Section 80. Farm bulk milk pickup tanker and milk transport tank requirements

A. Each contract hauler or subcontract hauler shall:

1. Use only a farm bulk milk pickup tanker or a milk transport tank that complies with all the requirements contained in 3-A Sanitary Standards for Stainless Steel Automotive Transportation Tanks for Bulk Delivery and Farm Pick-Up Service, Number 05-15 (effective November 24, 2002), (3-A Sanitary Standards, Incorporated) and that are maintained in good repair;

2. Ensure that all appurtenances of each farm bulk milk pickup tanker or each milk transport tank including any hoses, pumps, and fittings comply with all the requirements contained in 3-A Sanitary Standards for Stainless Steel Automotive Transportation Tanks for Bulk Delivery and Farm Pick-Up Service, Number 05-15 (effective as of November 24, 2002), (3-A Sanitary Standards, Incorporated) for construction and are maintained in good repair;

3. Provide sample racks for holding all milk samples collected in the sample cooler;

4. Provide a sample dipper or other sampling device of sanitary design that is maintained clean and in good repair;

5. Provide milk sample storage coolers that have sufficient insulation to maintain proper milk temperatures under all conditions throughout the year;

6. Provide only sterile sample bags, tubes, or bottles, properly stored to prevent contamination;

7. Provide a calibrated pocket thermometer certified as accurate within plus or minus 2.0°F to each bulk milk hauler in his employ and ensure the pocket thermometer is recertified a minimum of each six months thereafter;

8. Provide a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved and registered sanitizer for the sample dipper container;

9. Provide a suitable sanitizer test kit to each bulk milk hauler in his employ for use in checking the strength of sanitizing solutions;

10. Ensure that each appurtenance requiring flexibility for the milk transfer system to operate properly is free draining, supported to maintain a uniform slope and alignment, and easily disassembled and accessible for inspection without the use of tools;

11. Ensure that each farm bulk milk pickup tanker or a milk transport tank and their appurtenances are cleaned and sanitized prior to being used the first time, after each use thereafter, and each time 72 hours has elapsed since the last cleaning and sanitizing treatment;

12. Ensure that multiple milk pickups from dairy farms occur during a 24-hour period without washing and sanitizing the farm bulk milk pickup tanker only if a maximum of two hours elapses between the time of the last delivery and start of the next milk pickup;

13. Pick up any milk in a farm bulk milk pickup tanker or milk transport tank only if there exists a wash and sanitize record for the farm bulk milk pickup tanker or milk transport tank documenting that the tank has been washed and sanitized within the past 72 hours;

14. Install and use clamps on each milk pickup hose that are easily dismantled by hand without the use of tools;

15. Identify and maintain each farm bulk milk pickup tanker or milk transport tank with the identification numbers and letters assigned to each farm bulk milk pickup tanker or milk transport tank by the state regulatory agency. The identification shall be affixed to the left rear bulkhead of the tanker;

16. Provide a suitable enclosure in the rear milk hose or sample compartment of each farm bulk milk pickup tanker for storing inspection sheets capable of protecting the inspection sheets from excessive moisture, dust, soil, or light that might damage or render the inspection sheets illegible and so they will be available to any state or federal regulatory agent wherever the farm bulk milk pickup tanker might deliver;

17. Provide a suitable enclosure located within three feet of the tank outlet valve or located on top of one of the rear wheel fenders for each milk transport tank for storing inspection sheets capable of protecting the inspection sheets from excessive moisture, dust, soil, or light that might damage or render the inspection sheets illegible and so they will be available to any state or federal regulatory agent wherever the milk transport tank might deliver;

18. Completely empty the farm bulk cooling or holding tank each time that milk is picked up;

19. Store the three most recent inspection reports for each farm bulk milk pickup tanker or transport tank in the protected enclosure provided on each farm bulk milk pickup tanker or transport tank at all times; and

20. Provide a means to lock or seal each opening into a bulk milk pickup tanker or milk transport tank for security purposes.

B. When picking up and transporting any milk in a bulk milk pickup tanker each bulk milk hauler shall:

1. Practice good hygiene, maintain a neat and clean appearance, and abstain from using tobacco products in any milkhouse;

2. Conduct all pickup and handling practices to prevent contamination of any milk contact surface;

3. Pass the milk transfer hose through the hose port and remove the cap from the transfer milk hose and set it where it will not become contaminated and then attach the transfer milk hose to the tank outlet valve;

4. Wash his hands thoroughly and dry his hands with a clean single-service towel or electric forced air hand dryer immediately prior to measuring or sampling the milk in the tank;

5. Examine the milk in the tank by sight and smell for any off odor or any other abnormalities that would render the milk unacceptable and reject the milk if necessary;

6. Record the milk producer's name, milk producer's identification number, the date and time of pickup, the temperature of the milk, the measuring rod reading, the poundage, the name of the purchasing organization, and the signature of the bulk milk hauler on the producer's weight ticket;

7. Check the temperature of the milk in each farm bulk cooling or holding tank at least once a month with an accurately calibrated pocket thermometer after it has been properly sanitized;

8. Turn off the milk tank agitator if it is running when he arrives at the milkhouse or milkroom and allow the surface of the milk to become quiescent;

9. Carefully insert the measuring rod, after it has been wiped dry with a single-service towel, into the tank and then read the measurement. Each bulk milk hauler shall repeat this procedure until two identical measurements are obtained and then shall record the measurement on the weight ticket;

10. Agitate the milk in each tank holding 2,000 gallons or less of milk a minimum of five minutes before collecting any milk sample;

11. Agitate the milk in each tank holding more than 2,000 gallons of milk a minimum of 10 minutes before collecting any milk sample;

12. While the tank is being agitated, bring the sample container, dipper, dipper container, and sanitizing agent, or single service sampling tubes into the milkhouse aseptically;

13. While the tank is being agitated, remove the cap from the tank outlet valve and examine for milk deposits or foreign matter and then sanitize if necessary;

14. Remove the sample dipper or sampling device from the sanitizing solution and rinse it in the milk from the tank at least twice before collecting any official milk sample;

15. Collect two representative samples from each tank after the milk has been properly agitated, transferring the milk from the sample dipper to the sample container away from the tank opening to avoid spilling any milk back into the tank, and filling the sample containers only 3/4 full;

16. Rinse the sample dipper with water until it is free of visible milk and replace it in its carrying container;

17. Close the cover or lid of the bulk tank;

18. Identify each milk sample with the producer's patron or member number and the date of collection;

19. Collect at the first pickup for each load of milk two temperature samples and identify the temperature samples with the date, time, temperature of the milk, producer number, and name of the bulk milk hauler;

20. Place each milk sample collected immediately on ice in the sample storage cooler;

21. After collection of milk samples, open the outlet valve and start the pump to transfer the milk from the farm tank to the bulk milk pickup tanker;

22. Turn off the agitator once the level of milk in the tank has reached the level where over-agitation will occur;

23. Disconnect and cap the transfer hose after removing it from the outlet valve of the tank;

24. Observe the walls and bottom of the tank for foreign matter and extraneous material and record any objectionable observations on the weight ticket;

25. Rinse the entire inside of the tank with warm water while the tank outlet valve is open;

26. Use only sample containers and single-service sampling tubes that comply with all the requirements contained in Standard Methods for the Examination of Dairy Products, 17th Edition, 2004;

27. Cool and store all official milk samples to a temperature of 40°F or cooler, but not frozen;

28. Provide sufficient ice and water or other coolant in the sample storage cooler to maintain all milk samples at proper temperature;

29. Discard any milk that remains in the external transfer system that exceeds 45°F including any milk in pumps, hoses, and air elimination equipment or metering systems;

30. Protect samples from contamination and not bury the tops of sample containers in ice or bury sample containers above the milk level in the sample containers;

31. Keep all producer milk samples that represent the commingled milk on the load with the load of milk until the load of milk has been received by a milk plant, receiving station, or transfer station or if rejected by a milk plant, receiving station, or transfer station until the milk samples are collected for official laboratory testing to determine the disposition of the load of milk; and

32. Deliver each bulk milk pickup tanker of commingled milk to a milk plant, receiving station, or transfer station within 24 hours after the last milk pickup on the route for the bulk milk pickup tanker.

C. When sampling any milk from a bulk milk pickup tanker or transport tanker the dairy plant sampler shall:

1. Practice good hygiene, maintain a neat and clean appearance, and abstain from using tobacco products in the receiving area;

2. Conduct all sampling and handling practices to prevent contamination of any milk contact surface;

3. Wash his hands thoroughly and dry his hands with a clean single-service towel or acceptable air dryer immediately prior to sampling the milk in the tank;

4. Examine the milk in the tank by sight and smell for any off odor or any other abnormalities that would classify the milk as unacceptable and reject the milk if necessary;

5. Agitate for a period of time needed to blend the milk in each compartment to a homogenous state using odor-free, pressurized, filtered air or electrically driven stirring or recirculating equipment that has been properly sanitized before sampling or receiving;

6. Check the temperature of the milk in each compartment with a properly sanitized thermometer that has been checked against a standardized thermometer at least once every six months and certified accurate;

7. Reject any milk that has a temperature above 45°F;

8. Bring the sample container, properly constructed sample dipper, and sanitizing solution to the tanker aseptically after the milk is properly agitated;

9. Remove the sample dipper or sampling device from the sanitizing solution and rinse it in the milk from the tank at least twice before collecting any official milk sample;

10. Collect at least one representative sample from each compartment of the tanker, transferring the milk from the sample dipper to the sample container away from the tank opening to avoid spilling any milk back into the tank, and filling the sample container only three quarters full;

11. Rinse the sample dipper with water until it is free of visible milk and replace it in its carrying container or storage container;

12. Close the cover or lid for each compartment of the bulk milk tanker;

13. Identify each milk sample with the tanker number, compartment if the tanker is equipped with more than one compartment, and the date of collection;

14. Place each milk sample collected immediately on ice in a sample storage cooler or deliver it to the laboratory for immediate analysis;

15. Attach the milk transfer hose to the outlet valve of the milk tank truck and open the outlet valve of the milk tank truck before starting the pump to transfer the milk from the bulk milk pickup tanker to the milk plant storage facility or silo only after the collection of official milk samples;

16. Turn off the agitator once the level of milk in the tank has reached the level where over-agitation will occur;

17. Disconnect and cap the transfer hose after removing it from the outlet valve of the tank;

18. Observe the walls and bottom of the tank for foreign matter and extraneous material and record any objectionable observations on the plant receiving log;

19. Rinse the entire inside of the tanker with warm water after the tanker has been emptied and the external transfer system has been disconnected while the tanker outlet valve is open;

20. Use only sample containers and single-service sampling tubes that comply with all the requirements contained in Standard Methods for the Examination of Dairy Products, 17th Edition, 2004;

21. Cool and store all official milk samples to a temperature of 40°F or cooler, but not frozen;

22. Provide sufficient ice and water or other coolant in the sample storage cooler to maintain all milk samples at proper temperature;

23. Protect samples from contamination and not bury tops of sample containers in ice or bury samples above the milk level in the sample containers;

24. Promptly deliver samples and sample data to the laboratory; and

25. Discard any milk that remains in the external transfer system that exceeds 45°F including any milk in pumps, hoses, air elimination equipment, or metering systems.

D. Each bulk milk hauler shall:

1. Ensure each bulk milk pickup tanker or milk transport tank is properly cleaned and sanitized after unloading;

2. Ensure a cleaning and sanitizing tag is affixed to the outlet valve of the bulk milk pickup tanker or milk transport tank after it is washed;

3. Ensure when the bulk milk pickup tanker or milk transport tank is next washed, the previous cleaning and sanitizing tag is removed and stored at the location where the bulk milk pickup tanker or milk transport tank was washed; and

4. Ensure the following information is recorded on the wash and sanitize tag before it is attached to the outlet valve of the bulk milk pickup tanker or milk transport tank:

a. Identification number of the bulk milk pickup tanker or milk transport tank;

b. Date and time of day the bulk milk pickup tanker or milk transport tank was cleaned and sanitized;

c. Location where the bulk milk pickup tanker or milk transport tank was cleaned and sanitized; and

d. The signature of the person who cleaned and sanitized the bulk milk pickup tanker or milk transport tank.

E. Each person that operates a milk plant, receiving station, or transfer station and each dairy plant sampler responsible for sampling and receiving milk into a milk plant, receiving station, or transfer station shall:

1. Ensure each bulk milk pickup tanker and milk transport tank is properly cleaned and sanitized after unloading;

2. Ensure a cleaning and sanitizing tag is affixed to the outlet valve of the bulk milk pickup tanker or milk transport tank after it is washed;

3. Ensure when washing a bulk milk pickup tanker or milk transport tank, the previous cleaning and sanitizing tag is removed and stored at the location where the bulk milk pickup tanker or milk transport tank is washed; and

4. Record the following information on the wash and sanitize tag before it is attached to the outlet valve of the bulk milk pickup tanker or milk transport tank:

a. Identification number of the bulk milk pickup tanker or milk transport tank;

b. Date and time of day the bulk milk pickup tanker or milk transport tank was cleaned and sanitized;

c. Location where the bulk milk pickup tanker or milk transport tank was cleaned and sanitized; and

d. The signature of the person who cleaned and sanitized the bulk milk pickup tanker or milk transport tank.

F. Each bulk milk hauler shall ensure that each shipping document or load manifest contains the following information for each bulk milk pickup tanker or milk transport tank:

1. The shipper's name, address, and permit number;

2. The Interstate Milk Shipper Bulk Tank Unit identification number for each Bulk Tank Unit on the load of milk or the Interstate Milk Shipper listed Plant Number;

3. The milk hauler permit number if the milk hauler is not an employee of the shipper;

4. The point of origin of the shipment;

5. The bulk milk pickup tanker or milk transport tank identification number;

6. The name of the product;

7. The weight of the product;

8. The temperature of the product when loaded;

9. The date of shipment;

10. The name of the supervising regulatory agency at the point of origin of shipment;

11. A statement as to whether the contents of the load are raw, pasteurized, or in the case of cream, lowfat, or skim milk whether it has been heat-treated;

12. The seal number on inlet, outlet, wash connections and vents, if applicable; and

13. The grade of the product.

G. Each contract hauler, subcontract hauler, bulk milk hauler, and operator of a bulk milk pickup tanker or milk transport tank shall:

1. Ensure the proper protection of all milk and milk samples in his custody. Each contract hauler, subcontract hauler, bulk milk hauler, and operator of a bulk milk pickup tanker or milk transport tank shall seal or lock each opening into a bulk milk pickup tanker or milk transport tank including each manhole lid, vent, wash port, and door to the pump housing and sample storage box prior to leaving the bulk milk pickup tanker or milk transport tank unattended;

2. Inspect the condition of the seals and locks placed on each opening into the bulk milk pickup tanker or milk transport tank upon his return after an absence to determine if the seals or locks have been tampered with;

3. Report immediately to the state regulatory authority instances of tampering with the seals or locks; and

4. Hold a valid permit issued by the state regulatory authority for the collection of milk samples prior to collecting or transporting any milk or milk samples.

H. Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivisions A 4 and A 8 of this section, the sample dipper, sample dipper container, and approved sanitizer may be provided and stored in the milkroom accessible to the contract hauler or subcontract hauler by the person operating the dairy farm where the contract hauler or subcontract hauler is picking up the milk.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 21, Issue 08, eff. January 26, 2005; amended, Virginia Register Volume 24, Issue 17, eff. June 12, 2008; Volume 32, Issue 23, eff. August 25, 2016.

Statutory Authority

§§ 3.2-5206, 3.2-5223, and 3.2-5224 of the Code of Virginia.