highlighting GMPs in English.
- Dairy Plant GMPs Spanish: Training poster highlighting GMPS in Spanish.
- Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy Foreign Material Strategy Webinar: Learn how to develop a preventative strategy for Foreign Materials.
- CPG Sec 555.425 Foods, Adulteration Involving hard or Sharp Foreign Objects | FDA: FDA Guidance on Foreign Objects.
Chemical Hazards
- Components Of An Effective Allergen Control Program FARRP UNL: Learn the components of an Effective Allergen Control Plan. (See Page 7 Regarding Cross Contact).
- Allergen Poster In English: Allergen Awareness Training Poster.
- Allergen Poster In Spanish: Allergen Awareness Training Poster.
- Food Labelling For The Food Allergic Consumer: Learn requirements for allergen labelling.
- Radiological TBD Alex
