La. Admin. Code tit. 51 § VII-311

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section VII-311 - Frequency of Inspections/Audits

A. Each dairy farm, dairy plant including frozen desserts manufacturing plant, filled dairy products manufacturing plant, anomalous milk and milk products and other anomalous dairy product manufacturing plant, receiving station, milk tank truck cleaning facility, transfer station, single-service containers and closures for milk and milk products manufacturing plant, finished product depot/transfer point and dairy plant receiver/sampler, bulk milk tank truck operator/sampler and milk tank truck domiciled or operating in the state shall be inspected/audited by the state health officer prior to the issuance of a permit.

B. Following the issuance of a permit the state health officer shall:

1. Inspect the receiving, processing/packaging, cleaning, pre-operation and start-up procedures of each dairy plant including frozen dessert manufacturing plants at least once each month. (For the purposes of this Paragraph, the term "dairy plant" used herein shall not include receiving stations, transfer stations, single-service containers and closures for milk and milk products manufacturing plants, milk tank truck cleaning facilities and finished product depot/transfer points.)

2. Inspect receiving stations, transfer stations, single-service containers and closures for milk and milk products manufacturing plants, milk tank truck cleaning facilities and finished product depot/transfer point at least once each three months.

3. Inspect/audit each dairy plant, including frozen dessert manufacturing plants, that are required by the state health officer to implement HACCP systems or have been authorized by the state health officer to be regulated under the HACCP requirements contained in Chapter 11 of this Part with a frequency goal of at least once each month.

4. Inspect each milk tank truck and its appurtenances at least once each 12 months.

5. Observe and evaluate the receiving and sampling procedures of each dairy plant receiver/sampler at least once each three months to determine compliance with applicable requirements.

6. Observe and evaluate the milk pickup and sampling procedures of each bulk milk tank truck operator/sampler at least once each 24 months to determine compliance with applicable requirements.

7. Inspect each dairy farm with a frequency at least as that required by the Performance-Based Inspection Program.

C. Performance-Based Inspection Program requirements:

1. A risk assessment shall be performed on each dairy farm once each month by evaluating the performance of the farm using the last standard plate count, somatic cell count, sanitation compliance score, sediment score, drug residue test, coliform count of the water supply and other areas of the operation related to product safety as the criteria for establishing the Inspectional Frequency Category for the dairy farm.

2. The state health officer shall inspect dairy farms in each category at a frequency not less than the following intervals:

a. category I: at least once each three months;

b. category II: at least once each two months;

c. category III: at least once each month; and,

d. category IV: within 21days of the last inspection but not before the lapse of three days.

3. The following criteria shall be used to categorize farms into the Inspection/Frequency Categories as defined below:

a. Category I (minimum of one inspection each three months):

i. standard plate count (SPC) not exceeding 10,000 cfu/milliliter (ml.);

ii. somatic cell count (SCC) not exceeding 250,000/ml;

iii. sanitation compliance score 97 percent - 100 percent;

iv. sediment not exceeding four;

v. no drug residue violations;

vi. no violation which may reasonably likely result in adulteration of the milk supply or an imminent hazard to the public's health; and,

vii. bacteriologically safe water supply.

b. Category II (minimum of one inspection each two months):

i. SPC 11,000 cfu/ml. - 50,000 cfu/ml;

ii. SCC 251,000/ml. - 500,000/ml;

iii. sanitation compliance score 93 percent - 96 percent;

iv. sediment not exceeding four;

v. no drug residue violations;

vi. no violation which may reasonably likely result in adulteration of the milk supply or an imminent hazard to the public's health; and,

vii. bacteriologically safe water supply.

c. Category III (minimum of one inspection each month):

i. SPC 51,000 cfu/ml. - 100,000 cfu/ml;

ii. SCC 501,000/ml. - 750,000/ml;

iii. sanitation compliance score 90 percent - 92 percent;

iv. sediment not exceeding four;

v. no drug residue violations;

vi. no violation which may reasonably likely result in adulteration of the milk supply or an imminent hazard to the public's health; and,

vii. bacteriologically safe water supply.

d. Category IV (inspect within 21days of the last inspection, but not before the lapse of three days):

i. SPC not exceeding 100,000 cfu/ml.;

ii. SCC not exceeding 750,000/ml.;

iii. sanitation compliance score less than 90 percent;

iv. sediment four;

v. one or more drug residue violation(s);

vi. one or more violation(s) that may reasonably likely result inadulteration of the milk supply or an imminent hazard to the public's health;

vii. unsafe water supply.

viii. one or more warning letters issued due to non-compliance of two out of four previous sample results for SPC or SCC during last two months; and,

ix. farm conditions which caused the state health officer to take official regulatory action (i.e.; warning letter, intent to suspend, reinspection, etc).

4. When the risk assessment of a dairy farm indicates a category IV in one or more criteria the next inspection of the dairy farm should include:

a. an evaluation of the cleaning equipment and procedures when the SPC category is IV;

b. an evaluation of milking procedures and the environment of the areas of the farm in which the milking herd is kept when the SCC category is IV;

c. a conference with the owner/operator when the sanitation compliance score category is IV; and,

d. an evaluation of the milking procedures, milking equipment and the environment of the areas of the farm in which the milking herd is kept when the sediment category is IV.

La. Admin. Code tit. 51, § VII-311

Promulgated by the Department of Health and Hospitals, Office of Public Health, LR 37:2652 (September 2011).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with the provisions of R.S. 40:4(A)(1)(a). Also see R.S. 40:5(2)(3)(5)(7) (15)(17) and R.S. 40:922.