2-3981. Dairy plants, milk for manufacturing purposes, and pickup tankers; quality tests; standards.

(1) All dairy plants using milk for manufacturing purposes shall run the quality tests set out in this section in a state-certified laboratory and report the results to the department upon request. The test methods shall be those stated in laboratory procedures.

(2) Milk for manufacturing purposes shall be classified for bacterial content by the standard plate count or plate loop count. Bacterial count limits of individual producer milk shall not exceed five hundred thousand per milliliter.

(3) Bacterial counts for milk for manufacturing purposes shall be run at least four times in six consecutive months at irregular intervals at times designated by the director on representative samples of each producer's milk. Whenever any two out of four consecutive bacterial counts exceed five hundred thousand per milliliter, the producer shall be sent a written notice by the department. Such notice shall be in effect so long as two of the last four consecutive samples exceed the limit of the standard set out in subsection (2) of this section. A producer sample shall be taken between three and twenty-one days after the second excessive count. If that sample indicates an excessive bacterial count, the producer's milk shall be rejected until subsequent testing indicates a bacterial count of five hundred thousand per milliliter or less.

(4) All standards and procedures of the Grade A Pasteurized Milk Ordinance relating to somatic cells shall apply to milk for manufacturing purposes.

(5) The industry shall test all producer's milk and bulk milk pickup tankers for drug residues in accordance with Appendix N, Drug Residue Testing and Farm Surveillance, of the Grade A Pasteurized Milk Ordinance.

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