Page 5 - Microsoft Word -Cow Book 10-06-09 final update.doc

INTRODUCTION

It is the responsibility of the state and regulatory agencies to maintain a supply
of quality milk for the consumer. Without regulations and guidelines, milk
quality as we know it may not exist.

During the inspection, every part of the dairy farm operation is to be inspected
and evaluated for compliance with the current state and federal regulations.
Some dairy farmers view much of this interest in their affairs as unwarranted
intrusion, but that attitude is a narrowing one. No matter how capable an
operator, wholesomeness and quality of the milk supply cannot be guaranteed
without outside help and expertise. The milk sanitarian can be a valuable
resource to the dairy operation. In turn, this places a high responsibility on the
expertise, knowledge and "advice" of the milk sanitarian. It also demands that
he or she become true milk production "specialist", with regulatory being the
primary duty while assuming an advisory or consultant attitude to assist the
dairy operator resolve quality or dairy related problems.

To the dairy farm owner/operator, the milk regulations and laws are most
directly represented by the official with the clipboard--the dairy inspector. The
regulatory inspector (sanitarian) should be a professional in the field of milk
sanitation and production as well as a representative of the regulatory agency.
He or she must work closely with the producer and be able to apply the
regulations in a fair and equitable manner.

Although the dairy inspector’s ideas may differ from the producer, their
objectives are very similar. The inspector is concerned with assuring the
producer’s milk is safe, free of adulterants, excessive micro-organisms and
chemicals (including drug residues), and meets the requirements of state and
federal regulations.

Communication is a critical element in the relationship between the inspector
and milk producer. It is very important that the farm inspector take extra efforts
to assure the producer is familiar with the requirements, how they are applied
and the public health reason(s) for each. If items are debited on the inspection
form, they must be explained to the producer in detail. The farm inspector may
provide suggestions on how the producer may correct the condition, for the
item in violation; however these should only be suggestions. This policy leads
to a cooperative working relationship between regulatory and the milk industry
and will serve as a preventative measure for misunderstandings relative to
compliance with the milk regulations. Of course this avenue of communication

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