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Dairy
The primary objective of the Dairy Program is to provide a high quality, safe and nutritious dairy product to the consumer. This is accomplished through a dairy industry regulatory program that monitors the entire production of dairy products from the farm, through the processing plant and distribution system, to the consumer.
Dairy farms are permitted and routinely inspected to ensure that milk is produced from healthy cows that are raised in an environment which will minimize animal diseases. This is designed to prevent the presence of excessive pathogenic bacteria in the raw milk. The milking parlor, milk room and the sanitary conditions of the dairy equipment are monitored to ensure compliance with regulations and to minimize raw milk contamination.
Dairy plants are licensed and routinely inspected by Division staff. Preconstruction plans and flow diagrams are reviewed by Central Office staff to ensure that the facility, the production equipment, and the piping are designed and installed to prevent the contamination or recontamination of the finished dairy product.
The processing equipment, in particular the pasteurization equipment, must be thoroughly evaluated to ensure that each particle of milk reaches the required pasteurization temperature for the required time to destroy all pathogenic organisms. Access to the pasteurization control system is sealed to prevent unauthorized adjustment of the equipment after it has been calibrated by Division sanitarians.
Resources
- 3-A Sanitary Standards
- FDA: Code of Federal Regulations Title 21 - Food and Drugs
- FDA: Food Labeling Guide
- FDA: Grade A Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO)
- FDA: Sanitation Compliance and Enforcement Ratings of Interstate Milk Shippers List
- Illinois Milk Producers Association
- International Dairy Food Association
- National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments
- National Dairy Farm Program
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
- University of Illinois Dairy Extension