Animal Health Division

Dairy Farm Inspection Manual

Table of Contents Table of Contents

1. Introduction 1. Introduction 2. Food and Drug Act with interpretive guidelines (Dairy Farms) 2. Food and Drug Act with interpretive guidelines (Dairy Farms) 3. Food Premises Regulations with interpretive guidelines (Dairy Farms) 3. Food Premises Regulations with interpretive guidelines (Dairy Farms)

4. Raw Milk Sampling Protocol (Updated 2008!)

5. Regulatory Action

6. Dairy Farm Bacteriological Water Quality & sampling procedure (New 2008!)

7. Problem Solving Raw Milk 8. Milk Compliance Report

9. Food Safety Scenarios

10. Appendices

A. List of Dairy Farms (Updated 2008!) B. List of Dairy Plants C. Sample Submission Form D. Dairy Farm Inspection Form E. Daphne Taylor Milk Quality Award of Excellence F. Animal Health Contacts (Updated 2008!) G. Dairy Resources, Materials References and Industry Contacts (Updated 2008!) H. Raw Milk Quality Testing (fact-sheet) I. Food Premises Regulations: Dairy Farms (fact-sheet) J. Q-fever in Goats (fact-sheet) K. Quarterly Newsletter (Updated 2008!) L. Sample Dairy Farm Summary Report (New 2008!)

M. Milk Quality Report (New 2008!)

Summary of changes to the Manual 2008 Changes: (click the change to visit!) 1) The Raw Milk Sampling Protocol transportation and temperature controls sections have been modified. (June 26, 2008) 2) The Animal Health Contacts section has been updated. (June 26, 2008) 3) List of Dairy Farms has been updated. (June 26, 2008) 4) Quarterly Newsletters have been updated to include the most recent material. (June 26, 2008) 5) The Dairy Farm Bacteriological Water Quality document has been added to the manual. (June 26 2008) 6) A sample Dairy Farm Summary Quality Report has been added to the manual.(June 26, 2008) 7) Updated link to CFIA accepted materials reference site and contact for St. Johns Dairy Herd management Specialist. (June 26, 2008) 8) Added in Sample Submission and Dairy Farm Inspection report to the appendix. (June 26, 2008) 9) Added Appendix for the new Milk Quality Report. (June 26, 2008) 10) The water sampling procedure has been added to the manual. (July 7, 2008) 2007 Changes: 1) The Animal Health Laboratory has changed the sample submission procedure for all services. The Milk Quality Report is now obsolete for sample submissions and has been replaced with the Sample Submission Form. (July 31, 2007) 2) The Animal Health Division contacts section has been updated to include new personnel and updated contact information. (July 31, 2007) 3) The Regulatory Action section has been updated to allow for the new form. (July 31, 2007) 4) The Dairy Resources, Materials References and Industry Contacts section has been updated to accommodate the new sample submission form. (July 31, 2007) 5) A new Divisional newsletter has been added to help address concerns and issues with the Dairy Industry. An example has been given in Appendix K. Dairy Newsletters will be sent to GSC management through the monthly reports. (July 31, 2007)

Introduction

The Dairy Farm Inspection Manual was created in 1998 by Dr. Hugh Whitney, to assist

inspectors with dairy related issues. This focused mainly on interpretation of regulations, and various help with sampling and troubleshooting. This update builds on the existing material and provides more information on the requirements of the program.

The effective implementation of the province’s dairy regulatory program requires

efficient cooperation between the Government Services Center and the Animal Health Division. The goal of this update to the Dairy Farm Inspection Manual is to identify how to accomplish this cooperation while providing the public with a fair and reasonable service. In this regard many sections of the old manual have been updated or new ones added to help achieve this goal.

The Animal Health Division has the responsibility to provide expertise, training,

documentation and laboratory testing and to evaluate the consistency and quality of enforcement activities of the Government Services Center in regards to the dairy farm sections of the Food Premises Regulations. This is to be accomplished by the availability of veterinary support, food safety support, laboratory support, and monthly compliance summaries.

The Department of Government Services provides frontline inspection in the form of

dairy farm inspections, licensing, sample collection and general customer service to the public in relation to the applicable Food and Drug Act and Regulations.

The end result is a fair system of inspection which holds all involved parties to the intents

of the Act and Regulations, thereby strengthening and protecting the food safety of the province’s milk industry.

The Dairy Farm Inspection Manual has a somewhat new format from the old version.

The new format has been developed in sections to allow for updating of aspects without having to rewrite the whole manual. This also incorporates change management into the manual to illustrate how this document grows over time. The intent here is for this manual to grow as a resource as more material becomes necessary or available.

This manual, and associated materials, will also be maintained on our closed website with

other related food safety or animal disease surveillance activities. The URL for this website is detailed in the Diary Resources, Materials References and Industry Contacts section (Appendix G).

2. Food and Drug Act

Amended:1997 c39

Chapter F-21AN ACT RESPECTING FOOD AND DRUGS

Short title

1. This Act may be cited as the Food and Drug Act. RSN1970 c139 s1

Definitions

2. In this Act(a) "analyst" means the government analyst or an analyst designated by the minister for the purpose of thisAct; and this word and the word "analysis" or its grammatical forms connote physical or bacteriological orother similar examinations as well as chemical analysis;(b) "chief health inspector" means the official in charge of the inspection division of the department;(c) "cold storage" means the storage of articles of food at or below a temperature of 4 degrees Celsius, thosetemperatures being artificially reproduced;(d) "cold store" means an establishment employing refrigerating machinery or ice or other artificial coolingmethod for the storage of foods at or below a temperature of 4 degrees Celsius;(e) "department" means the department presided over by the minister;(f) "drug" includes all medicines for internal or external use for human beings or animals;(g) "food" includes every article used for food or drink by human beings, other than drugs, and an articlewhich ordinarily enters into or is used in the composition or preparation of food for human beings, and alsoincludes flavouring matters and condiments, and ice sold for domestic purposes;(g.1) "food premises" means a place where food is prepared, manufactured, handled, cut, processed,packaged, displayed, stored, offered for sale, sold or served and includes hotels, restaurants, catering vehicles,mobile preparation premises, temporary facilities, retail food stores, tents, booths, ships, cold stores, bakeries,breweries, bottling establishments, drinking establishments, dairies, creameries, pasteurizing plants, meatpacking premises, locker plants and premises;(h) "inspector" means a person authorized or instructed by the minister to inspect food, drugs and placeswhere food is prepared or sold or where drugs are prepared, offered for sale or sold;(i) "locker plant" means food premises in which individual lockers are rented or offered for rent to the publicfor the storage of frozen foods and also includes cold storage;(i.1) "minister" means the minister appointed under the Executive Council Act to administer this Act;(j) "package" includes a box, bottle, basket, tin, barrel, case, receptacle, sack, bag, wrapper or other thingin which food or a drug are placed or packed;(k) [repealed by 1997 c39 s1](l) "premises" includes a vehicle or other ambulatory establishment; and(m) "vehicle" means a vehicle in which food is prepared or transported.

RSN1970 c139 s2; 1978 c55 Sch 1997 c39 s1

Regulations

3. The minister may make regulations

(a) prescribing the manner in which food intended for human consumption shall be prepared, packaged,stored, transported, sold, advertised or exposed for sale, and delivered;(b) prescribing the manner in which packages shall be marked in order to disclose the nature or method ofpreparation of their contents;(c) prescribing standards applicable to different trades or classes of food premises;(d) prohibiting the sale or holding for sale within the province of food or a drug unless that food or drugattains a standard of composition laid down in the regulations;(e) respecting the licensing of food premises;(e.1) respecting inspectors, the powers of inspectors and orders or directions which may be made byinspectors;(f) dispensing, in the case of highly perishable goods, of the tripartite division of samples mentioned insection 13; and(g) designating as analysts for the purpose of this Act persons suitably qualified in the opinion of the ministerand prescribing the fees to be paid for analyses made for the purpose of this Act.

RSN1970 c139 s3; 1997 c39 s2&7

Sale of unfit food

4. (1) A person who(a) sells, or offers, or exposes for sale, or possesses for the purpose of sale or of preparation for sale;(b) deposits with or consigns to a person for the purpose of sale or of preparation for sale, foodintended for but unfit for human consumption is guilty of an offence.

(2) Where food, in respect of which an offence under paragraph (1)(a) has been committed, was sold to theoffender by some other person that person is also guilty of an offence.(3) Where a person is charged with an offence under paragraph (1)(b) or under subsection (2) it is a defencefor that person to prove either that he or she gave notice to the person with whom he or she deposited or towhom he or she consigned or sold the food in question that it was not intended for human consumption orthat at the time when it was delivered or dispatched to that person either it was fit for human consumptionor that person did not know and could not with reasonable diligence have ascertained that it was unfit forhuman consumption.(4) [repealed by 1997 c39 s3](5) Where a person is charged with an offence under this section in relation to a food and the food has beenbrought before a Provincial Court judge under section 5, 6, 7 or 8, the person may be tried by that ProvincialCourt judge or by another Provincial Court judge.

RSN1970 c139 s4; 1979 c38 s1 1997 c39 s3

Inspection

5. Where it is reasonably necessary for the purpose of ensuing that food or drugs are prepared, offered for sale orsold in accordance with this Act, an inspector may, at all reasonable times

(a) enter and inspect food premises, a store or other place or premises and may inspect all things in foodpremises, a store or other place or premises; and(b) inspect and examine food or drugs exposed for sale or deposited in a place for the purpose of sale or inpreparation for sale and which is intended or might be used for human consumption, and the person in chargeof the food premises, store or other place shall answer questions asked by the inspector and shall provideinformation and documents that the inspector may request.

1997 c39 s4

Interpretation: Dairy farms should be inspected routinely twice a year with the assistance of theappended Dairy Farm Inspection Form. In the case of infractions there should be return visits madeto assure compliance.

Search and seizure

6. (1) Where an inspector believes on reasonable grounds that a person has contravened this Act or theregulations, the inspector may, with a warrant issued under subsection (2) enter a commercial, public orprivate premises in the province and

(a) search for food or drugs that appear to be unwholesome, unsound, diseased, injurious to healthor otherwise unfit for consumption by human beings;(b) examine those premises and make those inquiries that the inspector considers are necessary;(c) tag and detain food or drugs for not more than 14 days pending a further investigation by theinspector at those premises with the instructions as to its care and storage that the inspector considersnecessary and after 14 days the food or drugs shall be returned to its owner or seized under thissection; and(d) seize, take away, hold and store food or drugs and containers in which they are found where thatfood or drug appears to the inspector to be unwholesome, unsound, diseased, injurious to health orotherwise unfit for consumption by human beings.

(2) A Provincial Court judge or justice of the peace who is satisfied by an information upon oath oraffirmation that there are reasonable grounds for believing that there is in a commercial, public or privatepremises anything which will provide evidence with respect to a contravention of this Act may issue a warrantauthorizing the inspector named in the warrant to enter the commercial, public or private premises, searchfor and seize anything that will provide evidence with respect to a contravention of this Act, subject to theconditions that may be specified in the warrant.(3) The owner or person in charge of the premises referred to subsections (1) and (2) and a person foundthere shall give an inspector reasonable help to enable the inspector to carry out his or her duties andfunctions under this section and shall provide the information and documents that the inspector mayreasonably require.(4) Notwithstanding subsection (1), an inspector may exercise the powers of search and seizure under thatsubsection without a warrant issued under subsection (2) where the conditions for obtaining the warrant existbut by reason of exigent circumstances, it would not be practical to obtain a warrant.(5) For the purpose of subsection (4), exigent circumstances include circumstances in which the delaynecessary to obtain the warrant would result in danger to human life or safety or to the loss or destructionof evidence.(6) For the purpose of section 5 and this section, premises, in addition to its definition under section 2includes a trailer, receptacle or container.

1997 c39 s4

Return or destruction of food

7. (1) Food, drugs and their containers seized under section 6 may be detained for a period of 2 monthsfollowing the day of seizure, unless during that period proceedings under this Act in respect of those foodor drugs are undertaken, in which case the food, drugs and containers may be further retained until theproceedings are finally concluded.(2) Where, following a seizure under section 6, proceedings are not taken, charges are withdrawn orproceeding are taken and the person charged is acquitted of the charge that has been made, the inspector or

other person having custody of the food or drugs seized under section 6 shall return them to the person fromwhom they were seized.(3) Notwithstanding subsection (2), where food or drugs have been seized under section 6 and anexamination by or tests ordered conducted by the inspector discloses that the food or drugs are unfit forhuman consumption, that food or those drugs shall be disposed of or destroyed as ordered by the inspector.

1997 c39 s4

Food offered as prizes

8. (1) Sections 4 to 7 apply in relation to food that is intended for human consumption and is(a) offered as a prize or reward in connection with an entertainment to which the public are admittedwhether on payment of money or not;(b) offered as a prize or reward or given away for the purpose of advertisement or to further a tradeor business; or(c) exposed or deposited in a premises for the purpose of being so offered or given away as if thefood was or had been exposed for sale(d) in a case falling within paragraph (a), by each person concerned in the organization of theentertainment,(e) in a case falling within paragraph (b), by the person offering or giving away the food, or(f) in a case falling within paragraph(c), by the occupier of the premises.

(2) In this section, the expression "entertainment" includes a social gathering, amusement, exhibition,performance, game, sport or trial of skill.

1997 c39 s4

Handling and storage of food

9. (1) In a food premises it shall be handled, prepared, packed, repacked, or stored in a manner that(a) protects the food from coming into contact with harmful contaminants; and(b) protects the food from contamination or adulteration that could be hazardous to human health.

(2) Food shall be transported in a manner that protects it from(a) coming into contact with harmful contaminants; and(b) contamination or adulteration that could be hazardous to human health.

(3) Where the owner of a room who did not let it for the purpose of being used for the preparation, sale orstorage of food executes a work necessary to make the room comply with subsection (1) that owner mayrecover the expenses incurred by him or her in so doing from the occupier of the room summarily as a civildebt.(4) In this section, the expression "room" includes a shop or cellar or other part of a building, and a shed,store or outbuilding or a part of one, and the provisions of this section, where applicable, apply in relationto a yard, forecourt, or area as they apply in relation to a room.(5) Except as may be expressly provided by the regulations, this section does not apply in relation topremises that are used for the preparation, sale or storage of articles prepared from or consisting of materialsother than those of animal or vegetable origin, where the premises are not otherwise used for a purpose inconnection with the preparation, storage or sale of food.

1997 c39 s4

Slaughter of animals

10. (1) An animal, within a licensing area, shall not be slaughtered for food except in an approved building butthis subsection does not apply to the killing of game animals.(2) Meat from outside the province shall not be sold within the province unless it shows evidence ofinspection at its point of origin or processing.

1997 c39 s4

Interpretation: The Meat Inspection Act (Newfoundland) controls the conditions for slaughter ofdomestic animals within Newfoundland and therefore is a more specific reference for section 10(1).The Meat Inspection Act (Canada) covers the conditions for slaughter of domestic animals for salebetween provinces and countries. Any meat entering Newfoundland would have to be inspectedunder this Act or another federal Act permitting international sale of meats (e.g. from the USA). Thisthen would assist in the interpretation of 10(2).

Sampling of food

11. (1) An inspector may purchase for analysis a sample of food or a drug.(2) An inspector may, without going through the form of purchase, take for analysis a sample of food or adrug in the course of manufacture, preparation, sale or delivery to a purchaser or consignee.(3) An inspector may, without going through the form of purchase, take for analysis a sample of food in bulkor milk, meat, fowl or fish sold or exposed for sale or intended for sale or being on the premises of a dealerin those commodities or in a vehicle.(4) Where an inspector applies to purchase an article of food or a drug exposed for sale or on sale by retailon a premises, including a street or open space of public resort, and tenders the price for the quantity whichhe or she requires for the purpose of analysis, not being more than is reasonably requisite, and the personexposing the article or drug for sale, or having it for sale on the premises, refuses to sell to the inspector thequantity required, or where the person having charge of an article of food or drug of which an inspector isempowered to take a sample under subsection (2) or (3) refuses to allow the inspector to take the quantitywhich he or she requires for the purpose of analysis, the person who makes that refusal is guilty of an offence.(5) Where an article of food is exposed for sale in an unopened tin or package properly labelled, a personshall not be required to sell it except in the unopened tin or package in which it is contained.

1997 c39 s4

Division of samples

12. The inspector purchasing or taking a sample of an article of food or a drug with the intention of submitting itto analysis shall, after the purchase has been completed, or at the time of taking the sample, immediately notify theseller or his or her agent who sold the sample or the person in charge of the goods from which the sample was takenof the inspector's intention to have it analyzed by an analyst and shall at that time divide the sample into 3 parts, eachpart to be marked and sealed or fastened in the manner that its nature will permit, and shall

(a) where required deliver one part to the seller or the agent of the seller or the person in charge of the goodsfrom which the sample was taken;(b) retain one part for future comparison; and(c) where the inspector thinks fit to have an analysis made, submit one part to the analyst.

1997 c39 s4

Offence re: inspection

13. Where, after being requested to do so by an inspector, a person who has possession of or control of for sale orin course of its manufacture or its preparation for sale, food or a drug, refuses or omits

(a) to show the inspector the place in which the food or drug is stored;(b) to admit the inspector into that place;(c) to show the inspector all food or a drug in his or her possession;(d) to permit the inspector to inspect food or a drug in his or her possession;(e) to furnish the inspector with the reasonable assistance he or she requires for the purpose of this section;and(f) to answer truthfully questions put to that person by the inspector regarding the food or drug, or the placewhere it is prepared or stored,

that person is guilty of an offence.1997 c39 s4

14. [repealed by 1997 c39 s41997 c39 s4

15. [repealed by 1997 c39 s4]1997 c39 s4

16. [repealed by 1997 c39 s4]1997 c39 s4

Complaint of inspector

17. (1) Where food is sold on premises and the premises are insanitary or there exists on or in connection withthose premises a condition which would constitute a danger to the health of a person purchasing food on orfrom those premises, an inspector or other person designated for the purpose by the minister may lay acomplaint before a Provincial Court judge stating the condition existing on or in connection with thepremises.(2) Every Provincial Court judge before whom a complaint is laid under subsection (1) shall proceedpromptly to hear the matter of the complaint, first giving the owner and the occupier of the premisesreasonable notice of the hearing.(3) Where, in the opinion of the Provincial Court judge before whom a complaint was laid under subsection(1), it is desirable to do so, the judge may make an order that no food shall be sold on or from the premisesin respect of which the complaint was laid, pending the hearing and determination of the complaint.(4) Upon hearing a complaint laid under subsection (1), a Provincial Court judge may

(a) where satisfied that the sale of food on or from the premises in respect of which the complaintwas laid constitutes a danger to the health of a person purchasing it, issue an order prohibiting thesale of food on or from those premises, either absolutely, or, except upon compliance with thoseterms and conditions that the judge may prescribe in the order; or(b) where not satisfied that the sale of food on or from the premises in respect of which the complaintwas laid constitutes a danger to the health of a person purchasing it, dismiss the complaint and revokean interim order made by that or another Provincial Court judge under subsection (3) relating to thepremises.

(5) Every person who contravenes or fails to comply with an order of a Provincial Court judge issued undersubsection (3) or (4) is guilty of an offence under this Act.

(6) This section applies to and in respect of every premises and the owner or occupier of them, whether ornot the premises are licensed under this Act or the regulations, or the licensing provisions of this Act or theregulations apply to the premises.

RSN1970 c139 s17; 1979 c38 s1

Food considered for sale

18. (1) Food or a drug found upon a premises ordinarily used for the sale or storage of the food or drug, orsimilar food or drug, shall be considered to be held for sale.(2) The supplying of food whether in the forms of meals or otherwise by an employer to an employeeconstitutes a sale and food kept by an employer in a place commonly used for storage of food for employeesshall be considered to be kept for sale.

RSN1970 c139 s18

Examination of food handlers

19. (1) The minister, a medical health officer or an inspector may require a person working or about to workin a food premises to submit to medical examination for the purpose of ascertaining whether that person isafflicted with a contagious or infectious disease or physical ailment that may contaminate the food or affectother persons through the medium of the food.(2) An examination required under subsection (1) shall be made without charge to the person examined andshall be made by a registered medical practitioner designated by the minister.(3) A person examined under subsection (1) may have his or her own physician present at the examination.(4) A person who upon the examination is certified by the examining medical practitioner to be unfit to workin a food premises by reason of a contagious or infectious disease or physical ailment shall not work in a foodpremises until that person has received from the minister a permit to do so and where he or she does sowithout a permit he or she is guilty of an offence.(5) A person who refuses to submit to medical examination when required under subsection (1) is guilty ofan offence.(6) A person who knowingly employs, in a food premises, a person who has refused to submit to medicalexamination under subsection (1) or a person who has been certified as unfit to be so employed and has notsubsequently received a permit from the minister under subsection (4) is guilty of an offence.

RSN1970 c139 s19; 1997 c39 s7

20. [repealed by 1997 c39 s5]1997 c39 s5

Where food sold

21. No person shall keep, sell or offer for sale food outside of a store, shop or building or in the open doorways orin the open or closed display windows of a store, shop or building, or in a street or public place, unless the food iskept properly covered so that it is protected from dust, dirt and the contact of flies.

RSN1970 c139 s21

22. [repealed by 1997 c39 s5]1997 c39 s5

23. [repealed by 1997 c39 s5]1997 c39 s5

24. [repealed by 1997 c39 s5]1997 c39 s5

Tuberculin testing

25. (1) No producer or vendor of milk shall represent to his or her customers or to the public that his or hercows have undergone tuberculin test or that they have reacted favourably to the test unless the producer ofthe milk has possession of a certificate to that effect issued by the proper officer of the Department of Healthwithin 1 year previous to the representation and relating to each animal in the herd.(2) No unpasteurized milk shall be placed in a container marked so as to suggest that the contents have beenpasteurized.(3) An adulteration of milk shall be considered to be injurious to health.

RSN1970 c139 s25

Interpretation: Due to Canada’s freedom from bovine tuberculosis (in its domestic cattle industry),routine tuberculin testing of dairy cattle in not carried out. Changes to that status could result inincreased monitoring of dairy herds.

26. [repealed by 1997 c39 s5]1997 c39 s5

27. [repealed by 1997 c39 s5]1997 c39 s5

Limitation of storage

28. No person shall sell or deliver out of a cold store an article of food that has been in cold storage in this countryand elsewhere for more than 12 calendar months unless the article has been inspected and a written permit to sell ordeliver the article has been issued by the chief health inspector.

RSN1970 c139 s28

Misrepresentation of goods

29. No person shall represent or advertise as fresh goods articles of food that have been held in cold storage.RSN1970 c139 s29

Notice of cold storage

30. No person shall sell, offer or expose for sale fish which has been held in cold storage without express notice tothe purchaser by the display of a sign that the fish has been held in cold storage.

RSN1970 c139 s30

Return to cold storage

31. No article of food which has been taken out of cold store shall be returned into a cold store except with the

express permission of an inspector.RSN1970 c139 s31

Employee's offence also employer's

32. An offence against this Act or the regulations by an officer, employee or agent acting for or employed by aperson or corporation and being within the scope of his or her employment or office shall be considered to be theoffence of both that person and of the employing person or corporation.

RSN1970 c139 s32

Certificate of analyst

33. Upon the hearing of a charge under this Act or the regulations the production of the certificate of an analyst is,in the absence of evidence to the contrary, evidence of the facts stated in the certificate unless the defendant requeststhat the analyst be called as a witness and the parts of the samples retained by the person who purchased the articleor took the sample shall be produced.

RSN1970 c139 s33

Action against inspector

34. Where an action or proceeding is taken against the chief health inspector, an inspector, officer or other personfor anything done by him or her under this Act or the regulations and the court before which the action or proceedingis taken is satisfied that there was probably cause for the action of the chief health inspector, inspector, officer orother person and that it was not malicious, a verdict or judgment shall not be given against the chief health inspector,inspector, officer or other person for more than $0.05 damages or for costs of suit.

RSN1970 c139 s34

Offence

35. A person who contravenes this Act or the regulations or fails to comply with the conditions of a licence or permitissued under this Act or the regulations is guilty of an offence.

RSN1970 c139 s35

Penalty

36. (1) A person who violates a provision of this Act or the regulations is guilty of an offence.(2) A person found guilty of an offence under this Act or the regulations is liable on summary conviction

(a) for a first offence, to a fine of not less than $500 and not more than $5,000 or to imprisonmentfor a term of not less than one month nor more than 6 months, or to both a fine and imprisonment;and(b) for a second and subsequent offence to a fine of not less than $5,000 and not more than $20,000or to imprisonment for a term of not less than 2 months or more than 6 months, or to both a fine andimprisonment.

(3) Where a person has been convicted under subsection (2) the court shall, in addition to a penalty imposedunder that subsection, order that the person pay to the minister the cost incurred by the department to sampleand analyze a food or drug associated with the matter for which the person was convicted.

1997 c39 s6

3. Food Premises Regulations with Interpretive Guidelines (Dairy Farms)

As described in the introduction, the following is the text of the outcome-based regulations currentlyapplicable to the dairy industry. Where interpretation of regulations has been considered necessary for the purposesof application of the law, they have been included. Further interpretations will be added as necessary.

The following copy of the Food Premises Regulations is not an official copy so direct reference should bemade to an official copy before application of the law. Sections in italics are the result of new amendments in June1999 relating to the dairy industry. Interpretations have been placed in boldface.

Food Premises Regulations (1999)Under the Food and Drug Act (Newfoundland)

REGULATIONS

Short title

1. These regulations may be cited as the Food Premises Regulations.

Definitions

2. In these regulations(a) "approved" means approved by an inspector;(b) "catering vehicle" means an itinerant food service premises in which food other than hot beverages is notprepared;(b.1) “commercially sterile” means the condition obtained in a milk product that has been processed by theapplication of heat alone or heat in combination with other treatments, to free the milk product of viableforms of micro-organisms, including spores, that would be capable of growing in the milk product at thenormal temperatures at which the milk product is designed to be held during distribution and storage;(c) "corrosion-resistant material" means a material that maintains its original surface characteristics after

(i) repeated exposure to food, soil, moisture or heat, or(ii) exposure to a substance used in cleansing and sanitizing;

(c.1) “dairy” means that part or parts of a dairy farm where milk is collected and stored and includes amilking barn, milking parlour and a milk house;(d) "dairy plant" means a place or building including equipment used in that place or building where milk isreceived and milk products are processed except where the processing consists of only the

(i) incidental manufacture of milk products by a dairy farmer from milk produced on his or her farmand not for sale, or(ii) operation and use of a freezing device in a retail store by means of which ice cream mix is frozen;

(e) "employee" means a person who(i) is employed in a food premise, and(ii) handles or comes in contact with a utensil or food during its preparation, processing, packaging,service, storage or transportation;

(f) "food contact surface" means a surface that food comes in contact with in a food premise;(g) "hazardous food" means a food that is capable of supporting the growth of pathogenic organisms or theproduction of the toxins of those organisms;(h) "manufactured meat product" means food which contains meat as an ingredient that is processed by

salting, pickling, fermenting, canning, drying or smoking or otherwise applying heat or to which edible fats,cereals, seasonings or sugar have been added;(i) "milk" means the normal lacteal secretion obtained from the mammary gland of an animal,(i.1) “milk house” means a building or structure where milk is cooled or stored or milking equipment iscleaned, sanitized and stored;(i.2) “milking barn” means a building or structure where feeding and holding areas are used in conjunctionwith a milking system;(i.3) “milking parlour” means a building, structure or portion of a building or structure where milkingoccurs but where no animals are housed;(j) "mobile preparation premise" means a vehicle or other itinerant food premise from which food is preparedand is offered for sale to the public and that is operated from one location no longer than 7 consecutive days;(k) "multi-service article" means a container or eating utensil that is intended for repeated use in the serviceor sale of food;(l) "notice" means a sign above the signature of the minister or an inspector which may be placed on theoutside or inside of a food premise;(m) "owner" means the proprietor of food premises or in the absence of the proprietor the operator or seniorstaff member;(n) "person" includes a corporate body, partnership, association or any other business entity;(o) "pre-packaged food" means food that is packaged at licensed premises or federally inspected premisesother than the premises at which it is offered for sale;(o.1)"sanitary facility" means any room equipped with appropriate water closets, water closet stalls, urinalsand lavatories as identified in Part 3 of the National Building Code (Canada);(p) "sanitizing" and "sanitize" means antimicrobial treatment;(q) "serving" includes self-service;(r) "single-service article" means a container or eating utensil that is to be used only once in the service orsale of food;(s) "single-service towel" means a towel that is to be used only once before being discarded;(t) "standard method" means an accredited method used by an analyst for the examination of food;(u) "temporary facilities" means food premises established in conjunction with fairs, circuses, concerts, civicevents or another event not lasting longer than 7 consecutive days;(v) "utensil" means an article or equipment used in the manufacture, processing, preparation, storage,handling, display, distribution, service, sale or offering for sale of food except a single-service article; and(w) "vending machine" means a self-service device that upon insertion of a coin, coins, tokens, or debit cardsautomatically dispenses unit servings of food either in bulk or in packaged form.

Application

3. These regulations apply to all food premises except(a) boarding houses and bed and breakfast operations that provide meals only for overnight guests;(b) farms selling only their own farm products in the form of honey, unprocessed fruits, vegetables and grains;(c) the home based food preparation industry where the end product does not contain meat, fish, dairy or eggproducts, or where those dairy or egg products are used in baked or other goods which have low moistureor high sugar or salt content which inhibits the growth of disease supporting microbes, provided they meetstandard health guidelines of the department;(d) temporary facilities or not for profit organizations provided they meet standard health guidelines of thedepartment;(e) vending machines, provided they meet standard health guidelines of the department; and

(f) drinking establishments licensed under the Liquor Control Act where they only sell non-hazardous foodsfrom their original containers and drinks in glasses or other containers, provided that those drinkingestablishments meet the requirements of paragraphs 6(b) and (c) and sections 7, 23, 25, 26, 28, 29 and 30.

Exemption

4. (1) The following food premises are exempt from the provisions of paragraphs 9(a), (b) and (c) and sections6, 20, 21 and 24 where they meet the requirements of subsection (2):

(a) premises where only cold drinks are sold in or from the original container;(b) premises where only frozen confections are sold in the original package or wrapper; and(c) catering vehicles.

(2) Food premises referred to in subsection (1) shall(a) use only single-service articles;(b) provide a supply of single-use commercially packaged moist hand towellettes for the personalhygiene of its employees; and(c) not provide public seating.

Licence

5. (1) A person shall not operate a food premises without a licence. (2) A person wishing to obtain a licence shall

(a) apply in writing to the Government Service Centre; and(b) furnish the inspector with 2 copies of the plans and specifications of the

(i) food premises,and where municipal services are unavailable 2 copies of the plans and specifications of the

(ii) water supply, and(iii) sewage disposal system.

(3) A licence shall be issued only to a specific person and with respect to a specific food premises and thatlicence shall not be transferable.

(4) A licence issued under this section shall be affixed in a conspicuous place within the licensed foodpremises.

(5) A person who holds a licence with respect to a food premises shall complete registration forms asrequired by the minister and shall register his or her food premises annually.

Food premises

6. (1) Food premises shall(a) have

(i) a separate food preparation, manufacturing, or processing area if these activities arecarried out,(ii) washroom facilities as required in sections 29 and 30, and(iii) a separate food storage area;

(b) be free of a condition that may(i) be a health hazard,(ii) adversely affect the sanitary operation of the premises, or(iii) adversely affect the wholesomeness of food;

(c) be equipped to prevent the entrance of insects, rodents, dust or fumes;

(d) limit access of the public to the food preparation areas of the establishment; and(e) be appropriately illuminated and equipped with adequate ventilation systems in accordance withthe National Building Code (Canada) and the National Dairy Regulation and Code (Canada).

Interpretation: With respect to illumination and ventilation, the National Dairy Regulation and Codestates (when reference is made to ventilation systems it is assumed that positive pressure will moveair from clean to dirty areas such as milk house towards barn):

8. A dairy milking barn shall(g) be illuminated in a manner that permits the person conducting the milking operation to

(i) see the udders of the dairy animals during milking, and(ii) perform milking operations in a sanitary manner;

(h) have, in the case where a liquid manure pit is located under or adjacent to a dairy housing barn,ventilation for the pit to ensure that the odours from the pit do not enter the barn, milk house ormilking parlour.

9. (1) A milking parlour shall(c) be equipped with a ventilation system to eliminate condensation and odours that may affect theorganoleptic characteristics of the milk;(e) be illuminated in a manner that permits the person conducting the milking operation to

(i) see the udders of the dairy animals during milking, and(ii) perform milking operations in a sanitary manner.

10 (4) A milk house shall(b) be equipped with a ventilation system to eliminate condensation and odours that may affect theorganoleptic characteristics of the milk,(d) be lighted in a manner that permits milk or farm-separated cream handling operations, inspection,cleaning and sanitizing of the premises and equipment.

(2) In a dairy, milk production and milk collection may be in the same area.

Interpretation: It is customary in the dairy industry to have feeding and milking areas which mayoverlap in milking barns or be separate for free stall or tie stall feeding barn with milking parlour.

Equipment

7. An article or piece of equipment that is used in food premises shall be(a) kept in good repair;(b) of a form and material that can be readily cleaned and sanitized; and(c) maintained in a clean and sanitary condition.

Equipment material

8. (1) Equipment and utensils with which food comes in direct contact shall be(a) corrosion-resistant and non-toxic; and(b) free from cracks, crevices and open seams.

(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1), cutting boards, blocks, tables, bowls, platters and churns of hardwood

or other material may be used where(a) that equipment is, or can be, maintained in a clean and sanitary condition; or(b) the manner and conditions of the use of that equipment is not a health hazard.

Interpretation: The standard for equipment produced and sold for the dairy industry in NorthAmerica has been the 3-A Sanitary Standards formulated by the International Association of Milk,Food and Environmental Sanitarians. These include standards for milk contact surfaces for stainlesssteel, rubber (and rubber-like materials), carbon and ceramic materials, and glass. Though it is notrequired by the Food Premises Regulations that 3-A approved equipment be used, this is the mostcommon source and is identified by the 3-A symbol.

Sanitation

9. (1) All food premises shall be provided with(a) a supply of potable water adequate for the operation of the premises;(b) hot and cold running water under pressure in areas where food is processed, prepared ormanufactured or utensils are washed;(c) a hand washing basin, for employee use only, in a location convenient for employees in eachprocessing, preparation and manufacturing area, together with supplies of hot and cold water andsoap or detergent in a dispenser, and

(i) clean single-service towels, or(ii) a mechanical air dryer;

(d) refrigerated space adequate for the safe storage of hazardous food;(e) containers of durable, leak-proof and non-absorbent material, with tight-fitting or self-closing lidsor other containment methods sufficient for storing all garbage and waste in a sanitary manner; and(f) an approved method of sewage disposal.

(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1), a milking parlour and a milk house shall be illuminated and equippedwith adequate ventilation systems in accordance with the National Dairy Regulation and Code (Canada).

Interpretation:

9. (1) A milking parlour shall(c) be equipped with a ventilation system to eliminate condensation and odours that may affect theorganoleptic characteristics of the milk;(e) be illuminated in a manner that permits the person conducting the milking operation to

(i) see the udders of the dairy animals during milking, and(ii) perform milking operations in a sanitary manner.

10 (4) A milk house shall(b) be equipped with a ventilation system to eliminate condensation and odours that may affect theorganoleptic characteristics of the milk,(d) be lighted in a manner that permits milk or farm-separated cream handling operations, inspection,cleaning and sanitizing of the premises and equipment.

Temperature

10. Temperature controlled rooms and compartments used for the storage of hazardous foods shall be provided withaccurate indicating thermometers that can be easily read.

Interpretation: This would include bulk tanks used on dairy farms and milk transport trucks. Asmore specific reference is made in sections 36.1 (bulk tanks) and 36.2 (milk transport trucks)application of these regulations should be done through the specific references.

Food contamination

11. All food shall(a) be protected from contamination and adulteration;(b) comply with department standards for microbiological, chemical, or physical quality; and(c) not be served to a customer after being previously served to another customer.

Interpretation: The control over the microbiological, chemical or physical standards are restated in36 (2) e & f and detailed in Schedule A (raw milk) and 38 (5) and detailed in Schedule C (pasteurizedmilk).

Food containers

12. Food containers that are multi-service articles shall(a) be constructed of materials and in a manner that is readily cleaned and sanitized; and(b) not be used for a purpose other than the packaging of food.

Hazardous food

13. Hazardous foods in hermetically sealed containers that have not been subjected to a process sufficient to preventthe production of bacterial toxins or the survival of spore-forming pathogenic bacteria shall

(a) have "Keep Refrigerated" prominently marked on the container; and(b) be maintained, transported, displayed, stored or offered for sale at an internal temperature not higher than4/ Celsius.

Hazardous food processed

14. Hazardous foods, other than those hermetically sealed, that have been subjected to a process sufficient to preventthe production of bacterial toxins or the survival of spore-forming pathogenic bacteria shall be distributed,maintained, stored, transported, displayed or sold or offered for sale that in a manner ensures that the internaltemperature of the food is

(a) 4/ Celsius or lower; or(b) 60/ Celsius or higher,

except for those periods of time that may be necessary for the preparation, processing and manufacturing of the food.

Frozen food

15. Food that is intended to be transported, displayed, stored, sold or offered for sale in a frozen state shall be frozento a temperature of -18/ Celsius or lower and maintained at a temperature of -18/ Celsius.

Milk etc.

16. Milk, cream and edible oil if packaged in single use portions shall be offered for sale or served in or from theoriginal container as filled by the processor.

Ice

17. (1) Ice used in the preparation, processing and the manufacturing of food or drink shall be made from potablewater and shall be stored and handled in a sanitary manner.(2) Steam that contacts food during processing, manufacturing or preparation shall be from a potable supplyand free from toxic substances.

Cans, containers etc.

18. (1) Cans, containers or wrappings of hazardous food shall bear(a) a permanent code marking of the manufacturer or processor designating the food premises wherethe food was manufactured, packaged or processed; and(b) the date on which food was manufactured, processed or packaged, or an expiry date.

(2) Where food is repackaged or reprocessed, it shall bear the date and the name of the repackaging orreprocessing individual or firm.

(3) Subsection (1) does not apply where hazardous food is packaged and sold on the same food premises.

Maintenance

19. Furniture, equipment and appliances in food premises shall be constructed and arranged to permit thoroughcleaning and maintaining of the room or place in a clean and sanitary condition.

Interpretation: The National Dairy Regulations & Code states that:

“13. (1) A milk house shall be designed in a manner that(a) permits the installation of a bulk milk tank having free space at each side and in front,behind, above and below to allow access for inspection, transfer, cleaning and sanitizing;(b) the ceiling is high enough to permit the inspection of the milk and complete verticalremoval of the gauge or dipstick of the bulk milk tank.

and13. (4) When located in a milk house, the refrigerator compressor, vacuum pump of the milkingsystem, water heater and the water pump, shall be installed and operated in a manner that does notcontaminate the milk.”

Garbage

20. Garbage and wastes shall be removed from food premises as often as is necessary to maintain the premises ina sanitary condition.

Interpretation: the National Dairy Regulation & Code states:

“21. Bedding shall not be changed or disturbed while milking is performed in the dairy milking barn.

22. (1) Subject to subsection (2) solid and liquid manure shall be removed daily from the dairymilking barn.(2) Manure may be permitted to accumulate in a loose housing barn provided there issufficient bedding to ensure a clean, dry rest area for the dairy animals”

A loose housing barn is one with at least three walls and a roof that contains no stalls. As it is not apart of the milk collection structures of the farm it is not included within the scope of theseregulations. 22 (2) then is provided as extra information for inspectors.

Cleanliness

21. (1) An operator shall ensure, in respect of a food premises operation that(a) the food premises are cleaned sufficiently to prevent contamination of food;(b) every room where food is manufactured, prepared, processed, handled, served, displayed, stored,sold or offered for sale is kept free from live birds and animals except

(i) a dog serving as a guide for a handicapped person, and(ii) live aquatic species displayed or stored in sanitary tanks on food premises; and

(c) a room referred to in paragraph (b) is kept free from materials and equipment not regularly usedin the room that could cause food to become adulterated or contaminated.

Interpretation: More specific reference to storage of toxic substances is referred to in section 24.Otherwise inspectors must use their judgement in storage of other materials in a dairy barn, milkingparlour or milk house.

(2) Paragraph (1) (b) does not apply to animals in the areas of a dairy milking barn or milking parlournormally associated with the housing or milking of dairy animals.(3) An animal other than an animal involved in the milking process shall not be permitted in the areasreferred to in subsection (2).

Interpretation: Animals not involved in the milking process should be housed separately from themilking animals to avoid the transmission of diseases. Exceptions would include cats and non-lactating dairy animals (e.g. dry cows). Though cats may not ideally be appropriate for a barn theydo keep the rodent population down and are otherwise an acceptable part of barn life. If specifichealth problems are identified that are associated with cats (such as Q-fever) then regulatory actioncan be taken. Dogs should not be allowed to live in barns nor should poultry, swine or horses. It isalso undesirable to have bucks housed with does in a dairy goat farm due to odours but this is not ahealth concern rather it is one of consumer acceptance so would not be enforced.

Table covers, serviettes

22. Table covers, napkins or serviettes used in the service of food shall be clean and in good repair and multi-servicenapkins and serviettes shall be laundered before each use.

Towels

23. Cloths and towels used for(a) washing, drying and polishing of utensils shall be in good repair, clean and used for no other purpose; and(b) clearing tables shall be in good repair, clean and used for no other purpose.

Toxic substances

24. Toxic and poisonous substances required for the maintenance of sanitary conditions shall be(a) kept in a compartment separate from food so as to preclude contamination of food, working surfaces orutensils;(b) kept in a container that bears a label on which the contents of the container are clearly identified; and(c) used only in a manner or condition which does not permit those substances to contaminate food or causea health hazard.

Interpretation: The National Dairy Regulation & Code states:

“12. (1) All cleaning materials, containers of detergents or sanitizers used in the productionand handling of milk or farm-separated cream, shall be stored in a milk house in alocation and manner that will not contaminate the milk or farm-separated cream.

(2) No pesticides, or other toxic products, other than those that are directly related tothe operation of a milk house, shall be stored in a milk house.

(3) All veterinary drugs stored in a milk house, shall be kept in a cupboard orrefrigerator in a manner that prevents contamination of the milk.”

“26. Detergents, sanitizers, pesticides and other pest control products shall comply with therequirements of the Meat Inspection Act & Regulations (Canada) and the Pest Control ProductsAct (Canada), and any applicable provincial legislation.”

“27. All detergents, sanitizers, insecticides, pesticides and other pest control products shall bekept in their original container that are labelled to ensure easy identification of the type ofproducts that they contain.”

Liquid nitrogen tanks (used for storing frozen semen) are also acceptable in a milk house as long asthey do not pose a threat to the milk supply.

Utensil cleaning

25. Equipment and facilities suitable for the cleaning and sanitizing of utensils shall be available and used for no otherpurpose.

Interpretation: The National Dairy Regulation & Code states:

“9. (1) A milking parlor shall(a) be equipped with or have ready access to a pressurized hot and cold runningpotable water system that is protected from any source of contamination;(b) be equipped with pipes, hoses and nozzles that are installed and arranged in a

manner that permits cleaning of the parlor and equipment.”

“10. (4) A milk house shall(a) be equipped with a pressurized hot and cold running potable water system,

(i) with pipes, hoses and nozzles installed and arranged in a manner thatpermits cleaning of the parlor and equipment, and(ii) that is protected from any source of contamination to the water;”

Utensil sanitization

26. (1) Utensils shall be sanitized by manual or mechanical equipment approved by an inspector and by(a) immersion in clean water at a temperature of at least 77/ Celsius;(b) immersion in a solution containing a sanitizing agent that is non-toxic and that provides abactericidal result not to exceed 100 bacterial colonies when tested by method approved by theminister and in accordance with the standard plate test, utilizing the swab technique or anotherapproved method; or(c) another method that provides a bactericidal result not to exceed 100 bacterial colonies whentested by method approved by the minister in accordance with the standard plate test, utilizing theswab technique or other approved method.

(2) A test reagent for determining the concentration of sanitizer and an accurate thermometer to determinethe temperature of the sanitizing solution shall be readily available where the sanitizing takes place.

(3) An inspector shall approve a process which meets the requirements of paragraph (1)(a), (b) or (c).

Interpretation: The National Dairy Regulation and Code states:

24. Equipment that comes into contact with the milk during milking shall be(a) rinsed, washed, rinsed and drained within one hour after use;(b) stored when not in use in a manner that prevents contamination and(c) sanitized and drained immediately before use.”

Employee clothing

27. Employees required to make a complete change of outer garments at the beginning and at the end of the workperiod, shall not do so in the food preparation area.

Employee cleanliness

28. (1) An owner or employee who handles or comes in contact with food or with a utensil used in food premisesshall

(a) be clean;(b) wear clean outer garments;(c) wear headgear that confines the hair and have other hair effectively under control;(d) be free from an infectious agent of a disease or skin condition that may be spread through themedium of food;(e) submit to those medical examinations and tests at the request of an inspector as are required to

confirm the absence of an infectious agent referred to in paragraph (d);(f) not use tobacco products while engaged in handling or contacting food or a food utensil; and(g) wash his or her hands before commencing or resuming work and after each use of sanitaryfacilities.

(2) Paragraph (1)(c) does not apply to employees whose activities are usually confined to the serving of foodto customers.

Sanitary facilities

29. (1) A sanitary facility shall be conveniently located on or accessible to the premises' employees and patrons. (2) A sanitary facility shall be equipped with

(a) a supply of toilet paper;(b) a constant supply of hot and cold running water;(c) a supply of soap or detergent in a dispenser;(d) a receptacle of durable construction that is easily cleaned for used towels and other wastematerial; and(e) a supply of paper towels or a hot air dryer.

(3) This section does not apply to a vehicle that is used for the transporting of food or a catering vehicle.

Interpretation: The National Dairy Regulation & Code states:

“11. (3) Where a milk house is provided with a lavatory, the lavatory shall(a) not open directly into the milk house working area; and(b) be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition.”

National building code to apply

30. (1) Food premises shall have available, sanitary facilities for patrons and employees as per the standardsestablished in the National Building Code.

(2) Where a parking lot is operated as part of the premises and patrons are served in their vehicles, eachparking space shall be considered for the purpose of standards established in the National Building Code tobe equivalent to 2 seats.

(3) Public portable sanitary facilities may be used as an alternative to facilities that are part of the food servicepremises provided that those public facilities are

(a) conveniently located with respect to the food premises;(b) equipped with sufficient fixtures to assure availability under normal conditions or use; and(c) located in the same building or on the same grounds where the food service premise are operatedin connection with an exhibition, fair, carnival, sporting event or amusement park.

Catering vehicle

31. (1) All food offered for sale from a catering vehicle shall be pre-packaged except for hot beverages. (2) A catering vehicle which serves hazardous foods shall be equipped with refrigerated storage and display

facilities that shall be used for holding hazardous foods. (3) Subsection (2) does not apply to vehicles from which only frozen confections in the original package or

wrapper are sold.

Mobile premises

32. (1) Mobile preparation premises are exempt from subparagraph 6(a)(iii) and sections 29 and 30, but wheremobile preparation premises provide sanitary facilities for employees the sanitary facilities shall be incompliance with sections 29 and 30.

(2) Where mobile preparation premises have a separate food storage area it shall meet the other provisionsof these regulations applicable to a separate food storage area.

(3) In mobile preparation premises(a) food shall be prepared within the premises and served to the public by persons working within thepremises;(b) only single-service articles shall be used;(c) service doors and windows to the preparation area shall be screened and, when the premises arein motion, tightly closed with a solid material to prevent the entrance of dust, fumes or othercontaminants into the food preparation area;(d) the driver's compartment shall be completely partitioned from the food preparation area and,where the partition has an access door, the door shall be solid and self-closing;(e) separate holding tanks shall be provided for toilet and sink wastes; and(f) every waste tank and water supply tank shall be equipped with an easily readable gauge fordetermining the waste or water level in the tank.

(4) Mobile preparation premises where food preparation is limited to the reheating of precooked meatproducts in the form of wieners or similar sausage products to be served on a bun are exempt from paragraph(3)(a) with respect to the preparation and serving of food to the public by persons positioned within thepremises.

Meat or fish

33. Manufactured or processed meat or fish products that are customarily eaten without further cooking shall besubjected to a process sufficient to destroy pathogenic bacteria, parasites and cystic forms of parasites.

Processed meat or fish identification

34. (1) A manufactured or processed meat or fish product shall be identified by a tag, stamp or label affixed tothe product which states the food premises of origin.

(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1), a bulk packed manufactured or processed meat or fish product thatcannot be individually identified under subsection (1) because of its size, shape or consistency may beremoved from its container for the purpose of display or sale where the container bears the food premisesidentification referred to in subsection (1).

(3) Subsection (1) does not apply to a manufactured or processed meat or fish product stored, sold or offeredfor sale in a retail outlet at the food premises of origin.

Fish

35. Where retail food premises have consumer owned meat or fish not procured from a plant or facility licensedunder the Meat Inspection Act or the Fish Inspection Act, the utensils, equipment and food contact surfaces usedin connection with it shall be washed and sanitized in accordance with these regulations prior to their re-use on meator fish that has been procured from that plant or facility.

Milk supply

36. (1) An animal whose milk is intended for human consumption shall be kept clean and free of diseasestransmissible to humans by its milk.(2) Milk shall not be sold where it

(a) comes from an animal 15 days before and 3 days after parturition or a longer period where itis necessary to ensure that the milk is free of colostrum;(b) contains blood, coagulation or other foreign particles;(c) is watery;(d) has an odour that adversely affects its organoleptic characteristics;(e) is contaminated with chemicals, drugs, pathogenic micro-organisms or another foreign residue;and(f) does not comply with those standards set out in Schedule A.

Interpretation: For 36 (1), with respect to keeping milking animals clean, the National DairyRegulation & Code states that

“19. Prior to milking, a person who is conducting the milking operation shall: (a) ensure that the sides, flanks and belly of the animal are free of dirt; (b) discard the first stream of milk from each teat; (c) clean and sanitize the teats and udder base and dry them with single service towels”

and

“23. The person who is conducting a milking operation shall, immediately after removing themilking machine, sanitize the teats with a teat dip solution approved for that purpose underthe Food and Drugs Act (Canada).”

With respect to odours, section 36 (2)(d), the evaluation of milk for odours is very subjectiveand rarely a public health concern. It is usually left up to the dairy plants to evaluate milk flavour& odour with respect to organoleptic qualities that will affect its abilities to sell the milk. If there isa concern that off-flavours and odours might affect public health then samples should be taken foranalysis.

With respect to being free of diseases transmissible to humans, section 36 (2) (e), all animals

potentially carry micro-organisms that can be transmitted to humans. It is for this purpose that wepasteurize milk before consumption. At the present time there are only two diseases, that can betransmitted in milk, for which there is a mandatory control program in Canada. These are brucellosis(Brucella abortus) and tuberculosis (Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M. bovis). Any confirmation ofthe presence of these organisms will result in the application of control measures by the federalgovernment (Canadian Food Inspection Agency). The use of this section to control other diseases (e.g.Salmonella, Campylobacter, E. coli, Coxiella burnetii) would be evaluated on a case by case basisdepending on the extent of the problem and the ability of pasteurization to control the disease.

With respect to Schedule A, section 36 (2) (f), milk is sampled from dairy farms on a monthlybasis. The time required to produce laboratory results and the impact of specific results requires adifferent response for different characteristics. Please also read section 5 of this manual foradditional comments on regulatory action, and section 7 of this manual on “Problem Solving With

Raw Milk Samples” .

1. Bacterial Count (Total Living Mesophilic Aerobic Bacteria Count, Standard Plate Count, PlateLoop Count):

Milk contains a number of different populations of bacteria. Those that are traditionallymeasured to evaluate milk quality are the aerobic mesophiles. The two common tests for countingthese bacteria are the Standard Plate Count and the Plate Loop Count.

As the bacterial count 1) takes at least 48 hours to perform after receipt of the sample in thelaboratory, 2) is reduced during pasteurization, and as 3) the offending milk may already be mixedinto a silo or be part of the food supply once the count is complete, it is not necessary or practical toremove the milk from the market unless the counts are extreme.

The regulatory response will start at 40,000/ml. On laboratory reports generated from theFood Quality Laboratory (Animal Health Division), the statement will be made “Results within legallimits” for all results under 40,000. From 40,000-50,000 the statements will be made “Results withinlegal limits however they are approaching the point at which regulatory action will be taken, please takesteps to reduce these counts.” Above 50,000, the statement will be made “Results in excess of legallimits, please take appropriate action to reduce counts to avoid losing right to ship milk.”

2. Somatic Cell Count

Somatic cells are predominantly white blood cells that exist in milk as a normal constituent ofthat body fluid. However as injury to the udder occurs either as a result of infection or trauma, thenumber of somatic cells increases. A dairy farmer is losing production efficiency of the dairy herd atlevels above 250,000. The national maximum for milk quality purposes is 500,000. As somatic cellsare removed at the dairy plant through centrifugation, it is not necessary to remove offending milkfrom the market unless there are extreme results. However as elevated levels of somatic cells decreasethe quality of the milk from a perspective of shelf life as well as increasing the chances of there beingantibiotic residues or pathogenic bacteria in the milk, the dairy farmer will have to keep the levelsbelow 500,000.

The regulatory response will start at 400,000/ml. On laboratory reports generated from theFood Quality Laboratory (Animal Health Division), the statement will be made “Results within legallimits” for all results under 400,000. From 400,000-500,000 the statements will be made “Resultswithin legal limits however they are approaching the point at which regulatory action will be taken,please take steps to reduce these counts.” Above 500,000, the statement will be made “Results in excessof legal limits, please take appropriate action to reduce counts to avoid losing right to ship milk.”

3. Antibiotic Residues

Milk is analysed for antibiotic residues with the Charm SL. Charm SL is an ELISA test thatcan be used for the beta lactam family of antibiotics (penicillins), tetracyclines and sulfonamides. Asthe beta lactams are the most commonly found residues they are the ones for which routine testingis performed. Other antibiotics are tested for on a survey basis or as a followup to specific problems.

The presence of antibiotics is not tolerated in the milk supply either by regulatory agencies ordairy plants. The confirmation of the presence of antibiotics will result in the immediate stopping ofmilk leaving that farm until it tests negative. If milk has already left the farm and is tested negativeby the dairy plant then it will not be recalled however no further milk is to leave the farm until it testsnegative. The dairy producer may divert the milk to alternative uses such as feed to swine (dependingon the levels) but it cannot enter the food supply. There is no grading of response on reports leavingthe Food Quality Laboratory. If residues are confirmed then the following statement will be made.“Results are in excess of legal limit. No milk can leave this farm until samples are confirmed negativefor antibiotics.”

4. Added Water

There are a number of reasons that milk should not have supplementary water in it. Theseinclude economic fraud and contamination by solutes within the water. Low levels of minerals suchas copper, iron or sulfur can cause off-flavours; water with bacterial contamination can reduce shelf-life or introduce pathogens, chemicals in the water can cause decreased shelf life, off-flavours and mayrisk human health.

Additional water in milk is measured through a change in its freezing point. The freezing pointof milk is recorded in degrees Hortvet (°H) or degrees Celsius (°C), however to avoid confusion onlyCelsius will be used. The freezing point of water is 0.000° C and the average freezing point of normalmilk is -0.517°C. Due to the variabilities in freezing point between animals, herds and seasons, andthe fact that no milking system can be considered completely free of water residues, no action is takenuntil the milk is clearly outside of the normal range, i.e. in excess of -0.508°C ( -0.530 °H). This isgenerally considered to be equivalent to 1.8% added water, with the next degree (-0.507 °C) beingequal to 2% added water, the infractionary level. However, as the actual normal freezing point of theherd in question is not known, it is inaccurate to quote an actual percentage of water.

As there is suspicion of added water at a freezing point above -0.512°C, the followingregulatory statements would be made on laboratory reports. For freezing points at -0.513°C andlower “Results within legal limits.” For freezing points from -0.512°C to -0.508 °C “Results within legallimits, however they are approaching the legal limit. Please verify that no added water is getting intoyour bulk tank” at levels above -0.508°C “Results in excess of legal limit. No milk can leave this farmuntil samples are confirmed negative for added water.”

The freezing point of milk can also increase above the legal limit when cows are poorlynourished. An investigation of the cause of a freezing point infraction should consider whetherstarvation may be a factor, in which case the Animal Health Division should be informed as there maybe cause to investigate cruelty to animals.

36.1 (1) Where milk is stored in a dairy for pickup by a dairy plant, a bulk milk tank shall be installed in the milkhouse of that dairy and that bulk milk tank shall

(a) be exclusively used for the storage and cooling of milk;(b) have a capacity of not less than 2.5 days of milk production by a dairy animal herd during itspeak production period;(c) be equipped with a measuring device which permits the determination of the volume of milkcontained in the tank;

(d) have mechanical agitation capable of maintaining uniformity of all milk constituents throughoutthe tank without the splashing or churning of the milk;(e) not use air agitation;(f) be suitable for cooling milk and maintaining it at a temperature of not less than 1° Celsius andnot more than 4° Celsius;(g) be equipped with a thermometer in working order in accordance with dairy industry standards;and(h) be equipped with an outlet cap.

(2) A bulk milk tank shall be(a) emptied at least once in each 2 day period unless an inspector permits another period; and (b) cleaned and sanitized after each transfer of milk to a transport vehicle.

(3) Milk contained in a bulk milk tank shall be maintained at a temperature of not less than 1° Celsius andnot more than 4° Celsius,

(a) by placing milk into the bulk milk tank immediately after milking;(b) by cooling the milk from a first milking placed into the bulk milk tank to 10° Celsius or lesswithin 1 hour of that placement and to not less than 1° Celsius and not more than 4° Celsius within2 hours of that placement;(c) when subsequent milkings are placed into the bulk milk tank, by ensuring that the blendedtemperature does not rise above 10° Celsius and is cooled to and maintained at not less than 1°Celsius and not more than 4° Celsius within 1 hour after the subsequent milking.

Interpretation: With respect to thermometers used in the dairy industry (36.1 (1) (g)), the NationalDairy Regulations & Code states:

“14 (2) (h) A bulk milk tank installed in a milk house shall be equipped with a thermometerin working order bearing graduations from at least 0° C to 50° C and showing the temperatureof the milk contained in the tank to within 2° C.”

36.2 A vehicle used for the transport of raw milk shall(a) not be used to transport a substance other than milk or potable water unless an inspector permitsotherwise;(b) have all tanks, milk hoses and other equipment attached to it constructed and maintained in themanner which complies with section 8;(c) have its milk holding tank constructed and operated in a manner that will maintain the milk ata temperature not less than 1° Celsius and not more than 4° Celsius, and(d) have all surfaces which come into contact with milk cleaned and sanitized so as not to create ahealth hazard.

Interpretation: The National Dairy Regulation & Code states:

43. (3) The tank and accessories of the transport vehicle shall be washed and sanitized at least onceper day in a manner that prevents contamination of the milk and if more than one load is collectedin one day in a transport vehicle, the pump, hoses and fittings of the transport vehicle shall be washedbetween loads.”

36.3 (1) A dairy plant shall not procure a supply of milk unless that supply is provided from a dairy which holdsa licence issued under section 5.

(2) Milk which is tainted, sour or otherwise does not meet the requirements of these regulations shall berejected by a dairy plant and returned to the shipper or disposed of in a manner approved of by aninspector.(3) Except when sold to a dairy plant to be pasteurized before further distribution, milk intended for humanconsumption shall not be sold or offered for sale unless that milk has been pasteurized in accordance withthese regulations.(4) Milk received at a dairy plant shall be stored in a manner which prevents that milk from being spoiledor contaminated.

Interpretation: Please see interpretation under section 36 (2) (d) for milk odours.

Pasteurization and sterilization

37. (1) A milk product shall be pasteurized or made from milk which has been pasteurized in accordance withthe time and temperature requirements of Schedule B or in accordance with another equivalent processwhich the minister may approve.(2) A milk product which has been treated as ultra high temperature (UHT) and which is asepticallypackaged and milk products which have been sterilized in their container shall be commercially sterile.(3) Subsection (1) shall not apply to cheese which has been manufactured in compliance with the Food andDrugs Act (Canada).

Interpretation: The Food and Drugs Act (Canada) state under the regulations to that Act:

“B.08.044. (1) Subject to subsection (2), no person shall sell cheese, including cheese curd, that isnot made from a pasteurized source unless it has been stored.

(2) Cheese, including cheese curd, that is not made from a pasteurized source may beused as an ingredient in any food providing such food is manufactured or processed soas to pasteurize the cheese in the manner described in the definition "pasteurizedsource" in section B.08.030(1). SOR/78-405, s. 1; SOR/79-752, s. 3.

B.08.045. Notwithstanding B.08.044, cheese that has not been manufactured from a pasteurizedsource and has not been stored but is marked or branded with the date of the beginningof the manufacturing process, may be sold to

(a) a wholesaler;(b) a jobber; or(c) in quantities of not less than 900 pounds, to a retailer.

B.08.046. No person shall sell any whole cheese that has not been made from a pasteurized sourceunless there is stamped thereon the date of the beginning of the manufacturing process.

B.08.047. Every manufacturer, wholesaler, or jobber who sells cheese not made from apasteurized source and which has not been stored shall keep a record of

(a) the registered number of the cheese factory,(b) the date of manufacture of the cheese,

(c) the vat number or vat numbers,

(d) the name and address of the person to whom the cheese is sold, and(e) the weight sold from each vat,

for each lot of cheese sold.

B.08.048. (1) Subject to section B.08.054, no person shall sell cheese, including cheese curd, madefrom a pasteurized source if the cheese contains more than

(a) 100 Escherichia coli, or(b) 100 Staphylococcus aureus

per gram, as determined by official method MFO-14, Microbiological Examination ofCheese, November 30, 1983.(2) No person shall sell cheese, made from an unpasteurized source if the cheesecontains more than

(a) 500 Escherichia coli, or(b) 1,000 Staphylococcus aureus

per gram, as determined by official method MFO-14, Microbiological Examination ofCheese, November 30, 1983. SOR/78-405, s. 2; SOR/82-768, s. 21; SOR/84-17, s.4.”

Milk products considered pasteurized or sterilized

38. (1) Milk products other than butter and goat’s milk shall be considered to have been pasteurized if therecording thermometer chart indicates that the milk was heated as required under section 37 and theproduct is negative when tested for the presence of alkaline phosphatase as determined by a methodprescribed by the minister.(2) A milk product shall be considered to have been sterilized if a sample of the product is free of livingorganisms as determined by a method prescribed by the minister.(3) Butter shall be considered to have been made from pasteurized milk or cream if it is negative when testedfor the presence of peroxidase as determined by a method prescribed by the minister.(4) Goat milk shall be considered to have been pasteurized if the recording thermometer chart indicates themilk was heated as required under section 37.(5) A milk product shall not contain detectable levels of food borne pathogens and microbial toxins exceptas provided in Schedule C and shall meet the microbiological, chemical and temperature standards requiredby Schedules A and C.(6) The minister may, where the requirements and standards are more stringent than those imposed underthe Act and these regulations, adopt and impose chemical and microbial standards and thermal processingparameters for milk and milk based products imposed by the Government of Canada or by another provinceof Canada.

Cooling of milk products

39. (1) Milk products shall be cooled immediately after pasteurization to a temperature of at least 4/ Celsius orless and shall be held at that temperature during storage, transportation and sale.(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to a milk product that

(a) is to be further processed prior to packaging, then cooled to 4/ Celsius or less;(b) has been sterilized and is to be or is aseptically packaged; or(c) is processed by drying.

Pasteurizer

40. (1) Pasteurization equipment and ultra high temperature (UHT) processing equipment shall be designed,constructed and operated to ensure the pasteurization of milk products.(2) A pasteurizer used for milk products shall be equipped with indicating and recording thermometers thatare accurate, moisture proof and easily read.

Temperature

41. (1) The temperature of a milk product in a pasteurizer shall be taken as the temperature shown on theindicating thermometer and not the temperature shown by the recording thermometer.(2)The temperature shown by the recording thermometer shall be checked daily by the operator against thetemperature shown by the indicating thermometer and shall be adjusted to read no higher than thetemperature shown by the indicating thermometer.

Recording thermometer

42. (1) A recording thermometer chart shall not be used for a period that will exceed one complete rotation ofthe graph.(2) A recording thermometer chart shall have the following information noted:

(a) the date of operation;(b) the number of the pasteurizer, if more than one is in use, to which the recorder was attached;(c) the temperature of the indicating thermometer at some time corresponding with a marked pointin the holding period;(d) the name of product being pasteurized; and(e) the signature of the operator or his or her authorized representative for that purpose.

(3) Where more than one recording thermometer is in use, each chart shall be numbered in a manner thatindicates the recording thermometer that was used for the chart.(4) A recording thermometer chart shall be kept by an operator for at least 3 months after it is used.

Labelling

43. Sterilized milk products shall be sold in or from containers that bear the words "STERILIZED " or "STERILE" and "REFRIGERATE AFTER OPENING ".

Dating

44. (1) Food premises that repackages milk products not produced in that food premises, shall identify theoriginal processor, packing date and batch number on the containers of repackaged milk products.(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1), the operator of food premises may show on the containers of repackagedmilk products

(a) the operator's name and address or code marking; and(b) the operator's "Best Before" or repackaging date,

provided that records are maintained by the operator that identify the original processor, packing date andbatch number of the milk products.(3) Subsections (1) and (2) do not authorize the repackaging of fluid milk products.

Egg storage

45. All eggs intended for human consumption shall be stored in accordance with the temperature and humidityconditions which are prescribed by the Egg Regulations (Canada) made under the Canada Agricultural Products Act(Canada).

Cracked eggs

46. (1) Cracked eggs may not be used in the commercial preparation or creation of cooked or uncooked foodproducts, whether or not the product is offered to the public for charitable or profit-making purposes.(2) For the purpose of this section, "cracked egg" means an egg which

(a) shows on candling a distinct yolk outline;(b) shows on candling yolk that is moderately oblong in shape and that floats freely within the eggwhen twirled;(c) shows on candling a very slight degree of germ development;(d) shows on candling an air cell not exceeding 9 millimetres in depth;(e) shows spots of dirt on the shell, if the aggregate area of dirt does not exceed 40 squaremillimetres, and stain spots, if the aggregate area of the stain does not exceed 320 square millimetres;(f) has a shell that is slightly abnormal in shape and has rough areas and definite ridges; or(g) the shell of the egg has a hairline crack but the membrane is not broken and the internal contentsare not leaking.

Closure

47. (1) Where an inspector finds that a condition exists in food premises which is or may become a menace tohealth, or where the food premises are without a valid food premises licence the inspector may order the foodpremises closed and that food premises shall remain closed until the condition in question has been rectifiedto the satisfaction of an inspector.(2) Within 24 hours after the issue of an order under subsection (1) an inspector shall give written notice ofthat order to the owner or operator outlining the reasons for the closing.(3) Where food premises have been closed under this section, an inspector may arrange for a notice to beplaced in a conspicuous place on the outside or inside of the building, in a window or elsewhere, indicatingto the general public that the food premise has been closed by the Department of Health.

SCHEDULE AChemical and Microbiological Standards for Raw Milk

Parameter Standard

Temperature At Dairies: 1° C to 4° C for milk contained in the bulk milk tank(subject to section 36.1 (3))

Total living mesophilic aerobicbacteria count

Maximum 50,000 total living mesophilic aerobic bacteria per ml.

Somatic cells Cow’s milk: maximum 500,000 somatic cells per ml.Goat’s milk: maximum 1,500,000 somatic cells per ml.

Veterinary drug residues Absence of veterinary drugs and other inhibitors as tested byofficial methods

Cryoscopy maximum: -0.508 ° C for cow’s milk

SCHEDULE BMinimum Thermal Processing Parameters for Batch and HTST Pasteurizers

Product Pasteurization Type Time Temperature

Milk Based Products - below 10% Milk Fat Batch/Vat 30 minutes 63° C

Milk Based Products - below 10% Milk Fat HTST 15 seconds 72° C

Milk Based Products - 10% Milk Fat orhigher, or added sugar (fluid cream,chocolate milk, flavoured cream)

Batch/Vat 30 minutes 66° C

Milk Based Products - 10% Milk Fat orhigher, or added sugar (fluid cream,chocolate milk, flavoured cream)

HTST 15 seconds 75° C

Frozen Milk Product Mixes, Egg Nog Batch/Vat 30 minutes 69° C

Frozen Milk Product Mixes, Egg Nog HTST 25 seconds15 seconds

80° C83° C

SCHEDULE CStandards for Milk Products

Product Parameter Standard

Fluid cow’s milk products (except creams) Freezing point -0.508° C

Cheese (pasteurized milk) S. aureusE. coli

10,000(/g)1,000 (/g)

Cheese (unpasteurized) S. aureusE. coli

10,000 (/g)1,000 (/g)

Cheese (pasteurized) without ripening,including fresh cheeses, lactic curd with aminimum of 50% moisture

Coliform 100 (/g)

Fermented milk products (e.g. buttermilk,yogourt, sour cream)

Coliform 100 (/g or ml)

Pasteurized milk, cream and other non-fermented milk products

Mesophilic aerobic bacteria (32° C)Coliform

25,000 (/ml)10 (/g)

Frozen milk products Mesophilic aerobic bacteria (32° C)Coliform

50,000 (/ml)100 (/ml)

Butter Mesophilic aerobic bacteria (32° C)Coliform

50,000 (/g)100 (/g)

Milk powders and other milk productpowders

Mesophilic aerobic bacteria (32° C)Coliform

50,000 (/g)100 (/g)

Evaporated, sweetened and condensed milk Sterility Commerciallysterile

Raw Milk Sampling Protocol

1. Sampling Equipment

The following equipment will be necessary to perform milk sampling: 1) Sterile sample containers. 2) Non-sterile sample containers. 3) Copies of the Sample submission form. 4) Sealable plastic baggies. 5) Nitrile gloves and hand sanitizer or equivalent. 6) Pre-frozen ice packs. 7) Transport containers. 8) Sterilized/sanitized stainless steel ladles. 9) Courier slips.

Preparation of the Milk Ladle

Milk samples should only be taken with a clean and sterilized stainless steel milk ladle.

The ladle should be protected by some type of sanitary covering and stored in a manner to prevent it from becoming contaminated. You will need to make arrangements with the local Public Health Laboratory, Hospital, or Animal Health Regional Office to sterilize the ladles. Use the following as a guide:

1) Always clean the ladle on farm with caustic and sanitizer after you have taken a

sample. The ladles must be clean before they can be sterilized. 2) Store the ladle in a clean package. 3) Drop off the ladle for sterilizing. 4) After pickup do not remove ladle from package until it is ready to be used. 5) If sterilization is not available, the ladle will have to be sanitized and rinsed just prior

to taking the sample. Ensure the rinse is sufficient to remove the sanitizer since sanitizer will interfere with the results of the microbiological tests. The type of sanitizer available will determine what you rinse with. If the sanitizer is a food grade non rinsing agent you may rinse the ladle with milk 2-3 times before taking the sample. If it is not, you will need to rinse with potable water before rinsing with milk. The sanitizer will have instructions for use on the label. The sanitizing method should only be used as an emergency backup.

Preparation of the Collection Containers Regulatory milk samples destined for microbiological analysis must be collected in a sterile container. This container has a “sterile” sticker on the label. If the tag is broken the container should not be used for microbiology. This sample must always be taken first. Components, added water, sediment analysis, and somatic cell count do not require a sterile container and must be collected separately in a clean sample container. The containers require the following information on them:

1) Farm Name 2) Time and Date 3) Inspector’s Initials

Hand coverings

Nitrile gloves should be used to handle the sterile sample vial and clean ladle. If the gloves are not sterile out of the package, they should be sanitized with a hand sanitizer before handling the equipment. Hands should be dry before handling containers to avoid contaminating the samples with sanitizer. Sanitary gloves are only necessary for microbiological samples.

2. Sampling Precautions

1) Protect sampling instruments from exposure to contamination before and during use. 2) Handle the sterile sample container and caps aseptically. Do not drop, lay down,

touch the inside of, or otherwise contaminate the containers or caps. If the sterile container becomes contaminated, discard it and use another. If the container lid must be put down, lay it down on the inside of the sterile dressing used to protect the ladel.

3) Do not carry pre-sterilized plastic bags or plastic containers in pockets of clothing. Clipboards, covered containers, or boxes may be used to carry empty single-service sample containers.

4) Pre-cool sterile containers in the sample case as needed. If moisture is present in non-sterile containers, rinse containers with milk twice. (Do not put the milk back in the tank!) If moisture is present in a sterile container, discard the container or use it for the non-microbiological collection.

3. Collection of the Milk Sample

1) Samples may only be taken from the bulk tank by an Environmental Health Officer or Agricultural Inspector.

2) The bulk tank must be agitated to ensure a representative sample is taken. If the tank is not agitated, there is a risk of sampling the cream layer which will have higher than normal bacterial and somatic cell counts due to the sweeping action of fat globules rising to the surface. The tank must be agitated according to size. Five minutes is adequate for tanks less than 5700 liters (1500 gal) and ten minutes for larger tanks.

3) Depending on the volume, tank level can result in failed tests from samples which are not considered representative of a load of milk. Low level may be considered as below the agitator blades. If the level of milk is below the ability for it to be mixed properly, it should be noted on the submission form. Added water tests can fail if the tank volume is too low or if the tank is not properly agitated. Below is a list of considerations that should be made when this is encountered:

A) Take the sample but make a comment on the conditions at the time of

sampling (i.e. tank low level) on the submission form.

B) Take the sample, make the comment on the conditions and de-list tests

which would be seen as non-representative.

C) Wait and take the sample as soon as possible at a later time/date. If either option A or B is chosen, a repeat sample should be scheduled as

soon as possible.

4) Samples should only be taken from the top port of the bulk tank. If the port is not

clean, the producer will need to clean and sanitize the port prior to taking the sample. If the port is not cleaned, no sample should be taken.

5) Dip the ladle into the bulk tank and obtain a sample of milk. Transfer the milk to the container and tighten the top securely. Do not overfill the container. Leave at least ¼ of the container empty. Two samples are required for regulatory analysis. Always take the sterile sample first followed by the non-sterile sample.

4. Sample Submission

Cooling Cool samples to and maintain at 0Ε to 4.4Ε C by immediately placing the samples into a

styro-foam or equivalent temperature insulated container with ice packs. The warmer the ambient temperature, and farther the package has to travel, will determine how many ice packs you will need. The ice packs will need to be pre-frozen prior to packaging. The use of ice and ice water should be avoided if possible. Ice packs are easier to handle, and are generally more leak resistant.

Forms Each sample is required to be accompanied by a submission form. This form is the

Sample Submission Form. The following information is required to be entered into the submission form:

1) Submitted by: Insert your first and last name. 2) Address: Insert the address of your GSC location. 3) t: Insert your telephone contact number. 4) Owner: Insert the farm name (do not insert the owner name). Insert the farm address

and other information. The owner’s name can be put here but the laboratory requires the farm name to process the sample.

5) Species/Product Insert "Raw milk" as the product to be tested. 6) Date Collected: Insert the date collected. 7) Temp: Enter the temperature as displayed on the bulk tank gauge at the time of

sampling. 8) Regulatory Milk section: Sample Type: Tick “Test All” if the sample is a regular

monthly sample or “Repeat” if the sample is a repeat sample. Choose the test to be repeated if the sample is a repeat. Give a comment if a sample is not selected.

9) Animal name/I.D: If the farm has more than 1 bulk tank, identify the bulk tank here. Note: Forms should be packed in a sealed plastic bag to protect the form from

moisture and debris.

5. Transportation

Only use transportation which will ship the sample in a reasonable amount of time. Tests for somatic cell counts in non-preserved samples and for microbiological counts in all samples must be started within 36 hours after collection.

If you are shipping the sample yourself, keep the package away from sources of heat. If

you are using a courier, ensure the courier is adequate to ship the samples in a reasonable time frame (next day delivery). Containers should be marked “Temperature Sensitive 4oC” and “Do Not Freeze”.

Ensure that all samples shipped to the laboratory by a common carrier are packed in a

shipping case with a tamper-proof lock, seal, or at least packing tape to keep the container closed.

The laboratory will not normally take samples for Plate Loop Count after Wednesday

noon (12:00), but will accept re-samples for all other parameters until noon Friday. Please ensure that if a resample is selected, only those tests which are to be tested are ticked off. Please ensure that samples arrive before the deadline.

6. Temperature controls Please ensure the temperature control is taken and placed in a manner that it is representative of the lot. If multiple samples are to be taken, the temperature control should be taken from the first lot sampled. An infra-red scanner solution was trialed at the laboratory but was found to be inferior to the traditional temperature control sample. 7. Preparation for next sample Ensure the following

1) You have enough sterile sample vials. 2) You have enough non-sterile sample vials. 3) You have enough copies of the Sample Submission Form. 4) You have enough sealable plastic baggies. 5) You have enough nitrile gloves and hand sanitizer. 6) You have enough pre-frozen ice packs. 7) You have enough transport containers. 8) You have cleaned the ladle and sent it for sterilization and have sterilized/sanitized

ladles for the next samples. 9) You have courier slips.

Regulatory Action Procedure for regulatory action due to a Milk Sample result: 1) The Environmental Health Officer (EHO) or Agricultural Inspector is to collect and

submit a monthly sample to the Animal Health Laboratory with the sample submission form “Sample Submission Form” according to “Raw Milk Sampling Protocol.”

2) The EHO or Inspector packages and transports the sample according to “Raw Milk Sampling Protocol.”

3) The laboratory processes the sample. 4) The result is checked by the Director of Animal Health or designate and a comment given if

necessary. 5) The result is sent out to the EHO or Agricultural Inspector and his/her manager. 6) If necessary, the EHO or Agricultural Inspector will take a resample as soon as possible. At

this time, the EHO or Agricultural Inspector will advise the dairy farm that they are out of compliance with the regulations for whatever specific tests are in question.

7) Any result out of compliance will be directly transmitted to the dairy processor by the Animal Health Laboratory.

8) Repeat steps 2-4 with the resample. “Resample” must be ticked off on the submission form “Sample Submission Form.”

9) If the sample is within limits, no further steps are necessary and no action is taken. 10) If the sample is outside of limits the EHO or Agricultural Inspector will be required to revisit

the dairy farm and advise the following based on the specific test result.

Antibiotic Residue and Freezing Point violations: 1) The dairy farm will be advised by the inspector verbally and in writing (the original

report) to stop shipping milk until they can provide a negative or compliant sample. 2) The laboratory will notify all the dairy plants that the milk in question is out of

compliance. 3) Any milk which is diverted as a result of this action is to be disposed of according to

provincial laws. 4) An email summary of actions taken is to be sent to the Food Safety Specialist

(Animal Health Division).

Somatic Cell Count and Bacterial Count Violations: 1) The dairy farm will be advised by the inspector verbally and in writing (the original

report) that the dairy farm is out of compliance and will require action on the part of the owner to correct the deficiency.

2) The inspector is to communicate what is to be done to the Food Safety Specialist (Animal Health Division).

3) On the next week, the inspector will verify that the actions described by the owner have been completed. This is to be communicated to the Food Safety Specialist (Animal Health Division). If verified, another sample will then be taken. If no actions have been taken by the owner to correct the problem, the inspector will remove the license until such time that a suitable solution is developed. No further testing will occur until a corrective action has been accomplished by the owner, and the owner may not produce milk without the license.

4) The inspector will advise all dairy plants if a license has been removed.

Procedure for regulatory action due to Dairy Farm Inspection Report result: 1) The inspector completes the Dairy Farm Inspection Report. 2) The inspector advises the timeframes for corrections to the owner. 3) A copy of the report is sent to the Food Safety Specialist (Animal Health Division). 4) The inspector follows up with the dairy farm at the prescribed frequency. 5) At the inspector’s discretion, depending on the nature of the non-compliance, the inspector

may take actions necessary to ensure compliance. 6) Any major compliance actions taken are to be reported to the Food Safety Specialist

(Animal Health Division) as an email summary. Procedure for regulatory action due to a Water Sample result:

Refer to “DAIRY FARM BACTERIOLOGICAL WATER QUALITY” for details on regulatory action as a result of a water sampling. Any actions taken as a result of water quality are to be sent to the Food Safety Specialist (Animal Health Division).

Each month the Food Safety Specialist (Animal Health Division) compiles a Raw Milk Compliance Report on behalf of the Director of Animal Health outlining compliance activity by region. This report is sent to each of the Area Managers. Area Managers are required to take actions as per recommendations of the report if applicable. See the “Contact personnel and groups” section for information on how to contact the Food Safety Specialist and Animal Health Division.

Sample 1

(for antibiotic or freezing point violations) To: ABC Dairy Farm Address From: Inspector’s name Address Date: February 20, 2006 Re: Notice of Violation of the Food Premises Regulations

This notice follows my verbal notification to you of February 19th, 2006. Your milk sampled on February 17th was found to be in violation of Section 36 (2) (f) of the Food Premises Regulations due to the presence of antibiotics.

As a result of this infraction your milk cannot be accepted for sale for human

consumption until such time as it is tested negative for antibiotics.

If you have any questions on this, please contact me.

Yours sincerely, cc/ Dairy Processor

Sample 2 (for somatic cell count or bacterial count violations)

To: ABC Dairy Farm Address From: Inspector’s name Address Date: December 15, 2006 Re: Notice of Violation of the Food Premises Regulations

This notice follows my verbal notification to you of December 10th, 2006. Your milk

sampled on December 8th was found to be in violation of Section 36 (2) (f) of the Food Premises Regulations due to a somatic cell count of 750,000.

As a result you will be required to take immediate corrective actions to solve this issue.

Failure to address this action may result in the loss of the license to produce milk.

Yours sincerely, cc/ Dairy Processor

Dairy Farm Bacteriological Water Quality April 2008 1

DAIRY FARM BACTERIOLOGICAL WATER QUALITY

Regulatory Requirement: Section 2 (g.1) of the Food and Drug Act defines “food premises”. Dairy farms are included in the definition of food premises. Section 9 (1) (a) of the Food Premises Regulations requires all food premises to have a supply of potable water adequate for the operation of the premises. Section 3 of the Sanitation Regulations states that a person is not to create, permit or maintain a nuisance. A nuisance is defined in Section 2 (j) as “a thing or condition of things which is or may become injurious or dangerous to public health or which may hinder the prevention or suppression of disease.” Potable Water: Potable water is generally defined, in context and practice, as water that is fit for consumption. Water would be considered fit for consumption if it is free of contaminants (e.g., bacteriological pathogens) that could negatively impact the health of people consuming the water. In relation to food premises potable water is used as an ingredient for food, for food processing, handwashing, cleaning and drinking. Provincial Bacteriological Standard for Drinking Water: The provincial bacteriological standard is based on the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality 6th Edition, 1996 as revised, and shall be considered generally applicable to the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Guideline notes that the maximum acceptable concentration (MAC) for the bacteriological quality of public, semi-public and private drinking water systems is no coliforms detectable per 100 mL. However, because coliforms are not uniformly distributed in water and are subject to considerable variation in public health significance, drinking water that fulfils the following conditions is considered to conform to this MAC: 1) No sample should contain Escherichia coli (E.coli). 2) No consecutive samples from the same site or no more than 10% of the samples from each distribution system in a given sample set should show the presence of total coliforms. Sampling Frequency Dairy farms that do not obtain water from a municipally approved water supply but utilize their own dug or drilled well as the source of potable water should have a minimum of one monthly sample collected from the farm’s potable water supply. Dairy farms connected to municipal water supplies should have their bacteriological water quality checked twice annually.

Dairy Farm Bacteriological Water Quality April 2008 2

Application of Drinking Water Bacteriological Standard to Dairy Farms General 1) The potable water supply of a dairy farm is to be assessed monthly (exception being

farms connected to municipal water supplies). A sample of the potable water supply should be collected at the time of monthly raw milk sampling.

2) The water sample should be taken from a sampling point (e.g., faucet) that is free of

potential sources of contamination. The faucet should be located in the milk house and should provide a sample of water that is indicative of the quality of water in the water supply at the time of sampling.

3) The water sample should be submitted to the Public Health Laboratory (PHL) or PHL

regional water testing site for bacteriological analysis. The sample will be tested for total coliforms and E. coli by the PHL or PHL regional water testing site.

Total Coliforms in the Absence of E. coli

Step 1: If a bacteriological sample contains total coliform bacteria, in the absence of E.

coli, the site should be resampled and retested for E. coli and total coliforms as soon as practically possible.

Step 2: If the resample reveals the presence of total coliforms, in the absence of E. coli,

the source of the contamination needs to be identified, and appropriate actions need to be taken.

Step 3: Conduct a sanitary survey to verify the safe condition of the well, well-head,

pump, plumbing, and surrounding area. Any identified faults should be corrected before proceeding. If all physical

conditions are acceptable, then the following corrective actions should be carried out:

Shock chlorinate the well and plumbing system. Flush the system thoroughly and retest to confirm that the water is safe to

drink. Confirmatory tests should be done no sooner than either 48 hours after tests indicate the absence of a chlorine residual or 5 days after the well has been treated.

Step 4: The presence of total coliforms after shock chlorination and flushing suggests that

the well remains vulnerable to contamination. If the problem cannot be identified or corrected, the installation of an appropriate disinfection device must be considered.

Note: Failure by the operator to immediately carry out remedial action will result in a

prohibition on the shipment of milk for further processing until such time that the remedial action is taken.

Dairy Farm Bacteriological Water Quality April 2008 3

Presence of E. coli: The presence of E. coli in a dairy farm water supply demonstrates that the source or the system has been impacted by recent fecal contamination; as a result, the water is unsafe and raw milk should not leave the farm for further processing until successful corrective action has been taken as outlined below. In the interim, raw milk shipments may be permitted by an EHO if an approved alternate supply of safe water is available and utilized. The corrective actions described in steps 1 through 4 should be taken immediately. Note: Those living on the dairy farm should be advised to boil drinking water or to use a safe

alternative source in the interim. Step 1 The farm water supply should be immediately retested to confirm the presence of

E. coli. Step 2: Conduct a sanitary survey to verify the safe condition of the well, well-head,

pump, plumbing, and surrounding area. Any identified faults should be corrected before proceeding. If all physical

conditions are acceptable, then the following corrective actions should be carried out:

Shock chlorinate the well and plumbing system. Flush the system thoroughly and retest to confirm that the water is safe to

drink. Confirmatory tests should be done no sooner than either 48 hours after tests indicate the absence of a chlorine residual or 5 days after the well has been treated.

Step 3: If the water remains contaminated following shock chlorination, further

investigation into the source of the contamination should be carried out. If the source of contamination cannot be found or cannot be corrected, the installation of an appropriate disinfection device must be considered.

Step 4: If the owner/farmer does not comply with the requirement to install a proper

disinfection system in the time frame agreed upon, the raw milk will not be permitted to be shipped from the farm for further processing.

Note: Failure by the operator to immediately carry out remedial action will result in a

prohibition on the shipment of milk for further processing until such time that remedial action is taken.

Dairy Farm Bacteriological Water Quality April 2008 4

Periodic Total Coliform and E. coli Results: 1) Dairy farm potable water supplies that have a history of sporadic positive results for total coliforms and/or E. coli will be considered high risk water supplies. Continuous disinfection of high risk water supplies is necessary to ensure the bacteriological safety of the water. 2) For dairy farms with high risk water supplies, they should be given a maximum of thirty

(30) days to install a continuous disinfection system. Other Considerations: 1) A prohibition on the shipment of raw milk from the farm must be considered when there

is a condition that exists which “is or may become a menace to health” (Food Premises Regulations, Section 47 (1)). EHOs contemplating such a prohibition are reminded to consult with their Government Service Centre manager and the Animal Health Division of the Department of Natural Resources.

Note: Those transporting raw milk need to be notified of any prohibition on the shipment of

raw milk from dairy farms. 2) Dairy farm potable water supplies that are not connected to a municipal water supply must have either a properly constructed dug well or drilled well as the source of water. The absence of a safe water source is considered a menace to health. 3) When bacteriological water quality at a dairy farm is found to be unsatisfactory and remedial action is not implemented or remedial action does not improve water quality, this will be considered a menace to health. 4) Health Canada recommends that all semi-public supplies be disinfected to protect against

potential microbiological contamination. Health Canada defines a semi-public water supply system as a system with a minimal or

no distribution system that provides water to the public from a facility not connected to a public supply.

Examples of such facilities include dairy farms, schools, personal care homes, day care centres, hospitals, community wells, hotels, and restaurants.

Problem Solving Raw Milk Raw milk is sampled by a number of different people for a number of different reasons. This

may include dairy plant personnel (on the truck, in the plant), equipment agents, regulatory agencies, or agriculture extension staff (veterinarians, dairy field staff). When problems arise from this sampling it is helpful to have guidelines to resolve these problems. Though not considered to be complete this handout is intended to cover the major problems encountered.

1. Raw milk flavor acceptability: Deals with flavor issues with milk production. Often the flavor is a sign of unwanted contamination but is not a reliable measure for regulatory issues. Milk can however be rejected at the dairy for these parameters so the information can be useful to avoid potential problems and losses. 2. Microbiology: Includes both bacteriology (indicator of system overall cleanliness) and somatic cells (indicator of the cow’s immune system activity). 3. Chemicals and foreign materials: Includes issues with antibiotics, added water, and sediment. 4. Temperature and time: Issues pertaining to temperature abuse of the milk, not only due to increased temperature but also to increased storage time, and increased time to cool new milk. 5. Supplementary testing: Provides a basic overview of other useful tests for dairy troubleshooting. 6. Raw milk troubleshooting: Basic table format overview of troubleshooting. 7. Aerobic bacteria troubleshooting guide: Provides more information to narrow down problems based on categories of problems which are common in dairy systems. 8. Added water troubleshooting guide: Provides more information on causes of added water that are not the result of the animal’s feeding activities.

1. Raw milk flavor acceptability

Test Problem National Limits Further testing Comments Off flavour or odour

Subjective evaluation by grader with Bulk Tank Milk Grader’s Certificate.

Heat sample to 15.6 C (60 F) to improve ability to detect odours, or 48.9 C (120 F) to intensify flavour and odour. Precautionary measure of pasteurization before sampling recommended.

This is not a regulatory test as odours and flavours are usually not public health issues but rather consumer acceptance. The dairies have the right to accept or reject milk based upon their evaluation of the flavour and odour. Assistance is available to provide third party evaluation and to identify possible cause. Categorized as being Absorbed, Bacterial or Chemical. Milk should be agitated and sniffed to be graded and not ingested. Unpasteurized milk may contain many dangerous pathogens.

Absorbed (feedy, barny, cowy, unclean, weedy, foreign and musty)

Check barn ventilation, feeding and milking practices. Remove any volatile materials such as gasoline, kerosene, paint and paint thinners from the area. Milk will absorb most volatile substances.

Transmission of flavours from ingested feed or feed smells in the barn through the cow to the milk. Problem feeds should not be fed within two hours of milking. Ventilation problems should be corrected. Often during winter months when cows are inside or early spring when cows are on green chop or pasture. Dirty equipment and cows with ketosis can also be cause.

Bacterial (lacks freshness, malty, putrid, fruity, spoiled, sour, unclean)

Check cleanliness of milking practices, equipment, cooling, perform PIC, Psychrotrophic Count.

There are normally many types of bacteria in milk which may come from different sources (milk, dirty udder, pipeline, wash water, etc.). Proper sanitation from cow to bulk tank should minimize their entry into the milk system, proper cooling will reduce their ability to grow.

Flavour/ odour

Chemical (cow-ketosis, rancid, oxidized, sunlight, foreign, lacks freshness, medicinal)

Check nutrition of animals, stage of lactation, equipment and milk handling practices, Acid Degree Value (for rancid).

Cows with poor nutritional status (protein, energy, low Vitamin E) for their production level may produce milk more susceptible to rancidity or oxidation. Cows in late lactation (particularly over 365 days) are more susceptible. Equipment problems (excessive agitation, inadequate cooling, freezing), contact with non-approved equipment surfaces (copper, nickel surfaced), high metal in water supply (e.g. copper, iron, sulfur).

2. Microbiology:

Test Problem National Limits Further testing Comments Standard Plate Count (Plate Loop Count), SPC

High count 50,000 CFU per ml. Should be below 5,000 CFU per ml if cleaning and refrigeration are done properly. (CFU=Colony Forming Units)

Preliminary Incubation Count gives a better indication of spoilage organisms and production conditions (equipment cleaning & sanitizing, udder washing and drying)

This is a general test for levels of bacteria in the tank that will grow at 32 C within 48 hours. Frequently, results of this test do not correlate with sanitation conditions on the farm. Prompt cooling and sanitization of equipment may yield low counts and disguise unclean milking equipment or poor production practices. Greater than 75% of high SPC’s are due to improper cleaning and sanitizing of milk equipment. Poor production practices and inadequate cooling are next in importance. In rare cases, herd mastitis problems (Streptococcus agalactiae or Staphylococcus aureus) may cause high SPC’s. Do not consider the cows to be the problem until all other causes have been checked (particularly with an acceptable BTSCC). You may also want to check the holding times for your milk as excessively long holding (longer than 2 days) of raw milk will lead to high counts relative to the overall cleanliness of the system. See attached “Aerobic bacteria troubleshooting guide” for more details.

Water Sample Contaminated water

0 Coliforms 0 Fecal Coliforms

Repeat samples will be taken Indicates a contaminated water supply. If the water supply cannot be tested potable, treatment is needed.

Bulk Tank Somatic Cell Count (BTSCC)

High count 500,000 cells per ml. This is only the legal limit, good management will keep results below 200,000 cells per ml to reduce production losses.

Individual Cow SCC, California Mastitis Test, Bulk Tank and Individual Cow Bacterial Culture, Equipment Testing.

Individual cow SCC’s or California Mastitis Test can be used to screen cows to identify potential problems. High cows should be cultured to identify bacteria and permit proper application of treatment. Bulk Tank cultures (e.g. Coliform Count, Streptococcus Count) can be used to identify significant herd level mastitis problems. Equipment malfunction and other causes of udder injury may also be implicated. Herds with high BTSCC are also more likely to have antibiotic residue problems as a significant number of cows may be subject to treatment. The European Union now uses 400,000 as a regulatory level.

3. Chemicals and foreign materials

Test Problem National Limits Further testing Comments Antibiotic Residues *

Antibiotics detected

See Note Below * Test individual cows, look at barn records.

Tests are developed for bulk tank samples, not individual cows and therefore should not be used to indicate that a cow is negative for residues. On-farm screening tests are available, should not be used without knowledge of antibiotics used and sensitivity of kit. Producers should maintain records of treatment and segregate/identify treated cows to assure no accidental milking into the bulk tank.

Freezing Point High freezing point

Results from farms higher than -0.508 °C are considered adulterated, between -0.512 C and 0.508 C are suspect. Average for dairy farms is considered to be -0.517 C (NB. -0.508 is higher than -0.517 as it is closer to 0)

Resample for freezing point. Check milking and cooling equipment for water entry or for poor drainage after cleaning.

The freezing point of milk changes with the addition of water, normal milk is around -0.517 °C. As water is added this number gets closer to 0oC. Added water is a problem due to potential fraud, bacterial contamination or off-flavours (oxidized) due to increased mineral content (particularly iron, copper or sulfur) of milk. Starved animals may have higher than normal freezing points. Samples with butterfat below 3.2% or lactose below 4.25% should be checked for added water. Results are sometimes reported in degrees Hortvet (°H) rather than degrees Celsius (°C). See “Added water troubleshooting guide” for more detail.

Sediment Analysis

High sediment test No regulatory level. Levels above 1.50 mg/gal indicate issues.

Review equipment cleaning practices, PIC.

Sediment in the pipeline or in the bulk tank usually indicates either a poorly cleaned milking system or a poorly drained milking system.

* A complete list of Maximum Residue Limits as defined by the Food and Drug Act and Regulations (Canada) or through Health Canada’s administrative guidelines is as follows: Ampicillin (0.01 ppm), Ceftiofur (0.1 ppm), Cephapirin (0.02 ppm), Dihydrostreptomycin (0.125 ppm), Eprinomectin (0.02 ppm), Erythromycin (0.05 ppm), Hydrocortisone (0.01 ppm), Ketoprofin (0.05 ppm), Monensin (0.01 ppm), Morantel Tartrate (0.1 ppm), Neomycin (1.5 ppm), Penicillin G (0.01 IU/ml), Pirlimycin (0.4 ppm) Polymyxin B (4 IU/ml), Streptomycin (0.125 ppm), Sulfabenzamide (0.01ppm) Sulfadimethoxine (0.01 ppm), Sulfadoxine (0.01 ppm), Sulfaguanidine (0.01 ppm) Sulfamethazine (0.01 ppm), Sulfanilamide (0.01 ppm), Sulfapyradine (0.01 ppm), Sulfathiazole (0.01 ppm) and Thiabendazole (0.05 ppm).

A complete list of Veterinary drugs and limits is available here http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/vet/faq/faq_mrl-lmr_e.html

4.Temperature and time

Test Problem National Limits Further testing Comments Temperature High temperature Should not be picked up

above 4 C. Check cooling equipment. Check calibration of bulk tank temperature gauge.

Milk should be cooled to 10 o C within one hour of milking and to 4o C within 2 hours for the first milk in the tank. For all subsequent milkings the tank temperature should not rise above 10 o C, be cooled to 4 o C within one hour from milking and be kept at that temperature. An interval timer and recording thermometer help prevent and identify problems.

Time Storage time is too long (more than 2 days)

Should not be stored onsite for more than 48 hours (2 days)

Contact dairy processor or shipping company

Milk is highly perishable and is reflective of the conditions it was produced in. The cleaner your system in general, the longer you will be able to effectively store milk. Since milk is also stored at the dairy processor, maintaining storage times of less than 2 days is critical to the process.

5. Supplementary testing

Test Problem National Limit Comments Preliminary Incubation Count (PIC)

High Count Not a regulatory test. Should not exceed 100,000 per ml, desirable levels less than 25,000 per ml.

Best test for evaluating the storage quality of raw milk and sanitation practices on farm. Looks for gram-negative psychrotrophic bacteria which are not usually detected with SPC. Used as a routine test or as a follow up to high SPC. Should be done in addition to Laboratory Pasteurization Count. A high SPC and low PIC suggest a cow problem; high for both suggests dirty equipment.

Individual Cow Somatic Cell Count

High Count No regulatory limit on individual cows. Bacterial culture & sensitivity if high.

Results depend upon the presence of mastitis, the stage of lactation, and the number of lactations (and therefore the age of cow).

Bulk Tank Coliform Count

High Count Not a regulatory test. Should be less than 100 per ml.

Indicates contamination of milk.

Bulk Tank Streptococcus Count

High Count Not a regulatory test. No set limits however it can indicate predominant mastitis organisms.

Indicates streptococcal mastitis problem.

Acid Degree Value

Off flavour (rancidity) Values above 1.0 confirm taste

judgements

Testing and tasting of sample should be done 48 hours after collection. Should not be used without taste testing. Normal ADV between 0.40 and 0.80

Laboratory Pasteurization Count (Thermoduric Count)

Follow up to off flavours or high SPC

Not a regulatory test. Good sanitation and cooling will give results of less than 300 per ml. High results indicate poor sanitation.

This test looks for the number of bacteria (spore forming) that can survive pasteurization. These may regenerate and become psychrotrophic organisms in refrigerated milk causing spoilage on the shelf. Not considered to be a public health issue but rather one of shelf life.

Psychrotrophic Count

Off flavour Not a regulatory test. Results should be less than 100 per ml. in fresh raw milk (50,000 can cause off-flavours, some sources suggest levels must be above 5 million for off-flavour). Incubation time 7-10 days.

Indicates the presence of organisms that can grow relatively rapidly at refrigeration temperatures and therefore cause spoilage on the shelf. Common cause of spoilage in milk held at above 4.4 o C (40 o F) and especially raw milk held more than 2 days. Killed by pasteurization unless high counts.

6. Raw Milk Troubleshooting

Problem Further Testing

Off flavour or odour Depending upon the description check milking and cooling equipment functioning and maintenance, feeding practices and ventilation, ADV, PIC. Remove unapproved chemicals from the area.

↑ SPC (PLC) Check equipment cleaning and maintenance first, cooling next, look at cows last (especially if BTSCC low). PIC helps indicate whether cows are problem (low PIC) or dirty equipment (high PIC).

↑ BTSCC Do individual cow SCC, bulk tank culture, equipment check.

Antibiotic Residues detected Look at barn records for treatment, speak to milking personnel, individual cow screening.

↑ Freezing Point Resample, look for equipment leaks or poor drainage, starved cows a possibility.

↑ [ Sediment Perform PIC, review cleaning methods.

↑ Temperature Check cooling equipment; interval timer and recording thermometer help avoid and identify problems.

Foreign material found Check milk filters, screens and gaskets along the milking system, check cow milking practices.

7. Aerobic Bacteria Counts Troubleshooting Guide

The following guide can be used in troubleshooting bacterial problems with raw milk systems.

The guide uses a category system which attempts to narrow down causes by eliminating the most likely causes first. This guide does not take into account specific design issues and assumes a properly designed and originally functioning system to begin with. Category 1: Milk critical factors

1. Check the holding time of the milk. Is it being picked up at least every two days? Are there problems with scheduling a pickup? Is there enough tank capacity for 2 days?

2. Check the temperature of the milk. Is the thermometer accurate? Is the system able to cool the milk to 4 o C within an hour of milking?

Category 2: Foreign material

1. Check the milk filters. Is the filter material approved for milk and being replaced at the proper frequency?

2. Does examination of the filtering material reveal an absence of foreign matter? If not, what kinds of materials are being encountered? If the material is hair, fecal matter, dirt or debris you might expect from a cow, check category 5. If the material is gasket or materials that would be expected from the system, check category 4.

Category 3: Sanitation system critical factors

1. Is the system being effectively washed after every pickup with approved dairy cleaners? 2. Is the system being routinely sanitized just prior to milking with approved dairy sanitizer? 3. Are all the connections hooked up properly for the wash, ensuring no dead ends and all parts

are subject to the wash? 4. Are the following wash parameters being maintained?

A) Initial rinse: Is the initial rinse with warm water? Rinsing with cold will not remove material effectively and rinsing with hot will cook the milk on to the pipes. Does the rinse to the drain go clear before the end of the rinse? If not the rinse parameters will need adjustment.

B) Caustic chemical dosing: Are you getting enough caustic chemical in the wash?

Check that the delivery system is not air-locked, pumping air and that there is adequate chemical available. Obtaining a test kit and testing each wash for caustic concentration is the best way to maintain control over this parameter. Most systems use 1-2% caustic.

C) Water hardness: Has the water hardness been checked? Is it checked regularly? Any

change in water hardness will change the effective concentration of your chemicals.

D) Caustic chemical heating: Is proper temperature for a wash being achieved? Check

the temperature probe for accuracy, if there is no heating check the breaker panel on the hot water heater or functioning of the heater. If the heater is working check to see if water is being lost from the system. Proper heating is difficult to achieve if the wash is going to the drain. Cleaning temperature is normally 67-79 o C unless enzyme type cleaners are used which require cleaning at below 60 o C for effectiveness.

E) Caustic chemical recirculation: Is the wash long enough to be effective? It should be

at least 10 minutes in the caustic recirculation step, and the exact parameter will be shown on your installation documentation.

F) Acid washing: Is the system being acid washed regularly to remove scale and prevent

bio-films? Is there any evidence of scale and buildup? If there is, the acid washing frequency will have to be increased.

G) System draining: Is the system completely draining after a wash? Are there spots of

standing water? Standing water will contribute to scale buildup and support the growth of bacteria.

H) Sanitizer: Is the sanitizer effective. Check the dosing pump for airlocks and empty

barrels. The concentration can be measured with a test kit obtained from the manufacturer. Sanitizer does not last forever. This is why systems are usually sanitized just prior to milking. This ensures bacteria are decimated and there is no time for bacteria to grow prior to milking.

I) Clean out of place items: A successful wash and sanitize is only as effective as the

dirtiest remaining surface. Screens and other items which require manual cleaning can often contaminate whole systems because the cleaning is inadequate.

J) Spray balls: Spray balls are notorious for getting clogged with debris like gasket

pieces. If a spray ball becomes partially blocked the cleaning and sanitizing will not be successful. These should be checked before every wash.

K) Air system: Most dairy wash systems use air slugs to reduce the water requirement

and to increase the speed and efficiency of the wash. If air is being lost from the system from a pinched air hose, blocked filter, or decreased pump efficiency it will result in a less effective wash. The above should be checked visually and on some frequency the flow-rate should be checked by an industry professional. The air supply could also be contaminated with milk. This might include the vacuum tank, lines, sanitary traps and the pulsator system. Regular cleaning and inspection will ensure contaminants are removed from the air supply before they become problems.

Category 4: Sanitary maintenance 1. Sanitary maintenance of disposable parts is critical to bacterial counts. There are many parts

such as hoses, gaskets, seals and inflations which wear over time and become cracked and pitted as a result of the effects of the cleaning and sanitizing chemicals. These items are designed to be replaced. Check the following maintenance requirements:

A) Gaskets and bio-films: Gaskets need to be changed as per manufacturer recommendations at frequencies described by the type of material. More costly gaskets are usually more chemical and heat resistant and will last longer than standard type gaskets. When gaskets get old and worn they begin to crack and form crevices which are difficult to penetrate by cleaning chemicals and solutions. If left unchecked, these crevices can form bio-films. A bio-film is a type of buildup that provides a safe layer of protection between the bacteria and the cleaning chemicals which makes cleaning excessively difficult.

B) Gaskets and external air: It is also possible that because of the wear and buildup, the

gasket will lose its ability to seal the pipes effectively. When this occurs it is possible for material to leak our or for air to leak in. Material leaking out is not so bad from a sanitary point of view, but air leaking in can critically contaminate milk leading to high bacterial counts. External air is not filtered and will contain bacterial loads related to the environment it came from.

C) Hoses: Like all parts designed to wear, milk hoses can become scratched, and deposits

and films can build up on the surface. This is seen as a clear hose looking “Cloudy” where you can no longer see through the other side with a flashlight. Hoses should be replaced before they get to this point by way of regular inspections.

D) In line coolers and jacketed tanks: If a plate type inline cooler is used to cool the

milk, is it being checked for pinholes in the plates or are the plates being replaced at some frequency? Is the cooler being checked for adequate cleaning at some frequency. An inline cooler which uses ice-water as coolant can develop pinholes which will contaminate the milk with high bacterial load process water if the pressure is lower on the milk side. This is also true of jacketed tank cooling systems.

E) Inspections for deposits: Given the rich protein and calcium nature of milk,

combined with minerals from the water and chemicals used in the cleaning process, deposits are inevitable. Regular cleaning activities, replacement of gaskets, regular acid washing and use of a chlorine based cleaner will help to remove these deposits. In order to be sure this is happening, the system needs to be inspected for deposits. Milk-stone and protein deposits can appear bluish in color. Regular investigations of the system will help validate all the above is effective so there are less surprise problems with the system.

Category 5: Check the cow and udder condition 1. Are the cows clipped and clean? Non-shaved cows will be dirtier, harder to sanitize the teat

area, and may introduce hair, dirt, and fecal matter into the milking system. 2. Are the cows free of disease? Is there any evidence of mastitis and other bacterial or fungal

infections? 3. Are the teats cleaned with an effective approved teat sanitizer used in the proper concentration? 4. Are the teats dried and are single use paper towels used to dry the teat? This will prevent

bacteria filled liquid from being sucked into the milk system, and the single use will help prevent transferring infection and bacteria from cow to cow.

8. Added Water Troubleshooting Guide Category 1: Added water from sanitation system

1. Water supply: The most likely source of added water is from the sanitation system. Most systems use automated values and these valves can become blocked, seals and gaskets can fail and allow water to enter the milk causing the freezing point to increase beyond legal limits. If the milk is tested positive for added water, check the water supply from the sanitation system for leaks. Ideally the water supply should be physically disconnected but this is not always possible due to design.

2. Poor drainage: If there is standing water in the pipes after a cleaning this water will be added

directly to the milk. Depending on the volume and the circumstances of the sample collection this can result in a failed added water test. Normally this would only be seen at the very beginning of a run when the bulk tank is very low. In a full tank, there would not likely be enough standing water to considerably affect the freezing point.

Category 2: Added water from external environment

1. Hoses: If tanks are not properly sealed with tight fitting covers water might be added whenever a hose is used on the equipment. Make sure all portholes and other entrances are properly covered and gasketed if necessary.

2. Leaks and condensate: Excessive condensation on overhead pipes or holes in the milk-room

roof coupled with the above may also possibly cause water to be added to the milk. If this is the case not only will the water have a high freezing point, but the bacterial count will be elevated as well.

Category 3: Added water from cooling system

1. Coolants: Most coolant systems use ice water or glycol to cool the milk. This can be in the form of a jacketed tank or an inline plate cooler. With both systems there is always the possibility of water leaks into the milk if the pressure differential favors flow into the milk through a pinhole. When this occurs the milk becomes contaminated and the freezing point is increased depending on the quantity added. If your sanitation system appears to be functioning properly, check for coolant leaks into the system. Because holes are usually very small, this is not likely to add enough water to effect the freezing point.

Milk Compliance Report The Milk Compliance Report was designed to assist the Government Service Center in identifying deficiencies in the delivery of the Dairy Farm Inspection Program and to help identify ongoing issues both from a regional and provincial perspective. Each section of the report is detailed as follows. Sampling: The Dairy Farm Inspection Program requires licensed farms bulk tanks to be sampled monthly for regulatory parameters of bacterial count, antibiotic residue, somatic cell count and freezing point and water potability. Sediment and components are also included in the testing but are not regulated. This section is segregated by area across the province and includes an area summary below the table. The table below reflects how this data would appear in the report.

Farm I.D.

Water Sampling Score

Milk Sampling

Compliance Issues to date

Inspection Reports

Current Month Milk Sampling

St. John’s and Surrounding Region John Doe Dairy Farm 50% 50%% 1 1 √

Farm I.D: Refers to the farm in question, normal notation is to use the farm name to submit results instead of the owner name. Water sampling score: This refers to how many water sample results were reviewed by Animal Health. Twelve out of twelve possible samples would result in 100% compliance score. Milk sampling: This refers to how many milk sample results were reviewed by Animal Health. Twelve out of twelve possible samples would result in 100% compliance score. Compliance issues to date: This is a yearly accumulation of compliance issues collected to date for any given year. Compliance issues can come from any source such as a milk test, water test, report, inspection or incident. Inspection reports: Each year every dairy farm is to receive 2 “Dairy Farm Inspection Reports”.

Current Month Milk Sampling: This shows whether or not the current month’s sample has been collected and processed by the Animal Health Laboratory. Summary of non-compliance:

This section includes a list of past non-compliances which have not been closed and also a list of the month’s new compliance actions. The expectation is for all non-compliances to be followed up and reported back to Animal Health to close the loop on the process. Sample submissions: This section includes any problems the laboratory encountered with respect to the sample submission over the last month. Inspections and licensing: This section includes any information about new dairy farms, farms for which licenses have been revoked, new forms and other related information. General Issues: This area is for any general issues that might come up but not belong to any other category. The writing of this document is the result of a request by the GCS in improving the Dairy Farm and Plant Inspection Manual, which was recorded in the general issues as a result of a meeting held between GSC St. John’s and Animal Health.

Food Safety Scenarios

Introduction

The following is a hazard specific guide to food safety related issues that can relate to

raw milk and milk processing. This guide does not include all hazards and scenarios but does attempt to cover the most common hazards. The intent of the guide is to show how primary production can potentially affect the final product, and to show how the regulations in place actively work to ensure that the risks of these events remain very low, even when they seemingly have no apparent effect on the industry i.e. “no one’s getting sick”. This guide makes worst case practical assumptions to show the importance of safeguards which are put in place on the producing level.

“Pasteurization will take care of it”

Pasteurization is a great way to eliminate susceptible bacteria and certain enzymes and toxins from milk. This includes most pathogens and most toxins. There can be no doubt that pasteurization is the most important and critical step in ensuring that the milk is generally safe to drink. This important process is not infallible, however, as there are hazards that can survive this process, and like all equipment, can have problems and fail. There are many regulations and safeguards that dairies use to prevent this from occurring. The following scenarios all deal with hazards which find a way through pasteurization. Pathogens:

It is very true that pasteurization will in-fact kill pathogens in milk such as E.coli, Listeria, Salmonella and other non spore forming organisms. The problem with this scenario is not that pasteurization can kill these organisms, it’s the assumption that there will never be any problems with pasteurization, and we can rely solely on that step to avoid problems.

Like other primary industries, the intent of regulations is to reduce loads of pathogens such as E. coli to very low levels, whereby if there is an unforeseen problem at the plant, the amount of contamination is minimized. If we allow everything to be let go and the plant’s responsibility, we are increasing the risk that when a plant has issues (all equipment has issues), there is a higher risk of a food safety problem being transmitted to the public.

If we look at a dairy water supply we see that it can be contaminated with fecal material from the water table. Regulations for potable water are strict because there is an identified pathogen E.coli 0157: H7 that is capable of producing significant sickness with as little as 10 cells.

Consider the following hypothetical scenario:

1) Dairy farm water supply becomes contaminated with E.coli 0157:H7 from ground water. 2) Water is used for cleaning and rinsing and becomes commingled with raw milk. 3) E. Coli 0157 multiplies in the raw milk which is also allowed to sit at 8 degrees C for a

number of hours because of a cooling problem, which is corrected before the milk is picked up.

4) The milk is picked up from the farm in a transport that mixes that milk with a number of other loads and brings it to the processing plant.

5) A filling machine at the plant breaks down and requires extensive maintenance. The milk destined for this machine sits in a silo awaiting production for 24 hours at 4 degrees C.

6) The milk goes through the pasteurizer, which has a breakdown. A small amount of raw milk makes it past the pasteurizer and into a package because of a valve problem.

7) The milk is packaged and sent to the store as it usually is. 8) A child consumes a full glass of milk and ingests 10 E. coli 0157: H7 bacterial cells. 9) The child develops a severe infection and loses their kidneys as a result.

This is not a likely scenario, since a number of random controls have to fail to allow E.

coli to reach the public. The problem with outbreaks of food-borne illness of course, is that they rely on just these types of scenarios to become problems. When everything is working properly there is a low risk of food safety problems. Random issues can combine to create big problems.

According to the regulations the limit for E. coli is 0 in potable water. When we enforce this regulation on the water supplies of the dairy farms, this pathogen is never allowed to move along the chain to the consumer. Rather than allowing “Pasteurization to take care of it”, through proper regulation, it never has to take care of it.

More information on E. coli 0157:H7: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~mow/chap15.html Toxins:

Many toxins will be eliminated by pasteurization or heat treatment. There are some bacterial toxins that are resistant to heat. Most notably are the toxins produced by Staphylococcus aureus. Staphylococcus related mastitis is very common in Newfoundland and Labrador. 16.1% of mastitis cases reported by the Animal Health Laboratory in 2005-2006 showed isolation of Staphylococcus aureus.

It is generally accepted that Staphylococcus under 100,000 cells/gram will not generate

this toxin in large amounts. It is also well known that Staphylococcus will not grow well under

7.2 degrees C. Keeping these limits in mind, the existing regulations limit the storage time and temperature of the milk, thus minimizing the ability for the bacteria to produce toxin.

Consider the following hypothetical scenario:

1) A cow with a Staphylococcus based mastitis infection is milked by accident (Let’s say 10,000 CFU/ml)

2) The milk is allowed to warm up during milking to 12 degrees C for a number of hours each day before it is cooled to 4 degrees C. (100,000 CFU/ml)

3) The transporter doesn’t show up so the milk remains in the tank for 4 days. (200,000 CFU/ml)

4) The milk arrives at the processor and is pasteurized and packaged. All the cells are killed, but the toxin remains.

Whatever toxin is present in the milk will not be detected by the dairy, and will be

consumed by the public. This hazard would be minimized if the regulations were followed. If infected cows detected and removed from the chain (as seen in high SCC counts) it limits this organisms ability to get in the milk supply. If the milk was kept as cool as possible the bacterial population would not have a chance to achieve 100,000 CFU. Regular testing for bacterial counts ensure there should be less than 50,000 CFU of total bacteria. Since Staphylococcus doesn’t grow well below 7.2 Degrees C and if the milk was picked up on schedule there would not be enough time for the depressed growth to achieve the 100,000 in the period between milking and processing. The regulatory parameters listed ensure that Staphylococcus never reaches the numbers necessary for toxin production.

More information on Staphylococcus http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~mow/chap3.html

Antibiotics:

Pasteurization will not take care of antibiotics. They will survive the heat treatment and make their way into the finished product. For most people you would never know the difference if there was a low level of antibiotics present or not. There are some people that are allergic to the various antibiotics used in the dairy industry. Even in small quantities these substances can potentially kill people with allergies by triggering a hyperimmune response in the person, preventing them from breathing properly.

Consider the following hypothetical scenario: 1) A farmer is treating a cow for mastitis. He is using a typically available antibiotic.

By accident the cow is milked. 2) The milk is picked up from the farm along with 5 other loads of milk. 3) There is a new person in milk receiving in the plant and he makes a mistake

reading the result and allows the dairy to take the milk. 4) Milk is pasteurized, packaged and distributed.

5) Many people drink the milk, no one gets sick except for an adult who has an allergy to penicillin. The adult is brought to the hospital and is administered epinephrine, and recovers.

More information on allergic reactions http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/iyh-vsv/med/allerg_e.html

As can be seen from the three examples presented, there are real possible hazards

associated with water supplies, bacteria, and chemical hazards such as antibiotics. The current program monitors all of these parameters, but the accompanying regulations for temperature and holding time, removal of sick cows and segregation of cows on antibiotics must also be followed as normal practice since these tests are just a snapshot in time. While the chance for any of these problems to occur is relatively low, they are all realistically possible in the dairy environment. Recall information

To show that there is a real possibility for the above to occur, the following recall data has been included from the CFIA dating back to 1999. Not all is milk related but might use similar equipment and methods in their processing. Recall information related to raw food. http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp/2003/20030128ee.shtml http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp/2002/20020213e.shtml Recall information related to improper pasteurization or processing: http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/goldenglen11_06.html http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp/2001/20011221e.shtml http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp/2001/20010305e.shtml http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp/2000/20001122be.shtml http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp/2000/20001121e.shtml http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp/1998/19980403be.shtml

Recall information related to antibiotics: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp/2005/20050729e.shtml http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp/2003/20030621e.shtml http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp/2001/20011208e.shtml Recall information related to toxins: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp/2001/20011225e.shtml http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp/1998/19981127e.shtml

Appendices

List of Dairy Farms

The following is a list of all current licensed dairy farms in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. This list was last revised: June 26, 2008.

Avalon Region

Connors Dairy Farm Connors, John 29 Patrick’s Path ,Torbay, NL A1K 1J7 Finn's Dairy Farm Gerald and Albert Finn 372 Backline Road, Goulds, NL A1S 1A4 Forest Pond Ray and Crosbie Williams P.O. Box 357, Goulds, NL A1S 1G5

Glenview Walsh, Robert 156 Old Bay Bulls Road, Kilbride, NL A1G 1E1

H &E Williams Williams, Hector P.O. Box 340, Goulds, NL A1S 1G5

Harold Kelly's Dairy Farm Kelly, Harold 211 Outer Cove Road, St .John's, NL A1K 4E6

John Gulliver's Dairy Farm Gulliver, John 385 Blackmarsh Road, St. John's, NL A1E 1T3

K&P Gulliver's Dairy Farm Gulliver, K&P P.O. Box 673, Goulds, NL A1S 1G7 Burnt Hills Dairy Farm Williams, Kevin P.O. Box 301, Goulds, NL A1S 1G5

Lesterbrook Lester, Colin 107 Brookfield Road, St. John's, NL A1E 6B8

M&P Dairy Farm Ltd. Donald Murphy/Terry Power P.O. Box 744, Goulds, NL A1S 1G7

Oceanview Farm Walsh, Richard P.O. Box 108, Bay Bulls, NL A0A 1C0 Rose's Dairy Farm Rose,Gary 44 Cadigens Road, Logy Bay, NL A1K 3A3 W Williams and Son Williams, Wayne P.O. Box 366, Goulds, NL A1S 1G5

Eastern Region

Beautyview White, Mary P.O. Box 130, Port Blanford, NL A0C 2G0 D&L Dairy Greening, Daryl P.O. Box 228, Musgravetown, NL A0C 1Z0 Greening’s Dairy Greening, Ivan P.O. Box 119, Musgravetown, NL A0C 1Z0 Gregory's Dairy Farm William Gregory P.O. Box 420, Mount Carmel, NL A0B 2M0 Harcourt Dairy Pelley, Clifford P.O. Box 5913, Clarenville, NL A5A 3A2 Sunrise Dairy Greening, Jeffrey P.O. Box 205, Musgravetown, NL A0C 1Z0 Sunset dairy Greening, Eric P.O. Box 272, Lethbridge, NL A0C 1V0 Triple G Dairy Greening, Frazer P.O. Box 21, Musgravetown, NL A0C 1Z0

Central Region

Glenfair Dairy Gill, Art P.O. box 759, Bishop’s Falls, NL A0H1C0

Western Region

Ashland Farm Ron Burnett/Jane Duivenvoorden 21 Juniper Avenue, Cormack, NL A8A 2M9

Brophy's Dairy Farm Brophy, Stedman P.O Box 33, Daniel's Harbour, NL A0K 2C0 Cornerstone Farm Eric and Michelle Spears 14a Veteran’s Drive, Cormack, NL A8A 2P8

Hammond Farm Wayne Simmonds P.O. Box 2155 RR#1, Corner Brook, NL A2H 2N2

Headline Holstiens MacLean, Phil+ Pauline Duivenvoorden

191 Goose Arm Road, Deer Lake, NL A8A 3H9

Hillside Dairy O' Gorman, Richard P.O. Box 38, Doyles, NL A0N1J0 Larchgrove Farm Ian Richardson 405 Veteran’s Drive, Cormack, NL A8A 2R7

N+N Dairy Noel, Lee 410A Veteran’s Road, Cormack, NL A8A 2R6

New World Dairy Chaffey, Brent General Delivery, St. David’s, NL A0N 1X0 Rideout’s Dairy Farm Rideout, Melvin 490 Veterans Drive, Cormack, NL A8A 2R6 Whiteclift Farms John Wells P.O. Box 107, Robinson’s, NL A0N 1V0

List of Dairy Plants

The following is a list of all current dairy processing plants in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. This list was last revised: January 2, 2007. 1. Central Dairies P.O. Box 8558, Station A St. John's, NL A1B 3P2 (709) 364-1172, (709) 364-7531 or 1-800-563-MILK (NFLD Only) (709) 364-8714 fax website: www.centraldairies.com 2. Scotsburn Dairy Group Ice Cream P. O. Box 217 314 Lemarchant Road St. John’s, NL A1C 5J4 (709) 738-4652 phone (709) 576-8142 fax Milk 22 Clyde Ave, Mt. Pearl, NL A1N 4S1 (709)-747-5365 phone (709)-747-2911 fax Milk 62 Maple Valley Road P. O. Box 310 Corner Brook, NL A2H 6C9 (709) 634-9281 phone (709) 634-9430 fax website: www.scotsburn.com

See http:/www.nr.gov.nl.ca/agric/vetinfo/laboratory_submissions.htm for the most recent version of this form.

Daphne Taylor Milk Quality Award of Excellence Program

This award was created in 1997 to recognize excellence in the production of quality milk.

It has been named after Ms Daphne Taylor in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the provincial dairy industry. All participants in the industry (producers, processors, provincial government) contribute to the program.

All dairy producers are eligible for the award following the details in the criteria section. Winners are announced at the Annual General Meeting of the Dairy Farmers of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The financial support comes from industry and government with the awards being: 1st prize - check for $600, farmgate sign and a certificate 2nd prize - check for $300 and certificate 3rd prize - check for $100 and certificate

The criteria for consideration include average annual somatic cell count, bacterial count and regulatory compliance for farm. Farms are automatically excluded if any official samples exceed antibiotic levels, somatic cell count levels, bacterial count levels, freezing point levels or has an unacceptable sediment test. In addition, rejections by the dairy plants for antibiotics will result in exclusion, and losses of tanks due to flavours or odours will result in point deductions. Winners are identified on the web at: http://www.nr.gov.nl.ca/agric/livestock/dairy/dairyaward.stm Award Criteria:

1) Best Average Somatic Cells over the year. 2) Best Average Bacterial Count over the year. 3) Least regulatory compliance issues during the year. 4) Laboratory must have at least 8 available regulatory tests to evaluate.

Disqualifications:

1) Failure to meet regulatory requirements in any Newfoundland & Labrador government issued test. This includes milk and water. This is at the discretion of the Director of

Animal Health, who may waive a failed sample due to unusual circumstances surrounding its collection, transport or testing.

2) Rejection of milk at the processing plant due to antibiotics. 3) Any “major” issues on either of the two last “Dairy Farm Inspection Reports”. 4) Any loss of license during the year.

Points System

All producers who are not eliminated will be assessed points based on their official laboratory results and regulatory compliance. Points will be deducted for tanks of milk lost due to flavour or odour as evaluated by the dairies. Points are assessed as follows: Bulk Tank Somatic Cell Count (40% of final score)

Annual Average Points Awarded

0-30,000 40

30,001-60,000 36

60,001-90,000 32

90,001-120,000 28

120,001-150,000 24

150,001-180,000 20

180,001-210,000 16

210,001-240,000 12

240,001-270,000 8

270,001-300,000 4

Producers with an annual average above 300,000 and below 500,000 are not eliminated from the program but do not receive any points either.

Standard Plate Count (40% of final score)

Annual Average Points Awarded

0-3,000 40

3,001-6,000 36

6,001-9,000 32

9,001-12,000 28

12,001-15,000 24

15,001-18,000 20

18,001-21,000 16

21,001-24,000 12

24,001-27,000 8

27,001-30,000 4

Producers with an annual average above 30,000 and below 50,000 are not eliminated from the program but do not receive any points either. Regulatory Compliance (20% of final score)

The criteria used for evaluation would be based on the last two Dairy Farm Inspection Reports. Each minor deficiency subtracts 5 points. Point deductions

The above criteria add up to 100 points.

1) Deductions are possible for rejected tanks. If one tank is rejected during the year for flavour or odour no points are deducted, for every other tank rejected 5 points are deducted per load.

Animal Health Division Contacts St. John’s Headquarters 308 Brookfield Road P.O Box 7400 St. John’s, NL A1E3Y5 t 709.729.6879 (Secretary; Bonnetta Toms) t 709.729.6899 (Vet Secretary; Linda McCarthy) f 709.729.0055 e animalhealthdivision@gov.nl.ca Director/Chief Veterinary Officer Dr. Hugh Whitney t 709.729.6879 f 709.729.0055 c 709.727.3806 e hughwhitney@gov.nl.ca Manager, Animal Health Programs Mr. Carl Dohey t 709.729.4232 f 709.729.0055 e carldohey@gov.nl.ca Regional Vets (St. John’s) Dr. Kate Wilson Dr. Julia Butler c 709.689.6015 c 709.727.0155 t 709.729.6899 (24h) t 709.729.6899 (24) katewilson@gov.nl.ca juliabutler@gov.nl.ca Vet Technologists Mrs. Cathy Keane (Disease Surveillance Coordinator) Mrs. Angela Blundon t 709.729.7622 t 709.729.7972 cathykeane@gov.nl.ca e angelablundon@gov.nl.ca

Animal Health Laboratory Manager, Veterinary Pathologist Dr. Laura Rogers t 709.729.0323 f 709.729.0055 or 709.729.5825 e laurarogers@gov.nl.ca Laboratory Senior Technologist Mr. Robin Janes t 709.729.0230 f 709.729.5825 e robinjanes@gov.nl.ca Laboratory Technologists Ms. Jeannie Tucker Mrs. KellySue Dyer Ms. Darlene Sparkes e jeannietucker@gov.nl.ca e kellysuedyer@gov.nl.ca e darlenesparkes@gov.nl.ca t 709.729.6879 (Diagnostic) t 709.729.0388 (Food Quality) f 709.729.5285 Research Assistant Ms. Kim Bridger t 709.729.7972 e kimbridger@gov.nl.ca Food Safety Specialist/Quality Manager Mr. Jason Webber t 709.729.7674 f 709.729.0055 e jasonwebber@gov.nl.ca Carbonear Regional Office Carlyle Building, 80 Powell Drive, Unit 1 Carbonear, NL A1Y 1A5 Regional Vet Poultry Vet Dr. Andrew Peacock Dr. Robert Hudson (Poultry Vet) t 709.945.3007 c 709.687.3661 f 709.945.3006 f 709.945.3006 andrewpeacock@gov.nl.ca roberthudson@gov.nl.ca

Clarenville Regional Office Clarenville Public Building 97 Manitoba Drive, Suite 206 Clarenville, NL A5A 1K3 t 709.466.2808 f 709.466.3980 Regional Vets (Clarenville) Dr. Penny Power Dr. Nicole Schaefer pennypower@gov.nl.ca nickyschaefer@gov.nl.ca Vet Technologist Mrs. Heather Quilty heatherquilty@gov.nl.ca Pynn’s Brook Regional Office Venture Center Unit #6 Stentaford Avenue Pasadena, NL A0L 1K0 t 709.686.2672 f 709.686.5465 t 709.637.2613 (24h) e animalhealthpb@gov.nl.ca Regional Vets Dr. Beverly Dawe Dr. Beth Pollock Dr. Mike Tipple beverlydawe@gov.nl.ca bethpollock@gov.nl.ca miketipple@gov.nl.ca Vet Technologist Ms. Donna Scott donnascott@gov.nl.ca

Dairy Resources, Reference Materials, and Industry Contacts

Dairy Resources, Reference Materials, and Industry Contacts

The following is a listing of useful dairy information that can provide general information

and expertise on dairy related matters. The following is a listing of useful dairy information that can provide general information

and expertise on dairy related matters. Shortlist Shortlist 1) Internal Animal Health website (http://www.nr.gov.nl.ca/agric/vetinfo) 1) Internal Animal Health website (http://www.nr.gov.nl.ca/agric/vetinfo) 2) The National Dairy Regulation & Code (http://www.cfis.agr.ca) 2) The National Dairy Regulation & Code (http://www.cfis.agr.ca) 3) The Canadian Dairy Information Center (http://www.dairyinfo.gc.ca/) 3) The Canadian Dairy Information Center (http://www.dairyinfo.gc.ca/) 4) Dairy Farmers of Newfoundland & Labrador 4) Dairy Farmers of Newfoundland & Labrador 5) Dairy Farmers of Canada (http://www.dairygoodness.ca) 5) Dairy Farmers of Canada (http://www.dairygoodness.ca) 6) Newfoundland and Labrador School Milk Foundation (http://www.schoolmilk.nf.ca) 6) Newfoundland and Labrador School Milk Foundation (http://www.schoolmilk.nf.ca) 7) Natural Resources: Production and Marketing Development Division

(http://www.nr.gov.nl.ca/agric/) 7) Natural Resources: Production and Marketing Development Division

(http://www.nr.gov.nl.ca/agric/) 8) Canadian Food Inspection Agency (http://www.inspection.gc.ca/) 8) Canadian Food Inspection Agency (http://www.inspection.gc.ca/) 9) Northeast Dairy Practices Council (http://www.dairypc.org/index.htm) 9) Northeast Dairy Practices Council (http://www.dairypc.org/index.htm) 10) U.S Food and Drug administration (http://www.fda.gov/default.htm) 10) U.S Food and Drug administration (11) Standard Methods for the Examination of Dairy Products, 17th edition (2004) 11) Standard Methods for the Examination of Dairy Products, 17th edition (2004)

http://www.fda.gov/default.htm)

(http://www.apha.org) (http://www.apha.org) 1. Internal Animal Health Website1. Internal Animal Health Website This site is mainly for industry professionals and government officials. It contains information about disease surveillance and food safety. Website: http://www.nr.gov.nl.ca/agric/vetinfo 2. The National Dairy Regulation & Code

This document is one of a series of documents created through national consultation on the harmonization of food standards across Canada. These consultations are managed through the office of the Canadian Food Inspection System (CFIS). The consulting group is called the Canadian Food Inspection System Implementation Group which has representation from this province. Regular updates are available on their website www.cfis.agr.ca.

The philosophy behind these documents is written in the blueprint for a Canadian Food Inspection System which is also available on the identified website. The regulations for the Newfoundland and Labrador Food Premises Regulations are based on this document. The interpretations provided within this manual are based on the National Dairy Regulation and Code. Website: www.cfis.agr.ca. 3. The Canadian Dairy Information Center The Canadian Dairy Information Centre is a partnership between Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Canadian Dairy Commission, the Dairy Farmers of Canada and the Dairy Processor’s Association of Canada.

The Canadian Dairy Information Centre (CDIC) is the Internet reference for up-to-date market information on the Canadian dairy industry. The CDIC fosters partnerships and information sharing in order to allow the companies and the associations of the Canadian dairy sector to make better business decisions. Website: http://www.dairyinfo.gc.ca/ 4. Dairy Farmers of Newfoundland & Labrador Harry Burden, Manager 980 Topsail Rd. Mount Pearl, NL A1N 3K2 t 709.364.6634 f 709.364.8364 e milk@dfnl.nf.net This list of dairy farms available was cross referenced with the Dairy Farmers of Newfoundland and Labrador to ensure consistency and equal representation among the dairy farms. 5. Dairy Farmers of Canada The website contains a wide range of dairy related information composed from different standpoints of consumer, health professional, government and industry. Website: http://www.dairygoodness.ca

6. Newfoundland and Labrador School Milk Foundation 27 Sagona Avenue Mount Pearl, NL A1N 4P8 t 709.364.2776 f 709.364.8364 e info@schoolmilkfdn.nf.net Website: http://www.schoolmilk.nf.ca 7. Department of Natural Resources: Production & Marketing Development Division Director Mr. David Mackey Fortis Building P. O. Box 2006 Corner Brook, NL A2H 6J8 t 709.637.2047 f 709.637.2461 e davemackey@gov.nl.ca Dairy Management Field Representatives Ms Carol Walsh Mr. Brian Bishop Provincial Agriculture Building Western Agricultural Centre P. O. Box 8700 P. O. Box 340 St. John’s, NL Pasadena, NL A1B 4J6 A0L 1K0 t 709.729.6826 t 709.686.5672 f 709.729.2674 f 709.686.2491 e Carolwalsh@gov.nl.ca e brianbishop@gov.nl.ca On Farm HACCP Food Safety Specialist (Quality Control Officer) Ms. Kathryn Gillam t 709.637.2072 e kathryngillam@gov.nl.ca Government of Newfoundland and Labrador telephone directory Website: http://www.tw.gov.nl.ca/TelephoneDirectory/

General Agrifoods Website: http://www.nr.gov.nl.ca/agric/ 8. Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Reference Listing of Accepted Construction Materials, Packaging Materials and Non-Food Chemical Products

Website: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/reference/refere.shtml

This listing of materials contains products which when used according to specific instructions constitutes “approved materials” in food establishments. Any material used properly here is approved by the Director of Animal Health unless there is a specific objection by the director to a specific material. Directory information to agriculture based federal service employees Website: http://pub.directinfo.agr.gc.ca/ Canada Headquarters 59 Camelot Drive Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0Y9 t 613.225.2342 t 1.800.442.2342 f 613.228.6601 Atlantic Headquarters 1081 Main St PO Box 6088 Moncton, New Brunswick E1C 8R2 t 506.851.7400 f 506.851.2689 Newfoundland and Labrador 10 Barter's Hill St. John's, Newfoundland A1C 5X1 t 709.772.4424 f 709.772.2282

9. Northeast Dairy Practices Council

An excellent resource for dairy information, which offers yearly subscriptions and automatic updates with a secure website for purchasing additional materials. The troubleshooting guide for bacteria and added water were based in part on the recommendation of the Northeast Dairy Practices Council. Website: http://www.dairypc.org/index.htm 10. United States Food and Drug Administration

Specific information in the food safety scenario’s regarding specific pathogens and hazard’s was used from the FDA Bad Bug Book, which is a guide to food borne illness. The site also contains a wealth of information on food safety. Website: http://www.fda.gov/default.htm 11. Standard Methods for the Examination of Dairy Products, 17th edition (2004)

Published by the American Public Health Association, recognized as the standard for

laboratory examination of milk and milk products. Website: http://www.apha.org

Publication AP017January 25, 2007

Animal ProductionFACTSHEET

Raw Milk Quality Testing Introduction

Testing for the quality of raw milk is performed

for various reasons. Firstly, it can serve to help a dairy producer identify inefficiencies in the production of milk that, if minimized, could help improve profits. Secondly, it helps quality control personnel (in dairy plants and regulatory agencies) to monitor milk quality assuring that final products on the shelf meet the public’s expectations for a safe and nutritious food.

This factsheet describes the various tests

performed in our Food Quality Laboratory on a routine or as-needed basis on raw milk in this province (for cow’s, goat’s and sheep’s milk) and how these results are interpreted. For a more complete description of regulatory testing, please see the factsheet entitled “Food Premises Regulations: Dairy Farms.” Sample Collection and Handling

It is important that any sample taken from the bulk tank accurately represents the milk in the tank. To make sure this happens, the milk in the tank must be properly agitated beforehand and the sample collected in a way that does not contaminate the milk.

Samples can be taken from the top of the tank or

the outlet valve as long as the sample represents the milk in the tank and there is no risk of losing milk from the tank. More details on sampling can be provided.

The date and time of collection are important as certain tests cannot be performed if there is a delay in submission. The most sensitive is the Plate Loop Count which looks at the total number of bacteria in the milk. With time, the number of bacteria increases such that a delayed sample may have a count higher than that which was originally in the bulk tank. The maximum time between collection at the bulk tank and analysis in the laboratory is 36 hours. If the sample is received after that

time, the work will still be done but the results cannot be used for official purposes.

Similarly, the temperature at pickup and during transportation are critical. If the temperature exceeds 4 degrees Celsius then it is possible that bacteria will grow beyond the concentration in the original bulk tank giving a false result. Milk received in the lab that is above 4 degrees Celsius will be tested but the results will not be considered official. Routine Tests

The “Milk Quality Report” shows those tests performed on a routine basis: components, added water, inhibitors, plate loop count, sediment analysis and somatic cell count.

Component Analysis is done on raw milk for the benefit of producers. There are no regulations requiring a specific level of any of these components (butterfat, protein and lactose) in the raw product. Regulations do apply at retail if identified on the product label (e.g. 2% butterfat milk).

Added Water is measured through the analysis of the freezing point of the milk. The freezing point is either measured in degrees Celsius or degrees Hortvet. The legal limit for cow’s milk is -0.508 degrees Celsius (-0.530 Hortvet). However as any sample approaches this temperature producers will be warned that there is a potential problem that should be looked into.

Warnings start at -0.512 degrees Celsius (or -0.535 degrees Hortvet). There is currently no legal limit for goat’s milk due to variations between breeds however -0.553 degrees Celsius (or -0.572 degrees Hortvet) is considered to be normal goat’s milk.There is no current standard for sheep’s milk.

Copies of this and other publications may be obtained from the Department’s Regional Offices, the factsheet author or by visiting our

website at http://www.nr.gov.nl.ca/agric/.

treated and no

It should be remembered when looking at temperatures, that we are looking at values below 0. The addition or dilution of the sample with water will bring the temperature closer to 0. For example, if cow’s milk normally freezes at -0.517 degrees Celsius, the addition of water will result in a temperature closer to 0, such as -0.508 degrees Celsius (the legal limit).

Inhibitors is the measurement of antibiotics or other unnatural substances that can inhibit the growth of bacteria in a laboratory. Two different tests are used for the measurement of antibiotics, these are the Charm Rosa and the Standard Disk Assay. Both are commonly used in this country and are able to detect antibiotics at the legal limits. When animals are treated with antibiotics, according to the manufacturer’s recommendations or in accordance with veterinary advice, there will not be any measurable level in the milk. If, however, the animal is

t held off the milk line for the period recommended then a whole bulk tank and even a tanker truck can be positive.

Any milk that is found to contain antibiotics is dumped and no further milk picked up from that farm until the tank tests negative.

Plate Loop Count, similar to a test called Standard Plate Count, is a measurement of the total number of bacteria present in the milk. As there are numerous different kinds of bacteria in milk the test focuses most directly on those bacteria that can grow at 32 degrees Celsius. Other tests (see “Other Tests”) can more specifically count different bacterial populations when identified problems need to be resolved. The legal limit for the Plate Loop Count is 50,000 per ml though producers should be able to keep their counts below 5,000 on a regular basis. High counts are usually due to improper cleaning and sanitizing of milking equipment as well as inadequate cooling.

Sediment Analysis is a visual measurement of the amount of filterable sediment that exists in raw milk. Most sediment is cleaned up by the milking system filters. If, however, there is a problem with the filters or an excess of sediment, then it can appear in the bulk tank.

Somatic Cell Count is a measure of the number of the cow’s body (“somatic”) cells that are in the milk. The majority of these cells are white blood cells (leucocytes) and are normally found in all body fluids. An increased number indicates an increase in mastitis in the herd either due to infection or traumatic factors. The regulatory level is 500,000 per ml for the bulk tank but producers should be able to keep their counts below 200,000 on a regular basis. High somatic cell counts

decrease the quality of the milk, as well as indicating financial losses to the producer as infected cows do not produce as much milk as healthy ones.

The “Milk Quality Report” will identify the number of somatic cells in the milk tested as well as identifying the “Percentile rank in the Province.” This ranking will show the producer into which of the ten categories they fall from best results to worst when compared to other dairy farms.

This test is not as commonly performed for goat’s milk as these animals do not secrete milk in the same manner as cows. A legal standard has been established at 1,500,000 per ml, but it is recognized that measurements can vary from breed to breed. It is important for goat producers to perform this test regularly and establish normal levels for their farms. There is currently no standard for sheep’s milk. Other Tests

In addition to the tests described above, other tests are available at the request of producers, regulatory officials or field personnel to try to produce the best possible milk. These include Preliminary Incubation Count (looks for milk spoilage organisms), Individual Somatic Cell Counts (to identify problem animals), Bulk Tank Streptococcus Count (to identify a streptococcus mastitis problem in a herd), Bulk Tank Coliform Count (usually identifies milk that is contaminated by coliforms), Laboratory Pasteurization Count (looks for the number of organisms that survive pasteurization and can cause spoilage on the shelf), and Psychrotrophic Count (looks for bacteria that can grow at refrigeration temperature and therefore be a cause of spoilage). More Information For more information on milk quality contact your dairy plant personnel, inspectors, Regional Veterinarians, or dairy field personnel. Written by: Dr. Hugh Whitney Director/ Provincial Veterinarian Animal Health Division P. O. Box 7400 St. John’s, NL A1E 3Y5 t 709.729.6879 f 709.729.0055 e hughwhitney@gov.nl.ca

Publication AP027January 25, 2007

Animal Production FACTSHEET

Q-Fever in Goats Introduction

Recent reports have referred to the presence

of Q-fever on some goat farms in this province and the resulting illness of people handling these goats. This factsheet is intended to provide scientific information on this disease. What causes Q-fever?

Q-fever is caused by a bacteria called Coxiella burnetii. Who can get sick?

Q-fever as an illness is most common in humans. Though it can be carried by many different species of wild and domestic animals, sickness in animals is usually only seen in goats and sheep in the form of abortion or stillbirth. Other domestic animals that can carry it include cattle, cats, pigs, horses and dogs. Common wild animals that carry it include birds (such as the dove or birds of prey that may have consumed infected animals), rodents and rabbits (possibly 1/3 of the snowshoe hares in Nova Scotia carry it).

In areas where there are a lot of ticks, these

arthropods can spread the disease. Ticks are not common in Newfoundland. How is it spread?

Humans usually get the disease by breathing in the bacteria. This most commonly comes from contact with the birthing fluids of infected goats, sheep or cats or from the air in a building where

dusty, contaminated bedding is disturbed. In addition, people can get it by

swallowing the bacteria. This can happen after getting hands contaminated when handling infected animals or infected bedding. Drinking contaminated raw milk can also result in infection.

Though not impossible, it is not considered

likely that people with the illness can spread it to other people.

In goats, Q-fever is often seen in outbreaks rather than individual cases. All of the reasons for this aren’t known but stress is an important influence on the occurrence of such illnesses. The mixing of animals from different backgrounds, new surroundings, or other such disruptions can cause the bacteria to be shed and make animals more vulnerable to infection. What are the symptoms in humans?

Q-fever in humans results in “flu-like” symptoms which can persist. These can include fever, headache, chills, sore muscles, loss of appetite, dry cough, chest pains and sweats. Symptoms vary depending upon whether the bacteria was inhaled or swallowed. Are there previous reports of Q-fever in Newfoundland?

There are no records of previous cases of this disease in humans in this province. There are a very few records of infection in cattle, usually as a result of a survey or other incidental testing. As

Copies of this and other publications may be obtained from the Department’s Regional Offices, the factsheet author or by visiting our

website at http://www.nr.gov.nl.ca/agric/.

this rarely causes illness in cattle there is usually no reason to look for evidence of exposure in these animals. This doesn’t mean that there weren’t more cases but rather that there is no record. Who is at risk?

As Q-fever spreads from animals to people, it is usually those people who work directly with them that would be at higher risk. This would include sheep and goat dairy farmers, slaughterhouse operators and veterinarians. In the case of Q-fever from cats it would be anyone who is in the proximity of infected cats when they give birth. What precautions should be taken?

Most animals have the potential to carry illnesses that can spread to humans. In some cases these may be very serious and life threatening such as rabies and hantavirus; in others they may be annoyances that don’t cause serious threats to otherwise healthy individuals.

With respect to Q-fever, the precautions depend on the situation. If someone is purchasing new animals they can request that testing be done beforehand to minimize the chances that the animals carry the disease (this is also true in the purchase of any other livestock though the diseases would depend on the actual species). Once purchased, the animals can be kept in isolation upon arrival to see whether they show signs of any illness that might affect other animals in the herd. Many people try to keep closed herds with their animals to minimize the entry of diseases.

Though normally people don’t use filter

masks or gloves when working with animals this can be done if there is any concern over the possibility of transmission of such illnesses. Regular washing of clothes and hands also decreases the risk of disease.

Though animals can carry illnesses from one

barn to another so can people. Many livestock operations keep their premises closed off to the general public as they don’t want to risk having any illnesses brought in on people’s boots or clothing. Similarly, many livestock operators will not visit other barns as they don’t want to bring anything back to their own barns. This is what is referred to

as biosecurity and is promoted broadly throughout the livestock industry.

The normal precautions that we take for the handling of food products from animals sources (i.e. meat and milk) would also apply. These include cooking or pasteurizing the raw product, proper cleaning of surfaces that come into contact with raw product and regular washing of hands. Where can I go for more information?

Anyone who feels they may have contracted an illness from any source should see their family doctor. Questions about illnesses in animals can be directed to your Regional Veterinarian. Written by: Dr. Hugh Whitney Director, Animal Health Division P. O. Box 7400, St. John’s, NL A1E 3Y5 t 709.729.6879 f 709.729.0055 e hughwhitney@gov.nl.ca

Publication AP034January 25, 2007

Animal Production Factsheet

Food Premises Regulations: Dairy Farms Introduction

Dairy farms in this province are licensed and regulated by inspectors of the Government Services Centres under the Food and Drug Act (Food Premises Regulations). Revision of these regulations occurred in 1999 bringing milk quality standards and regulatory philosophy in line with national standards. This factsheet has been written to help explain the changes. An accompanying factsheet called “Raw Milk Quality Testing” is also available. Regulatory Philosophy In the past, regulations were written in a manner that prescribed exact conditions under which milk was produced. These “prescriptive” regulations would detail minimum distances between equipment and walls, exact slopes of floors, drain sizes, materials that were permitted for walls, floors and ceilings and numerous other conditions that did not directly influence milk quality but were thought to be necessary to minimize risks of milk contamination. In addition, it was considered that regulations also served to assist in the marketing of the industry to the public. Therefore the storage of equipment around a barn, cleanliness of buildings, etc. were controlled to make sure that the industry looked good to the public. It is now considered that industry appearance should not be controlled by regulation. Nationally and internationally there has been a change in approach to regulations such that expressions like “risk-based” or “outcome based” regulations are now used. This means that only those conditions which cause an identifiable risk to the milk quality will be regulated. In addition, outcomes will be defined in the regulations which will show milk producers the goal that they should aim for, while realizing that there may be different ways

of achieving these goals depending on the size of the farm and the technology used. The National Dairy Regulations & Code For the purposes of interprovincial trade, it has been agreed upon to write a national document against which all provincial regulations could be compared for the purposes of equivalence. Some provinces may choose to use these National Dairy Regulations as the template for their own regulations while others will make sure that they are equivalent. The Food Premises Regulations for Newfoundland have been modeled after the national document but there has not been a word for word adoption. Individuals interested in seeing this national document can look at the website created for this purpose (www.cfis.agr.ca). Food Premises Regulations The complete regulations are available through the Queen’s Printer however specific sections will be highlighted:

1. Facilities covered by regulations

These regulations define conditions that must be present in milking barns, milking parlours and milk houses. Those parts of a dairy farm where milk is not collected or stored do not fall under these regulations.

Copies of this and other publications may be obtained from the Department’s Regional Offices, the factsheet author or by visiting our

website at http://www.nr.gov.nl.ca/agric/.

2. Ventilation and lighting It is expected that ventilation will carry condensation and odours away from areas where they can affect milk quality. This usually means that air moves from the cleanest places towards the dirtiest, for example from the milk house towards the barn; from the milking parlour towards the barns; from a milking barn towards dirtier areas (such as manure storage). Lighting will have to be sufficient to carry out milking, handling, and cleaning to be done in a sanitary manner.

3. Animals

Milking animals have to be kept clean and free of specific diseases that can be spread to humans. Keeping animals clean means that the sides, flanks and belly of the animal are free of dirt; the first stream of milk from each teat is discarded, and the teats and udder are cleaned and sanitized.

The diseases that are controlled in dairy animals in Canada include tuberculosis and brucellosis. Other diseases can be added if public or animal health concerns can be identified.

Animals not involved in the milking process cannot be housed with milking animals. This means that swine, poultry, horses, dogs and other domestic animals that may be found on dairy farms cannot be housed with milking animals. Exceptions would include dry cows and bulls (or the equivalent in dairy goat or sheep farms). Cats may also be permitted in dairy barns as long as they do not cause an identifiable health problem. On goat farms it is not recommended to house bucks with milking does as they can taint the taste and odour of the milk. This however is not considered to be a public health problem so is left up to the goat farmer to control.

4. Equipment All equipment that comes into contact with milk have to be corrosion-resistant, non-toxic and free from cracks, crevices and open seams. In the dairy industry, this usually means that it is 3-A approved, however other

equipment can be used if it is shown by the producer or manufacturer to be equivalent. After use, equipment that comes into contact with milk has to be properly cleaned. In general this means that it must be rinsed, washed, rinsed and drained within one hour after use; stored when not in use in a manner that prevents contamination and; sanitized and drained immediately before use. 5. Milk Quality Please see the factsheet “Raw Milk Quality Testing”.

6. Storage of toxic substances

To avoid risks of toxic substances getting into milk, they are to be stored in a manner that does not pose a risk. This means that toxic products, such as pesticides, should not be stored in a milk house. Those products that are normally a part of the milking operation such as sanitizers, can be stored in a milk house as long as they are properly labeled and contained. Veterinary drugs can also be stored in a milk house as well as long as they are properly stored in a cupboard or refrigerator. Liquid nitrogen tanks can also be stored in a milk house as long as there is no risk to the milk.

7. Garbage and wastes Garbage and wastes should be regularly removed to avoid the risks of contamination or odours. This includes cleaning liquid or dry manure from amilking barn on a daily basis. More Information This is a brief overview of the Food Premises Regulations as they apply to dairy farms. Questions on these regulations can be asked to your local inspector. Written by: Dr. Hugh Whitney Director/ Provincial Veterinarian Animal Health Division Department of Natural Resources P. O. Box 7400, St. John’s, NL A1E 3Y5 t 709.729.6879 f 709.729.0055 e hughwhitney@gov.nl.ca

Government of Newfoundland and Labrador

Department of Natural Resources

Animal Health Divisionwebsite: www.gov.nl.ca; e-mail: animalhealthdivision@gov.nl.ca

Issue 1 - January 2007

Quarterly Dairy Health Newsletter

This newsletter is produced by the Animal Health Division to update the dairy industry on health related issues.Industry representatives are asked to submit requests to the editor for topics they would like discussed.

Health of purchased livestock

Producers are reminded that the purchase ofnew livestock poses health threats to their farm. Withconstant changes in the Canadian dairy industry, cattleare moving around taking with them whatever diseasesthey have. The list of such diseases is long but includessuch concerns as Johne’s disease, Bovine Leucosis andthe many respiratory viruses. It is up to the buyer ofthe livestock to be wary of these threats.

Ways of minimizing your risks include pre-purchase examinations by a veterinarian, disclosure ofall health records of animals being considered forpurchase, and quarantine of all animals upon arrival.Failure to take any preventative measures increases thechances that one day a major disease event will occurcausing significant financial loss to the owner.

In this issue, the importance of Johne’s diseasein the dairy industry is highlighted.

Johne’s disease in cattle

Johne’s disease, also called paratuberculosis, isa bacterial disease caused by Mycobacterium aviumsubspecies paratuberculosis and is related to the agentsof leprosy and tuberculosis. It is a contagious, chronicand usually fatal infection that affects primarily thesmall intestine of ruminants. All ruminants aresusceptible to Johne's disease which is worldwide in

distribution. There are suggestions that this bacteriamay also be the cause of Crohn’s disease in humans.

Infection usually occurs shortly after birth withthe newborn ingesting contaminated manure from itsbirthing area or from the mother’s udder, milk orcolostrum. Signs might not show up for at least twoyears and include weight loss, diarrhea (with a normalappetite) and decreased production. Diagnosis may bedifficult as the bacteria can be very difficult and slow togrow.

Cow with severe Johne's disease (source: www.crohns.org)

Various studies have been performed in Canadaon the prevalence of this disease. One published in2001 identified between 9.8-43.1% of herds infected,with cow prevalence within herds of 2.3-11%. A morerecent study (2004) found cow prevalence of 16% usingfecal culture. Other reports suggest 47% of herds inOntario have at least one positive cow, 51% in PEI,62% in New Brunswick, and 72% in Nova Scotia. A

recent study in the US suggests that 80% of herds haveat least one positive cow.

The cost of Johne's includes an estimated 4%(376 kg) decrease in 305 day milk, 2.9 times increasedrisk of being culled for mastitis, and cumulatively anestimated loss of $1,330 per 50 cow Canadian herd.

Eliminating Johne’s from your herd requires alongterm commitment with a minimum of 5-10 years toget on top of the disease, partially due to lack ofaccurate tests to detect the disease. An integrated planis necessary that includes selection of new animalscoming into the herd, and avoiding infection of the nextgeneration (using the calf as the critical control point).PEI has initiated a program to give producers theframework to deal with Johne's.

For more information on Johne’s disease andcontrol measures please contact your RegionalVeterinarian.

BSE surveillance

Canada’s BSE surveillance program has been inplace since 1991, but has gained public and mediainterest in the past several years, when Canadadiscovered positive BSE animals. Since 2003, the goalhas been to test a minimum of 30,000 cattle annually,with over 50,000 tested in 2006.

An effective surveillance program givesconsumers, both in Canada and internationally,confidence that Canada is effectively managing BSE.Producers in Newfoundland & Labrador should reportcattle of any age that show nervous or aggressivebehaviour, abnormal posture, lack of co-ordination, orother nervous signs. Cattle that are older than 30months of age that are down, diseased, dying or deadshould also be submitted for BSE testing.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has anational reimbursement program that assists producersin covering a portion of any cost that may arise fromdisposal of the carcass.

Ongoing BSE testing of cattle strengthensconsumer confidence in Canadian beef, and enablesCanada to expand export opportunities. Testing alsoprovides additional scientific information on theCanada’s BSE situation. Continued commitment tosurveillance testing by all provinces, with the supportof Newfoundland & Labrador producers, will helpbring the Canadian cattle industry back to normal.

In the past several years, the Newfoundland andLabrador industry were expected to submit at least 26samples for BSE testing. NL met this target in 2006.In 2007, we will be increasing this target, and thus needmore producer involvement in the surveillanceprogram. Our goal is to increase numbers, and tosubmit samples representing all areas of the province.

If you would like more information on thisprogram, please contact your Regional Veterinarian,or call CFIA Veterinarian Dr. Karla Furey at 709-772-4714 or 697-9012 (cell).

Laboratory Update

The Animal Health Laboratory, at the requestof the dairy industry, is undergoing ISO 17025accreditation for its milk testing. This standardprovides third party verification of testing procedures toensure that clients receive results that are consistent andaccurate. Completion is expected in 2007.

This process includes an annual survey of clientsatisfaction. A first survey was conducted this past fall,results will be reported in the next issue.

Extensive renovations are underway at thelaboratories in St. John’s which will permit expandedtesting in those areas of concern to industry. Furtherexpansions are being considered and will be announcedonce plans are confirmed.

To help lead this expansion and provideexpertise that has not been available before, theprovincial government has just hired a VeterinaryPathologist for this division. Dr. Laura Rogers,originally from the province’s West Coast will bereturning to fill this position as of June 2007. We arevery pleased to be able to draw someone of Dr. Rogers’expertise back home.

Further staffing announcements are expected forthe next issue.

Comments?

If you have any comments or suggestions forsubjects for future newsletters please contact yourRegional Veterinarian or the editor at:

animalhealthdivision@gov.nl.ca

Government of Newfoundland and Labrador

Department of Natural Resources

Animal Health Divisionwebsite: www.gov.nl.ca; e-mail: animalhealthdivision@gov.nl.ca

SCC 2006-2007

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Issue 2 - April 2007

Quarterly Dairy Health Newsletter

This newsletter is being produced by the Animal Health Division to update the dairy industry on health relatedactivities within this province. Depending upon interest, it could expand into other areas but that is in the future.Industry representatives are asked to submit requests to the editor for ideas or topics they would like discussed.

Laboratory Update

As described in Issue #1 of this newsletter, theAnimal Health Laboratory is undergoing ISO 17025accreditation. As part of this process we performed aclient satisfaction survey in September 2006. As ofNovember 2006, we have received a 45% responserate. The feedback has been very positive with anumber of issues raised that the Division will resolve.We will use the survey results to improve ouroperations and to enhance our customer service. Thesurvey is our way for you to voice your concerns, so intaking advantage of it, you can ensure you are heard.

One outcome of the survey is the yearly milkquality summary. Accompanying this mailout is yourown farm’s annual summary with a full explanation ofwhat is being shown, however for the purposes of thisnewsletter we demonstrate two of the graphs includedin the summary.

The first graph shows the PLC (Plate LoopCount) results. This is the total bacteria count fromyour bulk tank as sampled through governmentinspectors. The bars show your own results (purple),the Newfoundland average (blue) as well as the bestresults (yellow) in the province. The lines show thetrend over the year, for your farm (red) and the wholeprovince (black).

The second graph shows the SCC (Somatic Cell

Count) results, again from samples collected bygovernment inspectors. The bars show your results(dark blue), the provincial average (green) and thebest in the province (yellow). The lines show yourtrend over the year (orange) and the provincial trend(black).

Cattle Committee

Industry and government are starting a committeethrough which common interests can be explored.This is intended to include the dairy, beef andprocessing industries, as well as the various regulatoryand support agencies of government. The number offood safety, environmental and other issues circulatingthese days warrants a collective approach to dealingwith these needs. Dr. Andrew Peacock (RegionalVeterinarian, Carbonear) is initiating this committeebut the intent is that it serve the purposes of themembership, so the chair will pass to those selected bythose who attend. This is structured along the lines ofthe existing fur industry committee.

Research Opportunities

The Animal Health Division is interested inworking with dairy farmers to improve the profitabilityof their businesses. One of the ways of doing this isthrough research into new techniques, products ormethods of disease control. Through partnerships withuniversities (such as the Atlantic Veterinary College),pharmaceutical companies or others, we can introducenew practical solutions to problems faced by ourindustry.

Farm owners interested in working on research-based problem solving are encouraged to speak to theirRegional Veterinarian for more information. Industry-wide research should be directed to the divisionalDirector.

SRM Disposal

SRM’s (Specified Risk Materials) are those partsof a cattle carcass that potentially carry BSE. Whenremoved from an animal at slaughter they must bedisposed of correctly. If an animal dies and is disposedof as a whole carcass (deadstock) then the wholecarcass is considered to be SRM.

The federal government through the Canadian FoodInspection Agency is increasing its regulations for thedisposal of these products. The date for enforcementof these new regulations is July 12th, 2007 for federallyregistered establishments and January 30th, 2008 forprovincially licensed (abattoirs and dairy farms). Formore details please consult CFIA’s website at:www.inspection.gc.ca

Humane Transportation

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has

provided a mailout on humane transportation of cattlewhich is included with this newsletter.

Staffing

The Animal Health Division has recently hiredCarl Dohey as a Program Manager. Carl comes to usfrom Memorial University and has a background inbusiness and IT. He will be helping us in ourfinancial arrangements with industry as well as insupport of research projects that we develop. We arevery pleased to have someone with Carl’s experienceworking with us.

In addition, we regret to announce the departure ofDr. Tim Davis as Regional Veterinarian in the St.John’s office. Dr. Davis was a well-respectedmember of the livestock community and will bemissed. His temporary replacement, while apermanent replacement is hired, is Dr. OliviaHarvey of New Brunswick.

We are also hiring Dr. Erin Wilson as atemporary veterinarian in the Clarenville office as Dr.Schaefer will soon be on maternity leave.

Correction

In the first issue of this newsletter, the cell phonenumber for Dr. Karla Furey (CFIA Veterinarian)was incorrect. Her cell number is 709.687.9012,office number 709.772.4714. Apologies for themistake.

Next Issue

In the next issue we will have an update on theDaphne Taylor Milk Quality Award of Excellence.

Comments?

If you have any comments or suggestions forsubjects for future newsletters please contact yourRegional Veterinarian or the editor at:

animalhealthdivision@gov.nl.ca

Government of Newfoundland and Labrador

Department of Natural Resources

Animal Health Divisionwebsite: www.gov.nl.ca; e-mail: animalhealthdivision@gov.nl.ca

Issue 3 - June 2007

Quarterly Dairy Health Newsletter

This newsletter is being produced by the Animal Health Division to update the dairy industry on health relatedactivities within this province. Depending upon interest, it could expand into other areas but that is in the future.Industry representatives are asked to submit requests to the editor for ideas or topics they would like discussed.

Dairy Farm Inspection

Questions have been asked about the process forinspecting and sampling dairy farms as required underthe province’s Food Premises Regulations (Food andDrug Act).

All dairy farms in the province must be licensedunder these regulations. The agency responsible forthis activity is the Government Services Centre and theinspectors carrying out the work are the EnvironmentalHealth Officers or Agricultural Inspectors.

The policies for this work are generated by theAnimal Health Division and the Department of Health& Community Services. The standards used are thosedeveloped nationally under the National Dairy Codeand are the same in all provinces across the country.

In addition, training of inspectors, auditing andlaboratory work is carried out by the Animal HealthDivision.

The enforcement activities include a twice annualinspection of the actual farm using the Dairy FarmInspection Form (included in this mailout). Anydeficiencies are noted and a time given within whichthe changes should be made.

On a monthly basis, bulk tank milk samples andwater samples are taken. If a farm is on a municipal

water supply the water sampling is reduced to twiceannually. If there are water quality concernsidentified for farms on municipal water then morefrequent testing will occur.

The actual standards applied are as follow:

Bulk tank Standard

Somatic cell count 500,000/ml

Bacterial count(Plate Loop Count)

50,000/ml

Antibiotics none detectable

Added Water -0.508 ° C

Water Quality Standard

Bacterial count 0 coliforms/100ml0 fecal coliforms/100 ml

In addition, if there are specific concernsidentified, it is possible to test for other potentialcontaminants as required.

Questions have been raised over the water qualitystandards. Any water used that potentially comes incontact with raw milk must be potable. Potable waterstandards comes from the Guidelines for CanadianDrinking Water Quality. There is no tolerance for any

fecal coliforms or total coliforms in potable water.

More details on the national standards are availableat:

www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/water-eau/index_e.html

Staffing

The Animal Health Division has recently hired Dr.Julia Butler in the St. John’s office as RegionalVeterinarian. Though hired on a temporary basis, wehope to be able to keep her here permanently.

We have also hired two new VeterinaryTechnologists who will assist the RegionalVeterinarians in their farm work.

In the Clarenville Office we have HeatherDoherty (starting June 1st) as the new VeterinaryTechnologist. In St. John’s it will be Angela Blundon(starting July 1st). Heather is originally from Ontarioand has recently been working in a small animalveterinary clinic in St. John’s. Angela is originallyfrom Bonavista and has been working in Alberta in amixed animal practice. We are glad to be able to bringsome Newfoundlanders back home from Alberta.

Telephone number changes

Due to extensive renovations in the St. John’sOffice, we have changed one of the phone numbersused by the public. All requests for veterinaryservices, either during regular hours or after hours,should be directed to 709.729.6899.

Daphne Taylor Milk Quality Award of Excellence

This award was first started in 1997 to recognizethose dairy farms that produce the highest quality milk.The criteria are as follow:

Award Criteria:

1) Best Average Somatic Cells over the year. 2) Best Average Bacterial Count over the year. 3) Least regulatory compliance issues during theyear. 4) Laboratory must have at least 8 availableregulatory tests to evaluate.

Disqualifications:

1) Failure to meet regulatory requirements in anyNewfoundland & Labrador government issued test.

This includes milk and water.2) Rejection of milk at the processing plant due toantibiotics. 3) Any “major” issues on either of the two last“Dairy Farm Inspection Reports”. 4) Any loss of license during the year.

Points System

All producers who are not eliminated will beassessed points based on their official laboratoryresults and regulatory compliance. 40% of the pointsare attributed to Somatic Cell Count results, 40% toBacterial Count results and 20% for regulatorycompliance. Points will be deducted for tanks of milklost due to flavour or odour as evaluated by thedairies.

The winner receives a farm gate sign, a chequefor $600 and a certificate. The second place winnerreceives $300 and a certificate, the third placereceives $100 and a certificate. The funding for thisprogram comes from the provincial government, theDairy Farmers of NL and the Dairy Processors. Theawards are announced at the annual general meetingof the Dairy Farmers of NL.

Due to the new Branding initiative of theprovincial government, the farm gate sign andcertificates have changed. The new farmgate signappears below:

Comments?

If you have any comments or suggestions forsubjects for future newsletters please contact yourRegional Veterinarian or the editor at:

animalhealthdivision@gov.nl.ca

Government of Newfoundland and Labrador

Department of Natural Resources

Animal Health Divisionwebsite: www.gov.nl.ca; e-mail: animalhealthdivision@gov.nl.ca

Issue 4 - September 2007

Quarterly Dairy Health Newsletter

This newsletter is being produced by the Animal Health Division to update the dairy industry on healthrelated activities within this province. Industry representatives are asked to submit requests to the editor forideas or topics they would like discussed.

Fee Schedule

Dairy producers are reminded of the current feeschedule, this includes farm service as well aslaboratory testing.

Farm Service

Type of Work Call fee Service fee

Regular hours 8:30 am -4:30 pm

$25 $50/hour

Emergency4:30 pm - 10:30 pm6:30 am -8:30 am

$35 $65/hour

Emergency10:30 pm - 6:30 am

$35 $75/hour

- Call fee is the cost of stepping onto the farm.

- Service fee is the hourly rate once on the farm.Services provided by a Veterinary Technologist (forexample dehorning, vaccinations, ultrasound,mastitis checks) are charged ½ the veterinary calland service fees.

- A Dispensing fee of $35 is charged on top of theprice of the drugs, if a Veterinarian or VeterinaryTechnologist dispenses drugs after hours or onweekends, outside of a farm call.

Laboratory Services

Type of Work Fee

Postmortem exam (gross only) * $40 adult$15 calves

Incineration $30 surcharge

Legal or insurance $50 surcharge

Histopathology $10/tissue

Bacterial culture

Culture & sensitivity (non-milk) $4/sample

Culture & sensitivity (milk) - one sample - up to 40 samples - above 40 samples

$3/sample$1.50/sample$1/sample

Non-routine culture (e.g.Campylobacter)

$3/sample

Mycology

Dermatophyte culture $3.50/sample

Microscopic examination $2.50/sample

Parasitology

Floatation, Baermann or Quantitativeevaluation (McMaster)

$2.50/sample

Special tests (e.g. Cryptosproidium) $6/sample

Animal Health Divisionwebsite: www.gov.nl.ca; e-mail: animalhealthdivision@gov.nl.ca

Haematology

Routine $5/sample

Individual tests $1.50/test

Milk Quality *

Somatic cell count-single sample -up to 10 samples -above 10 samples

$10$10$1/sample

Milk butterfat $1/sample

Milk butterfat, lactose & protein $1/sample

Milk antibiotics $2/test

Virology

Bovine Leukosis (if in province) * $10/sample

Out of province testing * cost

Miscellaneous

Urinalysis $4/sample

Shipping out of province * cost

* If postmortem examination is performed on thefarm and disposal is done by the owner the fee is$40, if the carcass is submitted for examination a$30 incineration or disposal surcharge is added.

* All milk quality testing is currently undergoing ISO17025 accreditation.

* When the cost of shipping or out of provincetesting is not available at the time the sample istaken, a quote can be obtained from the laboratorybefore the sample is sent. Currently bovineleukosis testing is not performed in province due tovolume of requests.

For a further explanation of these fees pleasecontact your Regional Veterinarian or the AnimalHealth Laboratory (729.0388).

Credit

Credit is discouraged, payment at the timeservices are received is preferred. For repeatclients, credit can be provided for farm calls,pharmacy sales & laboratory testing upon signing acredit agreement with the division. The Division islooking into accepting credit cards or debit cards.

The conditions are as follows:

1. All credit is approved in advance by the Directorof the Division.

2. A record of charges will be maintained withineach regional office and a statement of totals,including copies of each invoice will be mailed toeach client (unless alternative arrangements aremade to pay at the office or the farm) on the 10thof each month and be due by the 20th.

3. Payment must be sent to or dropped off at theregional office that provided the services and anycheques made out to the Newfoundland andLabrador Exchequer Account.

4. Delayed payment or payment by NSF chequewill result in the cancellation of credit after whichservices will be on a cash only basis.

5. No credit or routine services will be provided tocustomers who have an outstanding account.Emergency services will be provided on a cash-onlybasis.

Comments?

If you have any comments or suggestions forsubjects for future newsletters please contact yourRegional Veterinarian or the editor at:

animalhealthdivision@gov.nl.ca

Government of Newfoundland and Labrador

Department of Natural Resources

Animal Health Divisionwebsite: www.gov.nl.ca; e-mail: animalhealthdivision@gov.nl.ca

Issue 5 - October 2007

Quarterly Dairy Health Newsletter

This newsletter is being produced by the Animal Health Division to update the dairy industry on healthrelated activities within this province. Industry representatives are asked to submit requests to the editor forideas or topics they would like discussed.

This entire newsletter is focused on vaccinationsfor dairy herds.

Why Vaccinate?

Vaccination is an effective method of diseaseprevention for many bacterial and viral diseasesthat are economically important to dairy herds. Yourveterinarian can help you design a vaccinationprogram tailored to the needs of your herd.

Some common and important infectiousdiseases that can be prevented or mitigated byvaccination are mentioned below.

Common Infectious Diseases and AvailableVaccines

Clostridial Diseases

Some common diseases that are caused byClostridial organisms are:

1. Blackleg

2. Malignant Edema

3. Tetanus

4. Necrotic Hepatitis

5. Enterotoxaemia

6. Bacillary hemoglobinuria

Vaccination is necessary if pasturing younganimals or if feeding high grain levels to lactatingcows. Clostridial organisms are common in theenvironment and are very resistant todecontamination. Good immune protection isprovided at a very low cost through vaccination. Allreplacements should be vaccinated starting asearly as 3-4 months of age. Both modified live andkilled vaccines are available.

Animal Health Divisionwebsite: www.gov.nl.ca; e-mail: animalhealthdivision@gov.nl.ca

Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR)

IBR is a highly contagious virus disease and maycause several different clinical symptoms thatinclude:

- respiratory disease of varying severity - abortion - nervous signs - genital infections - conjunctivitis (eye inflammation) - infection of newborn calves - reduced milk production- pneumonia

If you have an increased number of abortions inyour herd you should consider this virus. Bothmodified live and killed vaccines are available.

Bovine Virus Diarrhea (BVD)

This virus is very important to prevent due to thefact that infected animals are not responsive totreatment and a large number die. BVD causes:

- abortions- high fevers- severe depression- respiratory distress- severe diarrhea- oral and intestinal ulcers- increased susceptibility to other disease

The virus spreads rapidly since infected animalscan linger for long periods of time, shedding largequantities of virus, and are thus important sourcesof infection for other animals. BVD is a major causeof abortion. One key to the control of this diseasewithin a herd is to prevent infection of the fetusduring pregnancy. A rigorous herd wide vaccinationprogram will help minimize the risk of infection tothis vulnerable group. Both modified live and killedvaccines are available.

Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus (BRSV)

BRSV may cause: - interstitial pneumonia- severe drop in milk- large amounts of mortalities

- pneumonia in unvaccinated calves

Both modified live and killed vaccines areavailable. However it has been suggested that amodified live vaccine for BRSV is more effective. Itis very important to vaccinate calves due to theirhigh risk of contracting BRSV pneumonia.

Mastitis

If your herd is experiencing a high incidence ofColiform Mastitis it may be helpful to vaccinateduring the dry period, with a booster given 3-4weeks before calving. Endotoxic shock andsometimes death can occur in lactating animalsright at or just after calving. This is caused by an E.coli infection of the udder. If this is a problem inyour herd, a mastitis vaccine should beconsidered.

These are only a few diseases that can beprevented by a vaccination program. Preventing adisease is much cheaper and easier than treatinga disease outbreak. Talk to your RegionalVeterinarian about what vaccination program isbest for your herd.

Further information on mastitis will bepublished in an upcoming issue. Comments?

If you have any comments or suggestions forsubjects for future newsletters please contact yourRegional Veterinarian or the editor at:

animalhealthdivision@gov.nl.ca

Government of Newfoundland and Labrador

Department of Natural Resources

Animal Health Divisionwebsite: www.gov.nl.ca; e-mail: animalhealthdivision@gov.nl.ca

Issue 6 - December 2007

Quarterly Dairy Health Newsletter

This newsletter is being produced by the Animal Health Division to update the dairy industry on healthrelated activities within this province. Industry representatives are asked to submit requests to the editor forideas or topics they would like discussed.

This newsletter is focused on mastitis controlstrategies.

There is no question that mastitis is one of thegreatest sources of financial loss on the dairy. Besides costof diagnosis, drug treatment, and milk discarded duringtreatment, cows that have suffered from mastitis produceless milk for the remainder of the lactation. Severe casesof mastitis can result in premature culling or even death.This article discusses some current strategies fordiagnosing, treating, and preventing mastitis.

1. Somatic Cell Count (SCC)

This simple test is the most valuable source ofinformation available for mastitis control. Somatic cellcount measures how many of the cow’s own body cells arepresent in the milk. An infected udder secretes more whiteblood cells into the milk to fight infection, resulting in anincreased SCC. Bulk tank somatic cell count indicates theherd’s average udder health. At a bulk tank SCC of200,000 cells/ml, up to 15% of cows are harbouring anudder infection. When bulk tank SCC rises to 400,000cells/ml, approximately 1/3 of cows are infected.

Without the luxury of Dairy Herd Improvement (DHI)information systems, Newfoundland dairy producers do notautomatically have access to individual cow somatic cellcount data. However, producers do have the option ofsending their own samples for SCC. Composite samplesconsisting of milk from all functional quarters should bemilked from clean teats into plastic somatic cell count

vials. Vials are available from your regional veterinarian.Samples should be labeled clearly with the cow’s ID,refrigerated, and submitted to your regional veterinarian’soffice as soon as possible.

Once your somatic cell count data is in hand, itcan be used to make further decisions on testing,treatment, or culling. Cows with an elevated somatic cellcount should have a milk sample collected for culture. Intheory, cows with a somatic cell count of 200,000cells/ml or higher show evidence of inflammation in theudder. However, some of these cows will be recoveringfrom previous infections. Your veterinarian or mastitisconsultant can help you choose a practical SCC cut-off forchoosing which cows to culture.

2. California Mastitis Test (CMT)

The CMT is inexpensive, practical, and can bedone on-farm easily. CMT gives the same information asSCC but is not as exact. Samples from each quarter aremilked into a paddle and mixed 1:1 with CMT solution. Ifthe resulting mixture forms a gel, the test is consideredpositive. Results are graded from 1 to 3+ indicating theintensity of the reaction. The California Mastitis Test is anexcellent tool for locating cows with subclinical mastitis.These cows have milk that appears normal but the quarteris still harbouring an infection. It is also useful fordetermining which quarter should be cultured when a cowis identified with a high SCC.

3. Culture and Sensitivity

Culturing milk from cows with clinical mastitis orelevated somatic cell counts is critical to determining thebest treatments to use on your farm. This test is extremelyinexpensive through the Animal Health Laboratory. Cultureprovides several important pieces of information. First, itindicates which mastitis-causing organisms are causingproblems. If they are mainly environmental pathogens,changes in bedding or housing may be the best solution. Ifthey are mainly contagious pathogens, changes in milkingpreparation and routine or milking machine maintenancemay be indicated.

Most importantly, culture shows which infectionsare unlikely to be resolved with intramammary treatmentand should be managed preventatively in consultation withyour veterinarian. Gram-negative organisms such as E. coliand Klebsiella, as well as yeast and Mycoplasma, are notsensitive to any mastitis tube currently available in Canada.This information can save a great deal of money in mastitistreatment as well as a lot of frustration!

The sensitivity profile shows what antibiotics areeffective against the identified bacteria. Based on pastantibiotic use, different drugs may work better on differentfarms. A “one size fits all” approach to antibiotic treatmentdoes not account for these differences between farms, soculture and sensitivity information for each individualoperation is important.

Milk samples for culture must be collected in asterile manner. Teats should be thoroughly washed anddried, then the teat ends are scrubbed with alcohol. Milkfrom the infected quarter is stripped into a sterile vialwithout touching the teat end or the inside of the vial.Samples should be refrigerated immediately, or frozen ifthey can not be sent to the lab promptly. Samples forculture should always be taken before any treatment isgiven.

4. Antibiotic treatment of mastitis

Once it has been determined that antibiotic treatmentis appropriate for an individual case, it is important to usethe selected product properly. Follow label directionsregarding frequency of treatment and length of milkdiscard. If a particular case requires treatment differentthan the label, an extended milk discard time must bedetermined in consultation with a veterinarian. Finish thefull course of treatment before evaluating success orswitching to a different product. Never use the sameinfusion syringe more than once or use multiple-dosebottles of mastitis treatment, as this increases yourchances of introducing a new infection. Teats should beinfused with the “partial insertion technique” where onlythe tip of the syringe is introduced into the teat canal.

5. Vaccination

For farms struggling with a gram-negative mastitisproblem such as E. coli or Klebsiella, vaccination may bea valuable addition to your management program. Twoproducts are currently licensed for this purpose, J-Vac™(Merial) and Enviracor® J-5 (Pfizer). These are both givenas a series of injections while cows are dry. It is importantto know that they will not completely prevent infection andmastitis. The vaccines help to reduce the number andseverity of clinical mastitis caused by this type of bacteria.

6. Orbeseal™

This relatively new product has shown good resultswhen tested on dairy farms. Orbeseal™ (Pfizer) is aninternal teat sealant. It is infused into the teat canal atdry-off after infusion of dry-cow treatment. The productacts to seal the teat canal to restrict entry of bacteria intothe udder during the dry period. Normally cows produce akeratin plug which serves the same purpose, howeverresearch shows that many cows do not form a completekeratin plug or do not form it until late in the dry period.This is important because the majority of new infectionsoccur during the dry period, not while the cow is milking.The major complaint against the product is that it doesnot always strip out cleanly when the cow freshens, andso may leave debris in the filter when the cow enters themilking string.

Dairy Management Software

There are a number of commercial dairymanagement software programs available. These are keytools in preventative dairy management and can be usedfor such things as mastitis investigations, assessment andinstitution of breeding and vaccination programs, andheifer management, to name a few.

We encourage any interested producers to speakto their Regional Veterinarian as we are keen to assistfarmers with the use of these programs to perform morethorough and efficient investigations on your dairies. Webelieve one such program would be well worth the timeand finances but want to make sure there is sufficientinterest to justify the investment. Comments?

If you have any comments or suggestions forsubjects for future newsletters please contact yourRegional Veterinarian or the editor at:

animalhealthdivision@gov.nl.ca

Summary Quality Report 2007-2008 Fiscal Year

Unknown Dairy Farm

Animal Health Division

May 23, 2008 By: Jason Webber

Natural Resources

Table of Contents Table of Contents Page 2

Overview Page 3

Provincial Averages Page 3

Recognition for your Dairy Farm Page 3

Plaque Mount for achieving the gold standard Page 4

The Regulatory Limits Page 4

Inhibitors Page 5

Component Analysis Page 5

Plate Loop Count Page 7

Somatic Cells Page 7

Freezing Point Page 8

Water Testing Page 8

Regulatory Compliance Page 9

Regulatory Inspection Summary Page 9

Comparison Tables Page 10

Recommendations Page 11

2

Overview

The Summary Quality Report is designed to give feedback to dairy producers, based on their regulatory results for the last fiscal year.

Each test is summarized in a graph to see where the results are trending. Comparisons of the total average and a comparison to the best average result in the province are also available for improvement purposes. Inspectors and dairy producers can use this data to help improve operations. It should be noted that any changes made to the dairy system, based on this data, should be made in consultation with inspectors, agriculture representatives, Regional Veterinarians and equipment specialists.

The Provincial Averages

Each farm’s results are compared to the provincial average for the specific time period and test in question. Thus any “July” result is only compared to all other “July” results in terms of the provincial average. This is used to show where the dairy farm is in relation to other farms during any particular time period and accounts for any seasonal shifts.

The total provincial average gives you information on how the farm fared for the whole year as compared to the average of all other farms. This gives an overall value to compare a farm to the average farm for the entire year.

The best result is the best data obtained from any single farm averaged over the entire year. It is designed to show you what best realistic results are possible in this province when compared to individual results. These results should be considered obtainable goals for any farm.

Recognition for your Dairy Farm

The Animal Health Division has developed a gold standard for milk quality regulatory results to be used in cooperation with other participants in the dairy industry. To meet the gold standard a dairy farm must achieve or exceed each of the following:

• 200,000 or less average somatic cells/ml in a fiscal year (April-March).

• 10,000 or less average Plate Loop Count cfu/ml in a fiscal year.

• No regulatory infractions for milk or water quality testing in a fiscal year as per the following listed limits.

• No "major" issues on a Dairy Farm Inspection Report issued for that fiscal year.

3

Proposed award for achieving the gold standard each dairy year.

This award (granted to each farm as a plaque) can be achieved by any dairy farm that meets the requirements. Of those dairy farms that obtain the gold standard, the Daphne Taylor Award will be awarded (1st, 2nd and 3rd place) to the dairy farms with the best overall results.

The Regulatory Limits

The following are the regulatory limits upheld by the Food Premises Regulations:

Somatic Cells (SCC): Not more than 500,000 cells per millilitre.

Aerobic Bacteria (PLC): Not more than 50,000 colony forming units per millilitre.

Inhibitors: Not detectable by standard methods (Charm Rosa and Disk Assay).

Added Water: Freezing point of not greater than -0.508 o C. Potable Water: As per referenced Health Canada Water Quality Guidelines 0 coliform bacteria, 0 E. coli (fecal coliforms).

4

Inhibitors

Both inhibitor tests (Charm Rosa and Standard Disc Assay) are pass/fail type tests, for graphing purposes we will only show failures. The best result is an empty graph.

Inhibitors 2007-2008

0

1

April

May

June Ju

ly

Augu

st

Septem

ber

Octobe

r

Novem

ber

Decem

ber

Janu

ary

Februa

ry

March

Month

Inhi

bito

rs d

etec

ted

(Pos

/Neg

)

failed tests

Component Analysis (Fat, Protein, Lactose)

Composition can be an indicator of problems such as malnutrition, over-nutrition and excessive milking strategies. There is no regulatory requirement for these parameters.

Fat 2007-2008

2.00

2.503.00

3.50

4.004.50

5.00

April

MayJu

ne July

Augus

t

Septem

ber

Octobe

r

Novem

ber

Decem

ber

Janu

ary

Februa

ryMarc

h

Month

Fat (

%) Your Fat

NL AverageHighest in NL

5

Protein 2007-2008

2.00

2.50

3.00

3.50

4.00

April

MayJu

ne July

Augus

t

Septem

ber

Octobe

r

Novem

ber

Decem

ber

Janu

ary

Februa

ry

March

Month

Prot

ein

(%)

Your Protein NL AverageHighest in NL

Lactose 2007-2008

2.002.503.003.504.004.505.00

AprilMay

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

January

FebruaryMarch

Month

Lact

ose

(%)

Your Lactose NL AverageHighest in NL

6

Plate Loop Count (Total Bacteria)

Plate Loop Count is an indicator of sanitation, cooling and milk holding practices. The legal limit is 50,000 colony forming units (CFU).

PLC 2007-2008

0

10

20

AprilMay

June Ju

ly

Augus

t

Septem

ber

Octobe

r

November

December

Janu

ary

Februa

ryMarc

h

Month

CFU

(Leg

al L

imit

50x1

000

CFU

)

Your PLC NL AverageBest in NL

Somatic Cells

Somatic cell count is a good overall indicator of a herd’s udder health. These bulk tank spot checks are not as thorough as a full herd somatic cell test but are a good indicator of any overall problems. The legal limit for this test is 500,000 cells.

SCC 2007-2008

0

100

200

300

400

500

April

MayJu

ne July

Augus

t

Septem

ber

Octobe

r

Novem

ber

Decem

ber

Janu

ary

Februa

ry

March

Month

Cou

nt (L

egal

Lim

it 50

0 X1

000)

Your SCC NL AverageBest in NL

7

Freezing Point Depression (Added Water)

Freezing point depression is a good indicator of the amount of water in the milk. The regulatory standard is -0.508oC. The closer the freezing point is to zero (water’s freezing temperature), the more water the milk contains. Note that freezing point is always negative because it is more difficult to freeze milk than water, but for graphing purposes it has been shown in the absolute (positive) form.

Freezing Point 2007-2008

0.500

0.510

0.520

0.530

0.540

0.550

AprilMay

June Ju

ly

Augus

t

Septem

ber

Octobe

r

Novem

ber

Decem

ber

Janu

ary

Febru

ary

March

Month

Deg

rees

Cel

sius

(Leg

al L

imit

-0.5

08 D

egre

es C

elsi

us)

Your Freezing Point Highest in NLNL Average

Water Testing

The legal limit for water quality is 0 E.coli and 0 coliforms. This demonstrates the dairy farms ability to control and maintain a potable water supply.

Water 2007-2008

02468

101214161820

April

MayJu

ne July

Augus

t

Septem

ber

Octobe

r

Novem

ber

Decem

ber

Janu

ary

Febru

ary

March

Month

Cou

nt (L

egal

Lim

it 0/

0)

Coliforms E.coli

8

Regulatory Testing Compliance

This graph represents failed regulatory tests administered by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. Issues related to licensing inspections are not covered in this data.

Regulatory Issues 2007-2008

0

1

2

3

4

5

April

MayJu

ne July

Augus

t

Septem

ber

Octobe

r

Novem

ber

Decem

ber

Janu

ary

February

March

Month

# of

Reg

ulat

ory

Issu

es

Regulatory Issues

Regulatory Inspection Compliance Summary

Any issues related to a regulatory inspection report are sumarized here.

9

Comparison Tables

The following chart may be useful in comparing your average results for this year to previous year(s) as well as the average and best results for previous years.

2006-2007

2007-2008

2006-2007

2007-2008

2006-2007

2007-2008

Your Yearly Averages Average NL Best (Highest) in NL Average Fat (%) Fat 3.53 3.63 Fat 4.23 4.25Protein (%) Protein 3.24 3.28 Protein 3.57 3.58Lactose (%) Lactose 4.54 4.54 Lactose 4.66 4.65PLC (X1000 cfu/ml) PLC 12.64 8.91 PLC 1.00 1.00SCC (X1000 c/ml) SCC 251 266 SCC 84 88Freezing Point (-oC) FP 0.524 0.525 FP 0.534 0.534

The following chart may be useful in comparing individual results to the Newfoundland & Labrador average and the best (Highest) in class.

2007-2008 Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar AverageFat (%) Protein (%) Lactose (%) PLC (X1000 cfu/ml) SCC (X1000 c/ml) Freezing Point (-oC) Coliforms (cfu/ml) E.coli (cfu/ml) Antibiotics Total Issues

Average Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar AverageFat (%) 3.46 3.53 3.49 3.52 3.53 3.61 3.77 3.72 3.71 3.68 3.75 3.74 3.63Protein (%) 3.26 3.23 3.21 3.17 3.23 3.26 3.41 3.31 3.30 3.31 3.33 3.32 3.28Lactose (%) 4.55 4.54 4.54 4.54 4.54 4.51 4.61 4.51 4.53 4.54 4.54 4.52 4.54PLC (X1000 cfu/ml) 9 5 5 7 18 18 7 6 17 6 4 5 9SCC (X1000 c/ml) 256 262 273 275 300 294 281 260 259 252 231 252 266Freezing Point (-oC) 0.525 0.527 0.525 0.524 0.523 0.523 0.525 0.523 0.526 0.527 0.527 0.528 0.525Best/Highest in Class Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar AverageFat (%) 3.96 4.05 3.92 4.20 4.11 4.15 4.55 4.34 4.34 4.34 4.40 4.60 4.25Protein (%) 3.61 3.61 3.62 3.47 3.46 3.56 3.72 3.58 3.51 3.61 3.59 3.65 3.58Lactose (%) 4.68 4.68 4.63 4.67 4.64 4.64 4.76 4.58 4.62 4.63 4.64 4.65 4.65PLC (X1000 cfu/ml) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1SCC (X1000 c/ml) 55 91 44 129 60 112 112 103 97 93 79 82 88Freezing Point (-oC) 0.536 0.535 0.533 0.532 0.529 0.532 0.532 0.530 0.538 0.533 0.536 0.537 0.534

10

11

Recommendations

Any specific reccomendations on how to improve the dairy farm would be listed hereas well as the contact information of the author and the division.