UK companies win the okay to export 12 raw milk cheeses to Australia

It comes as Australia remains on high alert over possible livestock disease incursions.

The UK is on Australia's list as declared free of foot and mouth disease.

Raw milk cheeses are made from unpasteurised milk.

The cheese exports are the result of the recent free trade deal signed between the two countries in December last year.

The 12 cheeses to soon appear on Australian supermarket shelves are:

Appleby's Cheshire, Appleby's Double Gloucester, Hafod, Isle of Mull, Keen's Cheddar, Kirkham's Lancashire, Lincolnshire Poacher, Montgomery's Cheddar, Sparkenhoe Red Leicester, St Andrew's Anster, St Andrew's Cheddar, Westcombe Cheddar.

Some French cheese makers already have permission to export raw milk cheeses to Australia such as Roquefort and Ossau Iraty.

MORE READING: FMD fragments detected in Melbourne meat.

While the cheeses are made from raw milk, according to Australian food standards they must still undergo some sort of heat treatment such as a high temperature "curd cook".

The exporter must also apply to Australian authorities for an import permit.

The product must also be certified by an "Official Veterinarian" from either the governments of England, Northern Ireland, Wales or Scotland.

Australia has asked to be notified "of any adverse finding" during inspections of exporting establishments.

"In the case that the Official Veterinarian is not satisfied that the product meets the requirements for certification, or has any concerns about the safety of the product, they should NOT certify the consignment for export to Australia."

The Australia/UK free trade agreement will see tariffs on UK exports of cheese, estimated to be around 20 per cent, fully eliminated after five years.

Under the trade deal, tariffs on other British imports such as cars, whisky, confectionery, biscuits and cosmetics will be phased out within five years.

Australian exporters have been told tariffs will be eliminated on more than 99 per cent of Australian goods exported to the UK with a value of about $9.2 billion.