Dairy Standards

RAW MILK ASSOCIATION OF COLORADO STANDARDS - REQUIRED AND RECOMMENDATIONS Updated & Adopted June 7, 2006

I. OBJECTIVE: The objective is to provide advisory standards under which raw milk can be produced and distributed through a contractual relationship between farmer and consumer.

II. REQUIRED STANDARD:

A. DOCUMENTATION:

a. All raw milk producers will be required to register with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).

b. Copies of the consumer-farmer contracts will be kept on file at the dairy facility. They will consist of:

a) A Bill of Sale

b) A Boarding Contract outlining the rights and responsibilities of both parties.

c. A copy of Health and Production Standards will be made available to each potential customer prior to signing a contract with the producer.

d.  All raw milk containers and raw dairy products from RMAC member dairies will have a prominent label ("Unpasteurized (Raw) Milk" with the bottling date) affixed to each container of milk or dairy product ("Made from Unpasteurized (Raw) milk" and the service date)  when delivered to the consumer or picked up on the farm.

B. PRODUCTION:

a. Wet hand milking is prohibited.

b. Abnormal milk (mastitis, blood, serum, gross contamination with manure or dirt) shall not be used for human consumption.

C. TESTING:

a. Milk

a) Sampling

(1) Milk shall be sampled monthly.

(2) Milk from all lactating animals of a single species may be commingled into a single sample for monthly testing.

b) Testing

(1) Milk Quality

(a) Bacterial limits 15,000 CFU/ml (Standard Plate Count)

(b) Coliform limits 50 CFU/ml

(2) Pathogens

(a) Salmonella limit 0 CFU/ml

(b) Escherichia coli O157 limit 0 CFU/ml

c) Reporting

(1) All producers shall report required testing results of on-farm or third party testing to a centralized RMAC database or an RMAC designee.

(2) Test results will be made available to shareowners along with an explanation of the tests upon request.

b. ANIMAL

a) All animals in the herd must test negative for TB and Brucellosis on initial test and then once every three years. Any new animals coming from off-farm must be tested prior to being added to the herd. All positives must be removed from the herd immediately.

b) Lactating animals which show evidence of the secretion of abnormal milk in one or more quarters, based upon physical examination, shall be milked last or with separate equipment; and the milk shall be discarded.

c) Lactating animals treated with, or animals which have consumed agents capable of being secreted in the milk and which may be deleterious to human health, shall be milked last or with separate equipment, and the milk disposed of until it is safe for human consumption.

d) Lactating animals which show evidence of systemic illness, based upon physical examination, shall be milked last or with separate equipment and the milk discarded. Examples of such systemic illnesses include, but are not limited to, mastitis, metritis, ketosis, fatty liver, and pneumonia.

e) Milk from animals treated with antibiotics must be discarded until the withdraw period has passed.

D. COMPLIANCE:

a. If milk quality tests exceed limits, producer will increase testing frequency until at least 3 consecutive tests are below limits.

b. If 3 of the last 5 milk quality tests excess of limits, producer shall cease distribution of raw milk until limits can be achieved.

c. If pathogen tests exceed limits, producer shall cease distribution of raw milk until limits can be achieved.

E. DISTRIBUTION:

a. Only those individuals signing a document constituting a legal consumer/farmer contract shall obtain raw milk.

b. Once raw milk product is passed into the hands of the consumer, or consumer’s agent, the proper handling, transporting, and cooling of the milk is solely the responsibility of the consumer or his agent.

III. RECOMMENDED STANDARDS:

A. DOCUMENTATION:

a. Records of test results should be kept for a minimum of 3 months. A ledger with at least Date, Test, Results, and Initials of person who preformed test is recommended.

B. PRODUCTION:

a. The immediate surroundings of the dairy should be kept in a clean, neat condition to prevent breeding of flies and rodents.

b. Animal cleanliness: The flanks, udders, and tails of all milking animals should be free from visible dirt at the time of milking. All brushing should be completed before milking commences.

c. Milkers' hands:

a) Milkers' hands should be washed clean, rinsed, and dried with a single service towel, immediately before milking and immediately after any interruption in the milking operation.

b) No person with an infected cut or lesion on hands or arms should milk animals, or handle milking utensils or other equipment.

d. Milkers’ clothing

All personnel should wear clean outer garments while milking or handling milk, milk products, containers, utensils or equipment.

e. Milking sanitation:

a) Milking should take place in an environment free of dirt, mud, or accumulated manure.

b) Teats of animals should be disinfected before milking.

c) Teats should be fore-stripped to stimulate milk letdown and to screen for clinical mastitis (abnormal milk).

d) Milk should be filtered into a proper milk storage device, or into glass or other impermeable containers meant for final distribution.

f. Milk cooling

Milk should be cooled to 45° F (7° C) or less within two hours after completion of milking. Blend temperatures of subsequent milkings into bulk storage devices should not exceed 50° F (10° C). Bottled milk ready for distribution should be maintained at 45° F (7° C) or less. g. Equipment sanitation

a) All milk-contact surfaces (milking machines, buckets, pipelines, and containers for final distribution) should be washed and sanitized so as to remove all milk residue, dirt, and milkstone.

b) All multi-use containers, equipment, and other utensils used in the handling, storage, filling, or capping of raw milk and raw milk products should be thoroughly cleaned immediately after each usage.

c) After sanitation, containers and other raw milk and raw milk product utensils and equipment should be handled in such a manner as to prevent contamination of any surface with which raw milk and raw milk products come into contact.

h. Bottling

d) Raw milk and raw milk products should be bottled on the farm where produced.

e) Bottling should be conducted in a sanitary method

f) Containers should be labeled with date code of bottling prior to distribution.