Is raw milk legal in Belgium?

Yes. Raw milk direct sales to consumers are legal in Belgium under a framework established by the Royal Decree of January 7, 2014 and governed by FAVV/AFSCA. Raw milk vending machines (melkautomaten) operate under the specific FAVV Circular of March 22, 2022. Raw milk sources in Belgium are listed at https://getrawmilk.com/browse/Belgium.

Rauwe melk is the Dutch (Flemish) term for raw milk: unpasteurized milk sold directly to consumers without heat treatment. In French-speaking Belgium (Wallonia and Brussels), the same product is called lait cru. Both terms are regulated by the same federal authority, FAVV in Dutch and AFSCA in French.

How far can a Belgian raw milk vending machine be from its farm?

Under the FAVV Circular of March 22, 2022, a raw milk vending machine (melkautomaat) in Belgium must be within 80 kilometers of the producing farm. Belgium is the only country in the European raw milk vending cluster to specify a kilometer-based placement distance; Italy uses a province-based restriction and France imposes no distance limit.

What must Belgian raw milk vending machines display?

Belgian raw milk vending machines must display the terms rauwe melk (raw milk) and koken voor gebruik (boil before use) in Dutch, or the French equivalents lait cru and faire bouillir avant consommation. The farm's telephone number must also be displayed on the machine.

Where can I buy raw milk in Belgium?

Raw milk in Belgium is available from farm gate sales (hoeveverkoop in Flemish, vente à la ferme in French), raw milk vending machines (melkautomaten), and through CRU, a fresh market format operated by Colruyt Group, which stocks raw milk from Friday through Sunday at participating locations. Current sources are listed at https://getrawmilk.com/browse/Belgium.

What is a melkautomaat?

A melkautomaat is a raw milk vending machine in Flemish Dutch. It is a refrigerated, self-service dispenser supplied by a single named farm. In Belgium, melkautomaten must be within 80km of the producing farm, display the labels rauwe melk and koken voor gebruik, be refilled daily, and be registered with the local FAVV control unit.

Three bottles from Baliehof zuivelboerderij in Jabbeke, Belgium, with bilingual Dutch and French labels: Rauwe Hoevemelk and Lait de Ferme cru on the left, karnemelk and lait battu in the centre, and a glass of milk alongside

Raw Milk in Belgium: Rauwe Melk, Lait Cru, and the FAVV Framework

Q: Does Belgium allow goat and sheep raw milk from vending machines?

Yes. The FAVV Circular of March 22, 2022 covers raw, unpackaged milk and colostrum broadly, and the Royal Decree of January 7, 2014 defines raw milk as milk from any milk-producing animal not heated above 40°C. The Belgian framework covers cow, goat, and sheep milk for direct consumer sales including from vending machines.

Q: How long does raw milk last in Belgium?

Under the Royal Decree of January 7, 2014, the best-before date for raw milk sold directly to consumers in Belgium may not exceed three days from the date of the first milking included in the batch. Raw milk must be refrigerated at 0 to 6°C and consumed before the indicated date.

July 8, 2026 · 5 min read

Belgium is a bilingual dairy country. In the Dutch-speaking Flemish region, raw milk is rauwe melk. In French-speaking Wallonia and Brussels, it is lait cru. Both terms refer to unpasteurized milk sold without heat treatment, and both operate under the same federal regulatory authority: FAVV in Dutch (Federaal Agentschap voor de Veiligheid van de Voedselketen) and AFSCA in French (Agence fédérale pour la Sécurité de la Chaîne alimentaire).

The Regulatory Framework

Belgium’s framework for direct raw milk sales to consumers rests on three instruments:

Koninklijk besluit / Arrêté royal of January 7, 2014: The Royal Decree on direct delivery of small quantities of animal-origin foods by primary producers to end consumers or local retail. For raw milk, this decree specifies the maximum shelf life: the best-before date may not exceed three days from the date of the first milking included in the batch (“de uiterste verbruiksdatum voor rauwe melk mag in elk geval nooit de drie dagen overschrijden na de datum van de eerste melkbeurt die gebruikt wordt in de samenstelling van de partij rauwe melk”).

Koninklijk besluit / Arrêté royal of August 29, 2021: The Royal Decree on raw milk quality control and recognition of interprofessional organizations. Governs the quality monitoring framework across Belgian raw milk production.

FAVV Circular of March 22, 2022: “Omzendbrief met betrekking tot de verkoop van rauwe, onverpakte melk en/of colostrum via melkautomaten” (Circular regarding the sale of raw, unpackaged milk and/or colostrum via milk automats). This circular is Belgium’s specific governing document for raw milk vending machines, issued by the FAVV/AFSCA.

Machine Requirements Under the 2022 Circular

The FAVV circular establishes specific operational requirements for melkautomaten (milk automats):

80km placement limit. A machine must be within 80 kilometers of the producing farm (“De automaat moet zich in een straal van 80km rondom het productiebedrijf bevinden”). Belgium is the only country in this cluster to specify a kilometer-based placement distance; Italy uses a province-based restriction, France imposes no limit.

Species. The framework covers cow, goat, and sheep milk. The FAVV circular title specifies “rauwe, onverpakte melk en/of colostrum” (raw, unpackaged milk and/or colostrum), and the January 2014 Royal Decree defines raw milk as milk from any milk-producing animal not heated above 40°C.

No official machine count. No Belgian government or industry body has published an aggregate count of registered melkautomaten.

Temperature. The ideal storage temperature is between 0 and 6°C. The milk in the pipe between the reservoir and the dispensing tap must also be maintained within this range. Temperature must be checked daily.

Daily refilling and disposal. Machines must be refilled daily. Unsold milk from the previous filling must be removed before new milk is loaded and may not re-enter the human food chain. Remaining milk may be fed to animals on the same farm if still suitable.

Daily cleaning. The machine must be cleaned and disinfected between each emptying and refilling, using only approved disinfectants, and rinsed thoroughly afterwards.

Mandatory labeling. Machines must display:

Rauwe melk / Lait cru: raw milk
Koken voor gebruik / Faire bouillir avant consommation: boil before use
The farm’s telephone number

Registration. The machine installation must be registered with the relevant local FAVV control unit (Lokale Controle-eenheid / LCE).

Proximity advisory. The FAVV advises against installing machines in the direct vicinity of vulnerable groups such as schools and nursing homes.

Retail: CRU by Colruyt Group

Belgium has a retail raw milk channel not found in most European countries. CRU, a fresh market format operated by Colruyt Group, stocks raw milk from Baliehof, a zuivelboerderij (dairy farm) in Jabbeke, West Flanders. Baliehof bottles its milk with bilingual Dutch and French labels: Rauwe Hoevemelk / Lait de Ferme cru on the raw milk bottle, illustrating the linguistic dual nature of Belgian dairy labeling. Raw milk is available in CRU outlets from Friday through Sunday. CRU locations stocking raw milk are listed in the raw milk in Belgium directory.

This retail channel operates under the packaged raw milk provisions of the January 2014 Royal Decree rather than the vending machine circular.

Hoeveverkoop: Farm Gate Sales

The most direct access point for raw milk in Belgium is hoeveverkoop (Flemish) or vente à la ferme (French): direct farm gate sales. A farmer serving milk directly from a cooling tank to a consumer must inform the consumer verbally that the milk is raw (FAVV/AFSCA). Bring your own clean, sealable glass bottle or food-safe container.

Belgian Dairy Vocabulary

Flemish (Dutch):

Rauwe melk: raw milk
Onverpakte melk: unpackaged milk (as dispensed from a machine)
Melkautomaat: raw milk vending machine
Hoeveverkoop: farm gate sales
Koken voor gebruik: boil before use
Boerderij: farm

French (Wallonia and Brussels):

Lait cru: raw milk
Lait non pasteurisé: unpasteurized milk
Distributeur automatique de lait cru: raw milk vending machine
Vente à la ferme: farm gate sales
Faire bouillir avant consommation: boil before consumption
Ferme laitière: dairy farm

Regulatory:

FAVV (Dutch) / AFSCA (French): Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain

Finding Raw Milk in Belgium

Current raw milk sources across Belgium, including melkautomaten, farm gate sellers, and retail, are listed at raw milk in Belgium.

Search terms for finding additional sources:

Rauwe melk automaat (Flemish: raw milk machine)
Hoeveverkoop rauwe melk (Flemish: farm gate raw milk)
Lait cru automaat or distributeur lait cru (French-speaking areas)
Bioboerderij rauwe melk (Flemish: organic farm raw milk)

For a broader overview of raw milk vending machine networks across Europe, see Raw Milk Vending Machines in Europe. For a practical guide to finding machines by country, see How to Find a Raw Milk Vending Machine in Europe.