Pennsylvania Code › Title 7 - AGRICULTURE › Part III - Bureau of Food Safety and Laboratory Services › Subpart B - Liquid Foods › Chapter 59a - MILK SANITATION › Subchapter E - MANUFACTURING PLANTS › GENERAL REQUIREMENTS › Section 59a.308 - Raw product storage

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 28, July 13, 2024
(a)
General.
Milk shall be held and processed under conditions and
						at temperatures that will avoid contamination and rapid deterioration. Drip
						milk from can washers or another source may not be used for the manufacture of
						dairy products. Bulk milk in storage tanks within the plant shall be handled to
						minimize bacterial increase and shall be maintained at 45° F or lower until
						processing begins. This does not preclude holding milk at higher temperatures
						for a period of time, when applicable to particular manufacturing or processing
						practices.
(b)
Bacteriological quality.
The bacteriological quality of
						commingled milk in storage tanks must be 1 million/ml or lower.
(c)
Sampling.
During any
						consecutive 6 months, at least four samples of commingled raw milk for
						processing will be taken by the Department, or a designated representative,
						from each plant. The designated representative shall be an approved sampler who
						is either an employee of the plant or an employee or representative of a
						Pennsylvania-approved dairy laboratory.
(d)
Testing of samples.
A
						laboratory test of the samples described in subsection (c) shall be performed
						at a Pennsylvania-approved dairy laboratory to determine the bacterial
						estimate.
(e)
Procedures if
						bacterial counts are high.
Whenever a bacterial estimate of commingled
						milk in a plant indicates the presence of more than 1 million per milliliter,
						the following procedures shall be applied:
(1)
						The Department will notify plant management with a warning of excessive
						bacterial estimate, and recommend that appropriate action be taken to eliminate
						the bacterial problem.
(2) Whenever
						two of the last four consecutive commingled milk bacterial estimates exceed 1
						million per milliliter, the Department will notify plant management with a
						written warning notice. The notice will be in effect so long as two of the last
						four consecutive samples exceed 1 million per milliliter. Plant management
						should continue to work to eliminate the problem.
(3) An additional sample will be taken by the
						Department after a lapse of 3 days but within 21 days of the notice required in
						paragraph (1). If this sample also exceeds 1 million per milliliter, the
						Department may take action (such as permit suspension or acting to keep the
						milk from the market place) until an additional sample of commingled milk is
						tested and found satisfactory. A temporary status may be assigned to the plant
						by the Department when an additional sample of commingled milk is tested and
						found in conformance with the 1,000,000-per-milliliter or lower bacterial
						classification standard for commingled raw milk for manufacturing. The plant
						will be assigned a full reinstatement status when three out of four consecutive
						commingled bacterial estimates do not exceed 1 million per milliliter. The
						samples will be taken at a rate of not more than two per week on separate days
						within a 3-week period.
(4) If a
						plant remains in temporary status in excess of 60 days, administrative
						procedures to suspend the plant's license will be taken by the Department until
						the plant complies with the bacteriological requirements.