Connecticut Administrative Code › Title 22 - Agriculture. Domestic Animals › 133 - The Production, Handling and Distribution of Milk and Milk Products Certified Milk › Sanitation and Quality Standards for the Production, Processing, Storage, Handling and Distribution of Milk for Pasteurization and Pasteurized Milk or Milk Products › Section 22-133-130 - Retail raw milk and retail raw milk cheese. Sampling frequency, notification, investigations, recalls and enforcement

Current through July 10, 2024
(a) The commissioner or the commissioner's
				designated agent may collect samples of retail raw milk and retail raw milk
				cheese produced once per month. Sampling frequency may be increased whenever
				the commissioner or the commissioner's designated agent has a valid reason to
				increase the sampling frequency or whenever a standard established in section
				22-133-129
				of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies has been violated.
(b) The tests conducted on retail raw milk
				and retail raw milk cheese include, but are not limited to, the standard plate
				count, the direct microscopic cell count, the detection of drugs and other
				inhibitors, the detection of human pathogens, and the coliform bacteria
				count.
(c) Upon receipt of
				notification that retail raw milk or retail raw milk cheese violates standards
				established in section
				22-133-129
				of the Regulations of Connecticut Sate Agencies, the producer shall investigate
				the cause of the violation and prepare a written explanation, describing the
				cause and the corrective action taken. The written explanation and description
				of the corrective actions taken shall be completed within fifteen (15) days of
				the notification and kept on file by the retail raw milk producer or retail raw
				milk cheese manufacturer for one year and shall be available for
				inspection.
(d) In addition to
				section
				22-133-130(c)
				of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, whenever retail raw milk or
				retail raw milk cheese is found to have a coliform colony count exceeding one
				hundred fifty (150) colonies per milliliter (ml) the commissioner may prevent
				the sale and cause to be destroyed all contaminated retail raw milk or retail
				raw milk cheese in accordance with sections
				22-129
				and
				22-129a of
				the Connecticut General Statutes, until an investigation by the commissioner or
				the commissioner's designated agent determines the retail raw milk or retail
				raw milk cheese produced at that facility complies with sections
				22-133-124
				through
				22-133-129,
				inclusive, of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies.
(e) The confirmed presence of human pathogens
				in retail raw milk and retail raw milk cheese shall be considered an imminent
				public health threat. The commissioner shall prevent the sale and cause to be
				destroyed all contaminated retail raw milk or retail raw milk cheese in
				accordance with sections
				22-129
				and
				22-129a of
				the Connecticut General Statutes. The producer may be required to initiate a
				product recall. The retail raw milk producer or retail raw milk cheese
				manufacturer shall make available to the commissioner or the commissioner's
				designated agent the names and contact information of all known consumers,
				distributors and retail sales outlets.