Milk and milk products are a rich and convenient source of nutrients for people in many countries and international trade of milk-based commodities is significant. The purpose of this Code is to provide guidance to ensure the safety and suitability of milk and milk products to protect consumers’ health and to facilitate trade. The Code satisfies the food hygiene provisions in the Codex Alimentarius Procedural Manual under “Relations between Commodity Committees and General Committees” for use in the various dairy standards.

All foods have the potential to cause food borne illness, and milk and milk products are no exception. Dairy animals may carry human pathogens. Such pathogens present in milk may increase the risk of causing food borne illness. Moreover, the milking procedure, subsequent pooling and the storage of milk carry the risks of further contamination from man or the environment or growth of inherent pathogens. Further, the composition of many milk products makes them good media for the outgrowth of pathogenic micro-organisms. Potential also exists for the contamination of milk with residues of veterinary drugs, pesticides and other chemical contaminants. Therefore, implementing the proper hygienic control of milk and milk products throughout the food chain is essential to ensure the safety and suitability of these foods for their intended use. It is the purpose of this Code to provide guidance to countries so that their appropriate level of public health protection for milk and milk products may be achieved. It is also the purpose of this code to prevent unhygienic practices and conditions in the production, processing, and handling of milk and milk products, as in many countries milk and milk products form a large portion of the diet of consumers especially infants, children, and pregnant and lactating women. This document is formatted in accordance with the General Principles of Food Hygiene (CAC/RCP 1-1969). This Code presents principles for the hygienic production and manufacture of milk and milk products and guidance on their application. This Code takes into consideration, to the extent possible, the various production and processing procedures as well as the differing characteristics of milk from various milking animals used by member countries. It focuses on acceptable food safety outcomes achieved through the use of one or more validated food safety control measures, rather than mandating specific processes for individual products.

Objectives

The objective of this Code is to apply the recommendations of the Recommended Code of Practice: General Principles of Food Hygiene to the particular case of milk and milk products. It also provides guidance on how to achieve the general requirements contained in the hygiene sections of the Codex commodity standards for milk products.

Highlights:

  • PRINCIPLES APPLYING TO THE PRIMARY PRODUCTION OF MILK: Milk should not contain any contaminant at a level that jeopardizes the appropriate level of public health protection, when presented to the consumer. Contamination of milk from animal and environmental sources during primary production should be minimized.
  • Environmental hygiene: Water and other environmental factors should be managed in a way that minimizes the potential for the transmission, directly or indirectly, of hazards into the milk.
  • Areas and premises for milk production: Areas including premises used for the production of milk should be designed, situated, maintained and, to the extent practicable, used in a manner that minimizes the introduction of hazards into milk.
  • Animal health: The health status of milking animals and herds should be managed in a manner that addresses the hazards of concern for human health. Milk should come from animals in good health so that, considering the end use, it does not adversely affect the safety and suitability of the end product.
  • General hygienic practice:
  1. Feeding: With consideration given to the end use of the milk, forage and feed for lactating animals should not introduce, directly or indirectly, contaminants into milk in amounts that present an unacceptable health risk to the consumer or adversely affect the suitability of milk or milk products.
  2. Pest control: Pests should be controlled, and in a way that does not result in unacceptable levels of residues, such as pesticides, in the milk.
  3. Veterinary drugs: Animals should only be treated with veterinary drugs authorized by the competent authority for the specific use and in a manner that will not adversely impact on the safety and suitability of the milk, including adherence to the withdrawal period specified.
  4. Handling, storage and transport of milk: With consideration given to the end use of the milk, handling, storage and transport of milk should be conducted in a manner that will avoid contamination and minimize any increase in the microbiological load of milk.
  5. Milking equipment: Milking equipment should be designed, constructed, installed, maintained and used in a manner that will avoid the introduction of contaminants into milk.
  6. Storage equipment: Milk storage tanks and cans should be designed, constructed, maintained and used in a manner that will avoid the introduction of contaminants into milk and minimize the growth of micro-organisms in milk.
  7. Premises for, and storage of, milk and milking-related equipment: Premises for the storage of milk and milking-related equipment should be situated, designed, constructed, maintained and used in a manner that avoids the introduction of contaminants into milk.
  8. Collection, transport and delivery procedures and equipment: Milk should be collected, transported and delivered without undue delay, and in a manner that avoids the introduction of contaminants into milk and minimizes the growth of micro-organisms in the milk.
  9. Documentation and record keeping: Records should be kept, as necessary, to enhance the ability to verify the effectiveness of the control systems

GUIDELINES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF CONTROL MEASURES DURING AND AFTER PROCESSING.

Key aspects of hygiene control systems

  1. Time and temperature control
  2. Distribution of finished products
  3. Establishment of shelf life
  4. Microbiological and other specifications

General hygienic practice (Production & Processing)

Feeding: With consideration given to the end use of the milk, forage and feed for lactating animals should not introduce, directly or indirectly, contaminants into milk in amounts that present an unacceptable health risk to the consumer or adversely affect the suitability of milk or milk products.

Pest control: Pests should be controlled, and in a way that does not result in unacceptable levels of residues, such as pesticides, in the milk.

Veterinary drugs: Animals should only be treated with veterinary drugs authorized by the competent authority for the specific use and in a manner that will not adversely impact on the safety and suitability of the milk, including adherence to the withdrawal period specified.

Hygienic milking: Milking should be carried out in such a manner that minimizes contamination of the milk being produced

Handling, storage and transport of milk: With consideration given to the end use of the milk, handling, storage and transport of milk should be conducted in a manner that will avoid contamination and minimize any increase in the microbiological load of milk.

Milking equipment: Milking equipment should be designed, constructed, installed, maintained and used in a manner that will avoid the introduction of contaminants into milk.

Storage equipment Milk storage: tanks and cans should be designed, constructed, maintained and used in a manner that will avoid the introduction of contaminants into milk and minimize the growth of micro-organisms in milk.

Premises for, and storage of, milk and milking-related equipment: Premises for the storage of milk and milking-related equipment should be situated, designed, constructed, maintained and used in a manner that avoids the introduction of contaminants into milk.

Collection, transport and delivery procedures and equipment: This section also covers the activities of personnel involved in the transport of milk. Milk should be collected, transported and delivered without undue delay, and in a manner that avoids the introduction of contaminants into milk and minimizes the growth of micro-organisms in the milk

Documentation and record keeping: Records should be kept, as necessary, to enhance the ability to verify the effectiveness of the control systems.

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