Special municipality of the Netherlands. Dutch food safety standards apply; EU Regulation 853/2004 does not apply directly as BES islands are Overseas Countries and Territories. Local dairy is minimal; farm-direct raw milk sales informal.
Bonaire is a special municipality of the Netherlands in the southern Caribbean Sea, near the coast of Venezuela. Since 2010, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba (together the BES islands) have been special municipalities of the Netherlands proper rather than part of the former Netherlands Antilles. Dutch administrative law applies, though the BES islands are classified as Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) in relation to the EU, meaning EU regulations such as EU Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 do not automatically apply.
Bonaire has minimal local dairy production. The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) has some jurisdiction, but food safety enforcement in practice reflects the island's small, informal economy. Traditional farm-direct consumption of raw milk occurs informally where local dairy animals are kept.
Official government documents and legal resources for Bonaire
EU regulation establishing specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin, including raw milk. The BES islands are Outermost Countries and Territories (OCT) — EU law does not apply automatically, but Dutch food safety standards largely govern in practice.
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Founder of the Slow Food movement, the Ark of Taste, and Terra Madre, Carlo Petrini spent four decades defending artisanal food traditions, raw milk cheeses, and the right to good food worldwide.
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