Costa Rica Raw Milk Laws & Regulations

Costa Rica requires pasteurization for commercially sold milk under regulations administered jointly by SENASA (Servicio Nacional de Salud Animal) under the Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería and the Ministerio de Salud. The regulatory framework, grounded in the Ley General de Salud and associated technical decrees, establishes pasteurization as the standard for consumer milk sold through commercial channels.

Costa Rica's food safety authorities have been more active in enforcing these requirements than some regional neighbors, periodically conducting operations against informal raw milk sales in urban markets. Traditional farm-direct raw milk sales nonetheless continue in rural areas, particularly in the dairy regions of Cartago and Alajuela, with small producers supplying consumers directly. SENASA maintains inspection oversight of dairy farms and milk collection centers.