Current through Register Vol. 42, No. 11, August 30, 2024
(1) Basis - The
Quality classification of raw milk for manufacturing purposes from all
individual producers shall be based on the following: Organoleptic examination
(appearance and odor), quality control tests for sediment content, bacterial
estimate, somatic cell count, and antibiotics.
(2) Appearance and odor - The appearance of
acceptable raw milk shall be normal and free of excessive coarse sediment when
examined visually or by an acceptable test procedure. The milk shall not show
any abnormal condition (including but not limited to, curdled, ropy, bloody or
mastitic condition), as indicated by sight or other test procedures. The odor
shall be fresh and sweet. The milk shall be free from objectionable feed and
other off-odors that adversely affect the finished product.
(3) Sediment content classification - Milk
shall be classified for sediment content, regardless of the results of the
appearance and odor examination described in Section (2) as follows:
The USDA Sediment Standard
No. 1 (acceptable) - not to exceed 0.50 mg. or
equivalent.
No. 2 (acceptable) - not to exceed 1.50 mg. or
equivalent.
No. 3 (probational, not over 10 days) - not to exceed 2.50 mg.
or equivalent.
No. 4 (reject) - over 2.50 mg. or equivalent.
(a) Method of testing - Methods for
determining the sediment content of the milk of individual producers shall be
those described in the latest edition of Standard Methods for the Examination
of Dairy Products. Sediment content shall be based on comparison with
applicable charts of the United States Sediment Standards for Milk and Milk
Products, 7 CFR Part 58, Subpart T, §§ 58.2728 through
58.2732.
(b) Frequency of tests -
At least once each month, at irregular intervals, the milk from each producer
shall be tested as follows:
1. Milk in cans -
One or more cans of milk selected at random from each producer.
2. Milk in farm bulk tanks, - A sample shall
be taken from each farm bulk tank.
(c) Acceptance or rejection of milk if the
sediment disc is classified as No. 1, No. 2 or No. 3, the producer's milk may
be accepted. If the sediment disc is classified No. 4 the milk shall be
rejected: Provided, that if the shipment of milk is commingled with other milk
in a transport tank the next shipment shall not be accepted until its quality
has been determined at the farm before being picked up; however, if the person
making the test is unable to get to the farm before the next shipment it may be
accepted but no further shipments shall be accepted unless the milk meets the
requirements of No. 3 or better. In the case of milk classified as No. 3 or No.
4, if in cans, all cans shall be tested. Producers of No. 3 or No. 4 milk (cans
or bulk) shall be notified immediately and shall be furnished applicable
sediment discs and the next shipment shall be tested.
(d) Retests - On test of the next shipment
(if in cans, all cans shall be tested) milk classified as No. 1, No. 2, or No.
3, may be accepted but No. 4 milk shall be rejected. Retests of bulk milk
classified as No. 4 shall be made at the farm before pickup. The producers of
No. 3 or No. 4 milk shall be notified immediately, furnished applicable
sediment discs and the next shipment tested. This procedure of retesting
successive shipments and accepting probational (No. 3) milk and rejecting No. 4
milk may be continued for not to exceed 10 calendar days. If at the end of this
time all of the producer's milk does not meet the acceptable sediment content
classification (No. 1 or No. 2) it shall be excluded from market.
(4) Bacterial estimate
classification - Milk shall be classified for bacterial estimate by one of the
following methods:
--------------------------------------------------------------
Bacterial Estimate Direct Microscopic Count, Standard
Classification Plate Count or Plate Loop Count
--------------------------------------------------------------
No. 1 ---------------- Not over 500,000 per ml.
No. 2 ---------------- Not over 1,000,000 per ml.
Undergrade ----------- Over 1,000,000 per ml.
--------------------------------------------------------------
(a) Method of testing - Methods for
determining the bacterial estimate of milk shall be those described in the
latest edition of Standard Methods for the Examination of Dairy
Products.
(b) Frequency of tests -
At least once a month at irregular intervals, a mixed sample of each producer's
milk shall be tested.
(c)
Acceptance of milk - If the sample of milk is classified as No. 1 or No. 2, the
producer's milk may be accepted without qualification. If the sample is
classified as "Undergrade" (probational), the producer's milk may be accepted
for a temporary period of 4 weeks. The producer of "Undergrade" milk shall be
notified immediately.
(d) Retests -
Additional samples shall be tested and classified at least weekly and the
producer notified immediately of the results. This procedure of testing at
least weekly and accepting "Undergrade" milk may be continued for a time period
not exceeding 4 weeks. If at the end of this time the producer's milk does not
meet the acceptable bacterial estimate requirements (No. 1 or No. 2), it shall
be excluded from market.
(5) Rejected milk - A plant shall reject
specific milk from a producer if it fails to meet the requirements for sight
and odor (Section .03(2)), or if it is classified No. 4 for sediment content,
or if it fails to meet the provisions of Section .03(11).
(6) All reject milk shall be identified with
a reject tag and colored with harmless food coloring.
(7) Excluded milk - A plant shall not accept
milk from a producer for use in products:
(a)
If a new producer's milk does not meet the requirements for acceptable milk
(Section .03(a) and .03(4)); or
(b)
If the milk has been in a probational (No. 3) sediment content classification
for more than 10 calendar days Section .03(3); or
(c) If the milk has been classified
"Undergrade" for bacterial estimate for more than 4 successive weeks Section
.03(4).
(8) Quality
testing of milk from producers.
(a) New
producers, an examination shall be made on the first shipment of milk from
producers shipping milk to a plant for the first time or after a period of
nonshipment. The milk shall meet the requirements for "acceptable milk"
(Section .03(3) and .03(4)). Thereafter, the milk shall be tested in accordance
with the procedure established for regular shippers.
(b) Transfer producers.
1. When a producer discontinues milk delivery
at one plant and begins delivery to a different plant for any reason, the new
buyer shall not accept the first delivery until he has requested from the
previous buyer or the Health Department and received a copy of the record of
the producer's milk quality covering the preceding 90 days and a statement of
the farm certification status and date of certification, if any. The previous
buyer shall furnish the new buyer with such information within 24 hours after
receipt of a written request unless the records have been destroyed by means
over which he has no control: Provided, that the new buyer may accept a
producer's milk after making the request for the record by telephone and
obtaining assurance from the previous buyer that the producer's milk may be
accepted; the new buyer shall then make a written request to the old buyer for
the producer's record.
2. If the
new buyer requests and fails to receive the quality record from the previous
buyer, he shall report such fact to the Health Department and shall cause a
farm inspection to be made promptly to confirm or establish certification of
the transfer producer's farm.
3. In
lieu of the quality record from the previous buyer the producer may furnish the
new buyer with a copy of the milk quality tests received with each remittance,
monthly or semimonthly, for the preceding 90-day period.
4. The new buyer shall examine and classify
each transfer producer's first shipment of milk and shall subsequently examine
shipments in accordance with the provisions of Sections .03(3) and
.03(4).
(5) The status of any Grade
A producer whose permit has been suspended must be cleared by the manufacturing
Milk Company with the Health Department before the milk can be accepted.
6. Grade A surplus milk must be
tested and/or screened by the Manufacturing Milk Company upon arrival to assure
themselves and the Health Department that the milk is in compliance with the
manufacturing milk standards.
7.
Any Grade A producer shipping milk to a manufacturing Milk Company for a period
in excess of 10 days will be considered a new producer and must be handled as
such under the Manufacturing Milk Regulations.
(9) Record of tests - Accurate records,
listing the results of quality tests of each producer, shall be kept on file at
the receiving plant where performed and shall be available for examination by
the Health Officer for a period of one year.
(10) Field service - A representative of the
plant should arrange to promptly visit each producer shipping milk which does
not meet the requirements for acceptable milk, for the purpose of inspecting
the equipment, utensils, and facilities at the farm and to offer constructive
assistance for improvement in the quality of the milk. A representative of the
plant should visit each producer as often as practicable to assist in and
encourage the production of high quality milk.
(11) Abnormal milk.
(a) Mastitic milk.
1. A laboratory examination for the presence
of somatic cells shall be made on all patrons' milk at least 4 times in each
6-month period at irregular intervals. Samples shall be analyzed at an official
laboratory or at a laboratory approved by the Health Department.
2. A confirmatory test for somatic cells
shall be done when a herd sample exceeds any of the following screening test
results:
(i) California Mastitis Test - Weak
Positive (CMT1+).
(ii) Wisconsin
Mastitis Test - WMT value of 19 mm.
3. The conformatory test for somatic cells
shall be performed by using one of the following procedures:
(i) Direct Microscopic Somatic Cell Count
(Single Strip Procedure). Pyronin Y-methyl green stain shall be used for goat
milk.
(ii) Electronic Somatic Cell
Count.
(iii) Optical Somatic Cell
Count.
4. The results of
the confirmatory test for somatic cells shall be the official result.
5. Whenever the confirmatory somatic cell
count indicates the presence of more than 1,000,000 somatic cells per ml., the
following procedures shall be applied:
(i)
The producer shall be notified with a warning of the excessive somatic cell
count.
(ii) Whenever two of the
last four consecutive somatic cell counts exceed 1,000,000 per ml., a written
notice shall be given to the producer. This notice shall be in effect so long
as two of the last four consecutive samples exceed 1,000,000 per ml.
6. An additional sample shall be
taken after a lapse of 3 days but within 21 days of the notice required in
paragraph (a)(5)(ii) of this section. If this sample also indicates a high
somatic cell count, the patron's milk shall be rejected until satisfactory
compliance is obtained. A temporary permit may be approved by the Health
Officer whenever an additional sample of herd milk is tested and found
satisfactory. The producer shall be fully reinstated when three out of four
consecutive tests have counts of 1,000,000 or less somatic cells per ml. The
samples shall be taken at a rate of not more than two per week on separate days
within a 3-week period.
(b) Antibiotics - At least four times in 6
months, at irregular intervals, a separate or commingled sample of each
producer's milk shall be tested for antibiotic residues. When a producer's milk
shows a positive test he shall be immediately cut off from all markets. He
shall not be reinstated until a subsequent test of the producer's milk is
negative.
(c) Radionuclides -
Composite milk samples should be tested for biologically significant
radionuclides from selected areas in each state at a frequency which the Health
Department determines to be adequate to protect the consumer.
(d) Pesticides and herbicides - Composite
milk samples should be tested for pesticides and herbicides at a frequency
which the Health Department determines to be adequate to protect the consumer.
The samples shall not exceed established Food and Drug Administration
limits.
(e) Added Water -
Individual producer milk samples should be tested for added water from each
producer at a frequency which the Health Department determines to be adequate
to protect against the addition of water to the milk supply.
(12) Frequency of pickup - All raw
milk to be used for manufacturing purposes must be picked up from the farm and
delivered to the plant at least every three (3) days.
Author:
Statutory Authority:
