Section R70-320-5 - Minimum Quality Standards for Milk for Manufacturing Purposes(1) Basis. The classification of milk for manufacturing purposes shall be based on: (c) quality control tests for sediment content, bacterial estimate, and somatic cell.(2) Sight and odor. (a) The odor of acceptable milk shall be fresh and sweet.(b) The milk shall be free from objectionable off-odors that would adversely affect the finished product, and it shall not show any abnormal condition including curdled, ropy, bloody, or mastitis condition as determined by an approved milk grader.(3) Sediment content classification. Milk in farm bulk tanks shall be classified for sediment content as follows: TABLE 1 Sediment Content |
Sediment Content Classification | Milk in farm bulk tanks Mixed sample, 0.40 in. diameter disc or equivalent |
No. 1-acceptable | Not to exceed 0.50 mg equivalent |
No. 2-acceptable | Not to exceed 1.50 mg equivalent |
No. 3-Probational | Not to exceed 2.50 mg equivalent |
No. 4-Reject | Over 2.5 mg equivalent |
Sediment content based on comparison with applicable charts of Sediment Standards prepared by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) |
(a) Method of Testing. Methods for determining sediment content of milk shall be those described in the current standard methods .(b) Frequency of tests. At least once each month a sample shall be taken from each farm bulk tank and at irregular intervals.(c) Acceptance or rejection of milk.(i) If the sediment disc is classified as No. 1, No. 2, or No. 3, the producer's milk may be accepted.(ii) If the sediment disc is classified as No. 4, the milk shall be rejected.(iii) If the shipment of milk is co-mingled 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 cannot 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.(iv) For milk classified as No. 3 or No. 4, the producer shall be notified immediately and the next shipment shall be tested.(d) Retests. (i) On tests of the next shipment, milk classified as No. 1, No. 2, or No. 3 shall be accepted, but No. 4 milk shall be rejected.(ii) Retests of bulk milk classified as No. 4 shall be made at the farm before pickup.(iii) The producers of No. 3 or No. 4 milk shall be notified immediately and the next shipment tested. (iv) This procedure of retesting successive and accepting No. 3 milk and rejecting No. 4 milk may be continued for a period, not to exceed ten calendar days. If at the end of this period, the producer's milk does not meet the acceptable sediment content classification of No. 1 or No. 2 it shall be suspended from the market.(4) Bacterial estimated classification. Milk shall be classified for bacterial estimate by one of the listed tests of the Standard Methods for the Examination of Dairy Products. TABLE 2 |
Bactenal estimtate Direct microscopic clump classification count standard plate count, or loop method | Not over 500,000 per ml |
Acceptable | Over 500,000 per ml |
Unacceptable | |
(probation 4 weeks) | |
(a) Method of testing. Methods for determining the bacterial estimate of milk shall be those described in the 'Standard Methods for the Examination of Dairy Products," "Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists," or other methods approved by the department.(b) Frequency of tests. Tests shall be done at least once a month at irregular intervals, a mixed sample of each producer's milk shall be tested.(c) Acceptance of milk.(i) If the sample of milk is classified as No. 1, the producer's milk may be accepted without qualification.(ii) If the sample is classified as undergrade, the producer's milk may be accepted for a temporary period of four weeks. The producer of undergrade milk shall be notified immediately.(d) Retests. (i) Additional samples shall be tested and classified at least weekly, and the producer shall be notified immediately of the results.(ii) This procedure of testing at least weekly and accepting undergrade milk may be continued for a period not exceeding four weeks.(iii) If at the end of this period, the producer's milk does not meet the acceptable bacterial estimate requirements of No. 1 or No. 2 it shall be suspended from market.(5) Abnormal Milk. (a) The Wisconsin Mastitis Test (WMT) may be used as a screening test.(b) A test of 18 mm or higher is considered abnormal milk and shall need confirmation by the Direct Microscopic Somatic Cell Count Method (DMSCC) or an equivalent method according to the Standard Methods for the Examination of Dairy Products. (i) Somatic Cell Count: Samples exceeding 18 mm WMT shall be confirmed by DMSCC or other acceptable tests. Count shall not exceed 750,000 per ml. (c) Frequency of tests. At least four times in each six-month period, at irregular intervals, a sample of each producer's milk shall be tested.(d) Notification to the department, written notice to the producer, and a farm inspection are required when two of the last four somatic cell counts exceed the standard.(e) Within 21 days after the farm inspection, another sample shall be tested for somatic cell count. If the result exceeds the allowable limit for somatic cell count, the producer's permit shall be suspended until corrections are made and the somatic cell count is reduced to 750,000 or less.(6) Drug Residue Level. (a) Each licensed dairy plants shall not accept for processing any milk testing positive for drug residue. (i) Any milk received at a licensed dairy plant shall be sampled and tested, before processing, for beta lactam drug residue.(ii) When directed by the department additional testing for other drug residues shall be performed.(iii) Samples shall be analyzed for beta lactams and other drug residues by methods evaluated by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists and accepted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as effective in determining compliance with "safe levels" or established tolerances.(iv) "Safe levels" and tolerances for particular drugs are established by the FDA and can be obtained from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.(b) Individual producer milk samples for beta lactam drug residue testing shall be obtained from each milk shipment, and shall be representative of any milk received from the producer(c) A load sample shall be taken from the bulk milk shipment after its arrival at the plant and before further commingling. A sample shall be obtained at the plant using a procedure that includes any milk produced and received.(d) Follow-up to positive-testing. (i) When a load sample tests positive for drug residue, industry personnel shall notify the department of the positive test result and of the intended disposition of the shipment of milk containing the drug residue.(ii) Any milk testing positive for drug residue shall be disposed of in a manner that removes it from the human or animal food chain, except when acceptably reconditioned under FDA compliance policy guidelines.(e) Identification of producer (i) Each individual producer sample represented in the positive-testing load sample shall be singly tested as directed by the department to determine the producer of the milk sample testing positive for drug residue.(ii) Identification of the producer responsible for producing the milk testing positive for drug residue, and details of the final disposition of the shipment of milk containing the drug residue, shall be reported immediately to the department.(f) Milk shipment from the producer identified as the source of milk testing positive for drug residue shall stop immediately and may resume only after a sample from a subsequent milking does not test positive for drug residue.(g) Enforcement. A penalty sanctioned by the department shall be imposed on the producer for each occurrence of shipping milk testing positive for drug residue.(h) The producer shall review the "Milk and Dairy Beef Quality Assurance Program" with a licensed veterinarian within 30 days after each occurrence of shipping milk testing positive for drug residue. A signed copy of a certificate confirming that the "Milk and Dairy Quality Assurance Program" has been reviewed shall be signed by the responsible producer and a licensed veterinarian and forwarded to the department.(i) If a producer ships milk testing positive for drug residue three times within a 12-month period, the department shall initiate administrative procedures to suspend the producer's milk shipping privileges .(j) Record of tests. (i) Accurate records listing the results of drug residue tests for each load and individual producer shall be kept on file at the plant.(ii) Drug residue test results are to be kept for 12- months.(iii) Notifications to the department of positive drug residue tests and intended and final dispositions of milk testing positive for drug residue are to be kept for 12 months.(7) Pesticides. (a) Composite milk samples shall be sampled and tested for pesticides at a frequency that the department determines is adequate to protect the consumer.(b) The test results from the samples shall not exceed established FDA limits.(c) If a pesticide test is positive, an investigation shall be made to determine the cause and the cause shall be corrected.(d) Milk and milk products containing residues in excess of actionable levels shall not be offered for sale.Utah Admin. Code R70-320-5
Amended by Utah State Bulletin Number 2022-16, effective 8/8/2022