NCIMS
March 26, 2007
NCIMS to Consider Revisions to Grade A Plant and Farm Rules
The National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments (NCIMS) will consider 105 proposals to change Grade A plant and farm regulations in the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO) at its biennial meeting in Salt Lake City, May 5-10. These proposals affect dairy plants producing Grade A products, such as fluid milk, cream products, yogurt, cottage cheese, eggnog, buttermilk and many dried dairy products.
"Some of these changes, if adopted, could increase plant operating costs without improving product safety," said Allen Sayler, IDFA senior director of regulatory affairs. "It is critical for industry members to reach out to state and federal dairy regulators to urge them to adopt changes that will streamline regulations and increase product safety, while rejecting those that create unnecessary plant operation hurdles."
Sayler will join IDFA Senior Vice President Clay Hough and Vice President Cary Frye as part of the Milk Industry Foundation (MIF) delegation at the conference.
One of the most significant changes being considered would allow milk beverages, smoothies, ice cream-type products and non-standardized cheeses to be classified as Grade A as long as they contain at least 4.13% nonfat milk solids. Other proposals would make the voluntary tanker seal program mandatory, expand the International Certification Program to include all U.S. farms and plants, eliminate the need for animal drug residue samples to be taken at milk transfer stations, and create a two-year pilot program for all Grade A aseptic plants to reduce duplicate regulations.
MIF has submitted six proposals. One would clarify PMO language to say only state regulators are responsible for approving alternative processes equivalent to pasteurizing water. Another would allow processors to use treatments other than heat to ensure the safety of ingredients added after pasteurization. MIF is also proposing to reduce state rating frequency of farms, transfer and receiving stations, and plants from every two years to every three years.
MIF members are encouraged to submit their views to IDFA before or at the MIF meeting in Rosemont, Ill, scheduled for April 4.
IDFA also has invited representatives from the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the American Dairy Products Institute (ADPI) to meet on April 19 at IDFA to discuss joint industry positions. IDFA staff and other industry representatives plan to meet with officials of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on April 26 to discuss the proposals.
For more information on the proposals, contact Sayler at (202) 220-3544 or asayler@idfa.org or Frye at (202) 220-3543 or cfrye@idfa.org.
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