California Dairies Quality Standards

Revised January 1, 2009

 

1) Minimum standards for raw milk quality:

 

                             SPC          LPC        COLI        SCC

                             50,000         750            750           600

                            

Members producing milk exceeding these levels for three consecutive weeks are penalized $.10/cwt for milk produced the second and third consecutive week.  Only milk that tested high is debited.  (Note: Levels are the same as California Grade ‘A’ standards)

 

 

2) Minimum standards for milk quality bonus payments:

 

                              SPC           LPC        COLI              SCC

$.20 cwt              15,000          100            100        125,000 or less

$.10 cwt              15,000          100            100        126,000 - 175,000

$.05 cwt              15,000          100            100        176,000 - 225,000

 

Four weekly bacteria counts are averaged and results compared to qualify members for the bonus program. In the event 5 or more bacteria counts are tested representing one lot of milk, the highest duplicate within the same pay period is thrown out.  An antibiotic incident and/or two milk temperature violations (over 45° at time of pickup) during the month will disqualify a member from receiving a milk quality bonus for that month.          

 

3) Special Penalty Program standards:

 

Members with on-going milk quality problems may be placed on a special penalty program by their district quality committees.  Members on special penalty will receive daily milk quality testing and will receive penalties when those tests indicate milk produced exceeds the maximums listed above.  The rate of these penalties will be determined by the district quality committees.

 

Members on special penalty can have their membership terminated by recommendation of the district quality committee if any 6 months of a 12-month period do not meet an established standard.

 

The established standard is 80% of milk samples tested per month must be of Grade ‘A’ quality.  Counts that don’t meet this standard are printed in red on postcards sent to the dairy.  If more than 20% of pickups tested within a calendar month exceed this standard, this will count as one of the six qualifying months for termination proceedings to commence.

 

Bacteria history will be evaluated on a monthly basis by the quality committee and evaluated on a 12-month moving window.

 

If 6 months out of a 12 month period exceed the standard listed above, the district committee will recommend termination to the Board of Directors at their earliest meeting following this determination.

 

Upon termination of membership, any and all production base reverts to CDI.