1. MILK HYGIENE CONTROLS IN NORTHERN IRELAND
Teachers’ Seminar – Loughry College
Heather McCloy BSc (Hons) Food Science
Milk Inspectorate
Agri-food Inspection Branch
Department of Agriculture, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DAERA)

2. Role of Milk Inspectorate
EU Official Controls - Processor and Farm level
Dairy Hygiene for Food Standards Agency (FSA)
EU Trader support schemes – processor level
Storage Aid for Rural Payments
Intervention - Agency
EU Area based schemes – farm level
Cross Compliance - for DAERA

3. Role of Milk Inspectorate
EU Official Controls - Processor and Farm level
Dairy Hygiene for Food Standards Agency
EU Trader support schemes – processor level
Storage Aid for Rural Payments
Intervention - Agency
EU Area based schemes – farm level
Cross Compliance - for DAERA

4. What are official controls for?
To verify industry are meeting their legal obligations
Consumer protection
Statutory requirement
Permit exports
Confidence and reassurance
Safeguard reputation of industry, products and control authorities

5. Role of AfIB Milk Inspectorate in Dairy Hygiene
Implement a programme of official controls for dairy hygiene on behalf of
the Food Standards Agency
What are official controls?
Inspections/audits
Sampling and testing
Investigations
Enforcement action
What businesses are covered?
Approved liquid milk plants
Milk intake at approved product plants
Primary production holdings (dairy farms)
Other milk handlers e.g. purchasers/ depots/ hauliers
Raw drinking milk suppliers

6. Inspection frequency (excluding farm inspection)
Risk based:
Scoring system - Food Law Code of Practice
(Examples of scoring criteria for dairy businesses)
Potential hazard - type of food and method of handling
- number of consumers at risk
Compliance - food hygiene and safety
- structure
Confidence in management/control procedures
5 categories with inspection intervals ranging from 6 months to 3 years

7. Controls in Approved Liquid Milk Premises
Inspection checklist covers:
Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP)
Raw milk intake (temperature and testing)
Pasteurisation
Finished product (temperature and testing)
Cleaning
Calibration of equipment
Water
Staff issues
Operating procedures
Maintenance
Pest control
Customer complaints
Supplier checks
Crisis management
Traceability procedures
Product contamination
Waste management policy
Audit policy
Identification marking/commercial docs.
Adherence to recognised Codes of practice

8. Controls in Approved Liquid Milk Premises
Sampling and testing
Verification of Food Business Operator’s own testing.
Sampling frequency directed by FSA
Water and pasteurised milk
Enterobacteriaceae & phosphatase
Follow-up tests as required

9. Controls in Approved Liquid Milk Premises
Investigations
Triggered by test results
Notified by
Processor
AFBI (Agri-food and Biosciences Institute- official testing laboratory for DAERA)
District Council Environmental Health Department-public analyst
Triggered by complaints
member of public/consumer
District Council Environmental Health Department
FSA

10. Controls in Approved Milk Product Plants
Intake only
Local Authority responsible for controls surrounding product manufacture
Inspection checklist covers
HACCP
Raw milk intake (temperature and testing)
Cleaning
Calibration of equipment
Operating procedures
Physical inspection

11. Controls on Primary Production Units
Farm inspections
3,235 dairy farms
Scheduled at 2 or 10 year frequency [based on earned recognition through Red Tractor Assured Dairy Farm (RTADF) Scheme]
51% (1,664) dairy farms now in RTADF scheme in NI
Approx 2,100 inspections/ yr
Unannounced
97% of farms are compliant
Figures correct at time of publication

12. Controls on Primary Production Units
Hygiene inspections on farm
Checklist covers:
Registration details
Dairy (milk storage area)
Milking parlour
Livestock housing
Farmyard and approaches
Isolation facilities
Water supply
Animals (health/ condition)
Traceability
Operator
Milking operations
Equipment
Cooling
Storage (milk and feed)
Collection
Records (vet meds/ feeds)

13. Controls on Primary Production Units
Sampling and testing
Verification of Milk Purchaser testing of raw milk
Sampling frequency directed by FSA
Plate count (Total Viable Count), Somatic Cell Count and Antibiotics
Re-tests and investigations

14. Controls on Primary Production Units
Investigations
Triggered by test results
Notified by
Processor (tanker rejection)
Milk purchaser (reporting of results)
DAERA (residues surveillance testing)

15. Controls at milk handling establishments
Milk Purchasers
Inspection checklist covers
Haulage arrangements
Handling animal by-products
Raw milk requirements
Traceability
Crisis management
Management of milk from TB/BR reactor herds
Antibiotic Audits (following rejections)
Milk failure notification

16. Controls at milk handling establishments
Hauliers
Inspection checklist covers
HACCP based procedures
Cleaning and disinfection
Milk collection handling practices
Personal hygiene practices
Calibration of temperature monitoring equipment
Traceability
Tanker labelling
Rejection procedure
Other observations

17. Controls at milk handling establishments
Distribution depots/ Sub distributors
Inspection checklist covers
HACCP based procedures
Cleaning and disinfection
Pest control
Personal hygiene practices
Temperature control and calibration
Traceability – Identification marking
Physical inspection/ general observations

18. Enforcement
A graduated educative approach is taken where non-compliance is identified (verbal and written requests to meet requirements)
Where non-compliance is of a serious nature or informal action fails to achieve compliance, formal notices are issued ( 2 main ones Hygiene Improvement Notices and Remedial Action Notices)
If notices are not complied with this can result in prosecution.(Max £5000 fine and/or 2 year prison sentence)
Hygiene Prohibition Order

19. Useful links: