(a) Payment for milk, cream, or any fluid derivative of milk or cream shall be made on the basis of weight or measure and percentage of the milk fat or the fluid skim milk components or both contained in it, as determined by samples taken from each farm tank or lot of the milk, cream, or fluid derivative of milk or cream. Market milk samples shall be analyzed on a daily basis or on the smallest lot basis as picked up at the farm.

(b) Determination of the weight or measure and percentage of milk fat and fluid skim milk components shall be made through tests performed in testing facilities approved by the director.

(c) By mutual agreement between producers and a distributor purchasing milk, cream or any fluid derivative of milk or cream from such producers, testing of such products for milk fat content or fluid skim milk components content may be made by the distributor, or by an independent testing facility, or by contract with the director or subject to his approval, with an approved milk inspection service. In the absence of mutual agreement, and upon written application by a majority of the market milk producers or manufacturing milk producers shipping to any milk products plant, or by the distributor operating such plant, the director shall, by procedures established by regulations, designate an employee of the department to perform such tests, or approve a contract with an approved milk inspection service, or in the alternative the director shall designate independent testing facilities to perform such tests. The right of petition and designation of independent testing of milk shall be separate for market milk producers and manufacturing milk producers.

(d) The cost, for testing such milk, cream or any fluid derivative of milk or cream, for any milk inspector or any independent testing facility operated, designated, or approved by the director shall be borne equally by the producer and distributor so affected. Provision for such joint payment shall be set forth by contract between the parties concerned and the approved testing facility. The foregoing cost determinations shall not limit the services which may be performed by the milk inspector as set forth in the contract.

(e) The provisions of subdivisions (c) and (d) shall not apply to the interplant sales or delivery of milk, cream or any fluid derivative of milk or cream to a distributor by a nonprofit cooperative association. Required tests of such products for either milk fat content or fluid skim milk components content or both may be made by the distributor, or the association, or by an independent testing facility, or by contract with the director or subject to his approval, with an approved milk inspection service.

(f) In the event the testing requirements of subdivision (a) of this section impose hardship on a distributor by reason of the location of the processing plant of the distributor in an area where facilities normally used for daily testing are not readily available, the director may, within his discretion, and upon written application by the distributor, approve the exemption of the distributor from such daily testing requirements.

(g) The director shall require, by regulations, testing of packaged fluid products to be performed by such methods as to provide results consistent with, and comparable to, the testing of the raw product.

(Amended by Stats. 1973, Ch. 869.)