Wisconsin Administrative Code
Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection
ATCP 55-89 - Food, Lodging, and Recreation Safety
Chapter ATCP 65 - Milk And Milk Products
Subchapter II - Dairy Farms
Section ATCP 65.08 - Milkhouse

Universal Citation: WI Admin Code ยง ATCP 65.08

Current through August 26, 2024

(1) REQUIREMENT. Every dairy farm shall have a milkhouse. Except as provided in s. ATCP 65.16(5), a milk producer shall cool and store milk in the milkhouse. A milkhouse shall be separate from a milking barn or parlor, but may share common walls with a milking barn or parlor. All milking equipment and utensils shall be cleaned, sanitized and stored in the milkhouse, except for C-I-P milk pipelines that are mechanically cleaned in place in a milking barn or parlor, or C-I-P milking equipment that is mechanically cleaned and stored in a milking parlor under s. ATCP 65.06(10) (a).

(2) ACCESS TO MILKHOUSE. Every access driveway and every exterior access door to the milkhouse shall be located in such a manner that no vehicle or a person traveling to the milkhouse must pass through an animal walkway, holding area, or yard where excessive animal waste may accumulate on the ground near these access areas.

(3) CONSTRUCTION.

(a) Floors. A milkhouse floor shall be constructed of concrete or one or more other impervious materials, and shall be easily cleanable. This requirement does not prohibit construction with anti-slip floor surfaces that are easily cleanable. The floor shall be sloped for drainage to a floor drain. Floor drains shall be readily accessible. A floor drain shall be equipped with a trap if the floor drain is connected to a sanitary sewer system.

(b) Walls and ceilings. Milkhouse walls and ceilings shall be constructed and finished so that they are impervious to water, are light colored, and are easily cleanable.

(c) Doors and windows. A milkhouse shall not open directly into a barn, stable or milking parlor, or into a room not used for the operation of the dairy farm unless the opening is equipped with a tight-fitting, self-closing and solid door. All milkhouse external openings shall be screened or otherwise protected against entry of insects, rodents, or other pests. External doors and windows shall be tight-fitting and shall be kept closed during dusty conditions. External doors shall be self-closing. All swinging screen doors on the milkhouse shall open outward.

(d) Lighting. Natural or artificial lighting, or both, shall be provided in a milkhouse to ensure adequate illumination for daytime and nighttime operations. There shall be at least 30 foot-candles of illumination in all working areas of the milkhouse. Artificial lights located over a bulk tank shall be shatterproof or shielded to protect milk from contamination with broken glass.

(e) Ventilation. Ventilation in a milkhouse shall be adequate to minimize odors and to prevent visible condensation on floors, walls, ceilings, clean equipment, and clean utensils. Vents shall be screened and shall be located and maintained to prevent contamination of bulk tanks or clean equipment and utensils. Exhaust fans shall be screened or louvered to prevent entry of pests when not in operation. Ventilation in an AMI room shall be sufficient to minimize odors from any nearby manure storage.

(f) Water heating capacity. Hot water capacity shall be adequate for all milkhouse operations. Hot water heaters or hot water supply systems shall have a capacity of at least 10 gallons for washing equipment and utensils. The division may authorize alternative systems, including heat recovery and continuous flow systems that provide adequate hot water for all milkhouse operations. Authorization shall be in writing and valid for 5 years. Re-authorization for each subsequent 5-year period shall be obtained in writing from the division.

(g) Wash and rinse vat. A milkhouse shall be equipped with a 2-compartment wash and rinse vat for cleaning equipment and utensils. The vat shall be served by potable hot and cold running water from a faucet or faucets located directly over the vat. Water shall enter and leave the vat by means that preclude splashing. A vat designed to hold cleaning or sanitizing solutions drawn through C-I-P milking equipment may serve as one compartment of a two-compartment wash and rinse vat under this paragraph, provided that the C-I-P inflation rack and all C-I-P milking equipment are completely removed from the vat while other equipment and utensils are being washed, rinsed, and sanitized in the vat. This paragraph shall apply to an AMI for which manual cleaning and sanitizing of AMI components must be done on a routine basis.

(h) Handwashing facility. A milkhouse shall be equipped with a fixed hand washing facility that is separate from the wash and rinse vat under par. (g). The hand washing facility shall be served by potable hot and cold running water from a faucet or faucets located directly over the facility. Water shall enter and leave the handwashing facility by means that preclude splashing. Soap and single service sanitary towels or another approved means of drying hands shall be available at all times for use at the hand washing facility. A hand washing facility may be located in a room immediately adjacent to the milkhouse, provided that it is readily accessible from the milkhouse. This paragraph applies to an AMI room in which the operator's hands will contact milk filters or other milk contact surfaces. This paragraph does not apply to licensed milk producers who do not hold a grade A producer permit but operate a dairy farm on which the currently used bulk tank was installed before January 1, 1979, or on which milk is stored and cooled only in cans.

(i) Bulk tank hose port. If a bulk tank is used to receive and hold milk in a milkhouse, the milkhouse shall have a hose port opening in the outside wall to permit the removal of milk from the bulk tank. The hose port opening shall be at least 6 inches above the floor of the milkhouse, and shall be equipped with a tight-fitting door that shall be kept closed except when the hose port is in use. A paved surface of concrete or other readily cleanable material shall be installed adjacent to the outside wall of the milkhouse, immediately under the bulk tank hose port. The paved surface shall be at least a 4 foot by 4 foot square and shall cover as much additional ground area as is necessary to protect the milk hose from ground contamination.

(4) MAINTENANCE AND SANITATION. The floors, walls, ceilings, windows, hose port assembly, and all equipment of a milkhouse shall be kept clean and in a good state of repair. Liquid wastes from milkhouse operations shall be drained and removed in a sanitary manner. Equipment and utensils shall be cleaned and maintained in compliance with s. ATCP 65.12. A milkhouse shall be kept free of insects, rodents, and other pests. Animals shall be kept out of the milkhouse at all times. Potential sources of milk contamination, including materials that may attract or harbor pests, shall be excluded from the milkhouse.

(5) STORAGE.

(a) General. No equipment, supplies, or other articles may be stored in a milkhouse, unless the articles are used in milkhouse operations. Articles stored in a milkhouse shall be stored above the floor, on racks, or in a cabinet. Articles shall be stored in a manner that prevents both the contamination of milk and contact of equipment or utensils with milk. Washing machines, laundry dryers, and pasteurizers used to prepare milk-replacement formula for calves shall not be stored in the milkhouse.

(b) Drugs and medicinal items. No drug or medicinal item, or drug administering device such as a bolus wand or syringe, may be kept in a milkhouse unless it is intended or prescribed for use on dairy animals. If drugs or medicinal items are kept in a milkhouse, they shall be stored in an enclosed cabinet, separate from all other articles stored in the milkhouse. Drugs and medicinal items shall be clearly labeled to indicate their identity and intended use, and prescription drugs shall be labeled as provided under s. ATCP 65.20(5). Drugs and medicinal items intended solely for treatment of non-lactating milking animals shall be kept separate from those used for treatment of lactating milking animals.

(c) Pesticides. No pesticides, except for sanitizers, germicides, disinfectants, or pesticides labeled and used for routine milkhouse sanitation purposes, may be stored in a milkhouse. Any of the chemicals labeled for routine use in a milkhouse must be stored in a manner that precludes contamination of milk and milk handling equipment.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Wisconsin may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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