SENASA — Servicio Nacional de Salud Animal
Costa Rica's national animal health service. Responsible for dairy animal health oversight and regulation of milk production at the primary level.
View Official Resource →Costa Rica Raw Milk Laws & Regulations
Pasteurization required for commercially sold milk under SENASA and Ministerio de Salud regulations. Farm-direct raw milk sales occur informally; enforcement has been more active than in some regional neighbors.
Legal Status & 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.
Official Government Resources
Official government documents and legal resources for Costa Rica
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