§ 59a.308. Raw product storage.
(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.
(f) Heat treated cream. Heat treated cream is derived from the heating of raw milk, one time, to temperatures greater than 125° F but less than 161° F for separation purposes. When enzyme deactivation is necessary for a functional reason, the cream may be further heated to less than 166° F in a continuing heating process. The resulting bulk shipment of cream shall be cooled to 45° F or less, and labeled as heat treated with bacterial limits of 20,000 per ml or gm for dairy products which are weighed.
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