Certified raw milk: Definition; county milk commission.
1. Certified raw milk is unpasteurized, marketed milk which conforms to the regulations and standards adopted by the county milk commission for the production and distribution of certified raw milk and certified raw milk products in the county in which they are produced.
2. In each county in which certified raw milk or certified raw milk products are produced for public consumption, there must be a county milk commission to regulate the production and distribution of those products. The board of county commissioners shall appoint to the commission three members for terms of 4 years, all of whom are eligible for reappointment. The members must all be residents of the county and have the following respective qualifications:
(a) One member must be a physician licensed in this state and a member of the medical society of the state;
(b) One member must be a veterinarian licensed in this state and a member of the county or regional veterinarian association; and
(c) One member must be a representative of the public at large.
3. A county milk commission shall:
(a) Elect one of its members as chairman and adopt appropriate rules to govern:
(1) The time and place of its meetings;
(2) Its rules of procedure; and
(3) Its recordkeeping and other internal operations.
(b) Adopt written regulations, which must be approved by the State Dairy Commission, governing the production, distribution and sale in the county of certified raw milk and products made from it, to protect the public health and safety and the integrity of the product. The regulations so adopted must conform as nearly as practicable to, but may be more stringent than, the standards adopted by the American Association of Medical Milk Commissions.
(c) Certify raw milk and the products thereof for any applicant producing raw milk within the county, whose product and methods of production, distribution and sale comply with the regulations and standards adopted by the county milk commission.
4. A county milk commission may:
(a) Establish and collect such fees and charges as appear reasonably necessary to defray the costs and expenses incurred by it in the performance of its duties under this section, and expend any money so collected as is necessary for such performance.
(b) Conduct such tests, inspections and analyses as are necessary to enable it to perform its duties under this section and employ such personnel and equipment as it deems necessary therefor.
5. Each applicant for certification must, as a condition for entertaining his application and as a condition for any certification granted, submit for testing by the county milk commission such samples as the county milk commission requests, and allow inspections by the county milk commission or its agents at any reasonable times, of any or all of his facilities, equipment, herds or other property employed in his dairy operations, including, without limitation, all of his books and records relating thereto.
Last modified: February 26, 2006