As with other studies conducted internationally, our results indicate that raw milk sampled from farm vats in New Zealand contained recognised pathogens. Even so, the prevalence and concentration of the pathogens included in the study were relatively low. Detection rates for Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7, Campylobacter and Listeria were generally lower than those found in many of the studies from other countries. This finding is perhaps not surprising, as the presence of these pathogens in raw milk is believed to be influenced by environmental factors, such as indoor housing of cattle and poor quality feed, such as silage, which are less likely to occur on New Zealand dairy farms where the animals are predominantly pasture fed. Notwithstanding, the inescapable presence of such pathogens in raw milk, albeit at low levels, highlights the continued need for correct pasteurisation or other equivalent destructive technique to be practised routinely to ensure the production of safe dairy products for consumption. Without the maintenance of pasteurisation or other effective controls, these pathogens have the potential to cause illnesses in consumers of raw milk or products made from raw milk.