Chapter ATCP 65

ATCP 65.04(13) (13) Dairy trade practices fee; monthly payments. A dairy plant operator shall pay a monthly dairy trade practice fee if required under s. 100.201 (6), Stats.

ATCP 65.04 Note Note: A dairy plant operator is required to pay a monthly dairy trade practice fee under s. 100.201 (6), Stats., if the operator sells milk, fluid milk products, ice cream, or other frozen desserts at wholesale or retail, in consumer package form, to persons in this state.

ATCP 65.04(14) (14) Grade A permit required.

ATCP 65.04(14)(a) (a) Except as provided under sub. (15), no person operating a dairy plant at which milk or fluid milk products are received, transferred, or processed may sell or distribute that milk or those fluid milk products as grade A milk or grade A milk products unless that person holds a valid grade A dairy plant permit issued by the department for that dairy plant. If a grade A receiving station or transfer station is operated at the same location as a grade B processing plant, a grade A permit is required for that receiving station or transfer station.

ATCP 65.04(14)(b) (b) A grade A dairy plant permit expires on April 30 annually and is not transferable between persons or locations. A grade A dairy plant permit may be issued in the form of an endorsement on a dairy plant license under sub. (1).

ATCP 65.04(15) (15) Grade A permit exemptions. A grade A permit is not required, under sub. (14), for any of the following:

ATCP 65.04(15)(a) (a) A grade A receiving station or transfer station operated at the same location, and by the same person, as a grade A processing plant covered by a permit under sub. (14).

ATCP 65.04(15)(b) (b) A grade A transfer station operated at the same location, and by the same person, as a grade A receiving station covered by a permit under sub. (14).

ATCP 65.04(16) (16) Grade A permit application. An application for a grade A dairy plant permit shall be made on a form provided by the department. A grade A permit application may be made in conjunction with a dairy plant license application under sub. (2).

ATCP 65.04(17) (17) Surcharge for operating without a grade A permit. An applicant for a grade A dairy plant permit shall pay a permit surcharge of $100 if the department determines that, within 365 days before submitting the permit application, the applicant operated the dairy plant as a grade A dairy plant without a grade A permit in violation of sub. (14). Payment of the surcharge does not relieve the applicant of any other civil or criminal liability that results from the operation of a grade A dairy plant without a grade A permit, but does not constitute evidence of any violation of law.

ATCP 65.04(18) (18) Action on grade A permit application; deadline. The department shall grant or deny a permit application, under sub. (16), within 40 days after the department receives a complete application or before the expiration of any temporary permit issued under sub. (19), whichever occurs later.

ATCP 65.04(19) (19) Temporary grade A permit. The department may issue a temporary grade A permit to an applicant, under sub. (16), pending final action on that person’s permit application. A temporary permit may be issued for a period of not more than 40 days and may not exceed the term of the dairy plant license or temporary license. If the department denies a permit application before the term of the temporary permit expires, the temporary permit is automatically terminated when the applicant receives notice of the denial. The department may not issue a temporary permit in response to a permit renewal application by the holder of an existing permit.

ATCP 65.04(20) (20) Prerequisites for grade A permit. The department may not issue or renew a grade A dairy plant permit, or issue a temporary permit under sub. (19), unless all of the following conditions are met:

ATCP 65.04(20)(a) (a) The permit applicant holds a dairy plant license under this section or the department issues the permit and license simultaneously. The department may issue a temporary grade A permit, under sub. (19), to an applicant holding a temporary dairy plant license under sub. (5) or may issue the temporary permit and temporary license simultaneously.

ATCP 65.04(20)(b) (b) The division inspects the dairy plant if the dairy plant is not currently covered by a grade A dairy plant permit.

ATCP 65.04(20)(c) (c) The applicant pays any surcharge, set forth in a statement from the department, which is due and payable by the applicant under sub. (9). The department shall refund a surcharge paid under protest if the department determines that the surcharge was not due and payable under sub. (9).

ATCP 65.04(21) (21) Grade A standards. A grade A dairy plant shall comply with standards applicable to the receipt, testing, transfer, processing, and distribution of grade A milk and grade A milk products under this chapter. A grade A dairy plant may not receive, transfer, or process grade B milk unless the receipt, transfer, or processing is authorized by the division in writing.

ATCP 65.04 History History: CR 14-073: cr. Register August 2016 No. 728, eff. 9-1-16; correction in (1) (a), (b) (intro.), 6., (2) (intro.), (7) (intro.), (9) (a), (b), (16), (20) (a) Register August 2016 No. 728.

subch. II of ch. ATCP 65 Subchapter II — Dairy Farms

ATCP 65.06 ATCP 65.06 Milking barn or parlor. All milking operations on a dairy farm shall be conducted in a milking barn or parlor, which shall be constructed and maintained in compliance with the following requirements:

ATCP 65.06(1) (1) Floors and gutters; construction. Except as authorized by the division in writing, floors, gutters, and gutter covers in milking barns and parlors shall comply with all of the following requirements:

ATCP 65.06(1)(a) (a) They shall be constructed of concrete or other materials that are equally impervious and cleanable.

ATCP 65.06(1)(b) (b) They shall be constructed and maintained so they can be kept clean.

ATCP 65.06(1)(c) (c) They shall be sloped to drain sufficiently to prevent pooling of liquids and shall be free of excessive breaks or worn areas that may allow pooling of liquid wastes. Floors and gutters constructed after July 1, 1989, shall have a slope of at least one inch per 10 feet.

ATCP 65.06(2) (2) Manure handling systems. Gravity flow manure handling systems and liquid manure storage under milking barns shall comply with applicable standards contained in PMO Appendix C, “Dairy Farm Construction Standards and Milk Production.”

ATCP 65.06 Note Note: Copies of the PMO, including Appendix C, are on file with the division and the legislative reference bureau. Copies are available online at www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/milk.

ATCP 65.06(3) (3) Walls and ceilings; construction. Walls and ceilings in milking barns and parlors shall be constructed and maintained so that they can be kept clean. Walls and ceilings shall be painted, whitewashed or otherwise finished so that they are light colored and easy to clean. Ceilings shall be constructed and maintained to prevent dust and chaff from entering the milking barn or parlor from above. The wall finish and wall cleaning requirements under this subsection do not apply to seasonal milking parlors constructed without walls.

ATCP 65.06(4) (4) Lighting. Natural or artificial lighting, or both, shall be provided in milking barns and parlors to ensure illumination that allows evaluation of teat and milking equipment cleanliness for daytime and nighttime milking operations. Except where additional lighting is required for milking parlors under sub. (10), there shall be at least 10 foot-candles of illumination in all working areas where milking operations are being performed.

ATCP 65.06(5) (5) Ventilation. Ventilation in milking barns and parlors shall be adequate to prevent visible condensation on walls and ceilings, and to prevent excessive odors.

ATCP 65.06(6) (6) Animals excluded. No swine, fowl, or non-milking livestock may be housed in, or allowed to enter a milking barn or parlor. Milking areas shall be kept free of excrement from non-milking livestock.

ATCP 65.06(7) (7) Maintenance and cleanliness; general. The interior of every milking barn or parlor, and all areas used in connection with milking operations, shall be kept clean and in a good state of repair. Floors, gutters, walls, ceilings, animal confinement facilities, pipelines, and equipment shall be kept free of accumulated litter and filth. Bedding material shall be clean and dry. Milk stools, surcingles, and anti-kickers shall be kept clean, and shall be stored above the floor when not in use. Manure shall be removed from milking barns daily, and after every milking in a milking parlor.

ATCP 65.06(8) (8) Feed storage and handling. Dust-tight covered containers or separate storage facilities shall be used to store ground, chopped, or concentrated feed. Feed may be stored in the milking portion of the barn only in a manner that does not increase the dust content of the air, attract flies, or interfere with the cleaning of the floor. Open feed dollies or carts may be used for distributing feed, but not for storing feed in the milking barn.

ATCP 65.06(9) (9) Overcrowding prohibited. Areas used for milking operations shall not be overcrowded.

ATCP 65.06 Note Note: Evidence of overcrowded conditions may include inadequate ventilation, excessive odors, livestock in walks or feed alleys, or non-milking livestock tied between milking animals in a milking line.

ATCP 65.06(10) (10) Milking parlor; additional requirements.

ATCP 65.06(10)(a) (a) Cleaning and storage of C-I-P milking equipment. C-I-P milking equipment may be cleaned, sanitized, and stored in a milking parlor if all of the following conditions are met:

ATCP 65.06(10)(a)1. 1. There are at least 30 foot-candles of illumination in all areas of the milking parlor where C-I-P milking equipment is cleaned, sanitized, or stored.

ATCP 65.06(10)(a)2. 2. Doorways to and from the milking parlor are provided with tight-fitting solid doors that are kept closed when the doorways are not in use.

ATCP 65.06(10)(a)3. 3. Openings to the milking parlor are protected against entry by insects, rodents and other pests.

ATCP 65.06(10)(a)4. 4. No animals are housed in the milking parlor at any time.

ATCP 65.06(10)(a)5. 5. Liquid wastes from milking parlor operations are drained and removed in a sanitary manner, so that there are no liquid waste accumulations in the milking parlor.

ATCP 65.06(10)(a)6. 6. C-I-P milking equipment, if cleaned, sanitized, or stored in the milking parlor, is designed, installed, handled, and stored so that milk contact surfaces are protected from contamination at all times. Cleaning, handling, and storage shall comply with applicable requirements under s. ATCP 65.14.

ATCP 65.06(10)(b) (b) Manual cleaning of milk contact surfaces prohibited in milking parlor. If manual cleaning of milk contact surfaces is necessary, the milk contact surfaces shall be manually cleaned in the milkhouse. Milk contact surfaces may not be manually cleaned in a milking parlor.

ATCP 65.06(10)(c) (c) Pre-milking stalls; hot water supply. If milking animals are hosed clean in a milking parlor pre-milking stall before milking, rather than being manually cleaned at the milking stanchions, hot water under pressure shall be supplied to the pre-milking stall and used for cleaning purposes. There shall be an adequate supply of hot water so that all milking animals processed through the pre-milking stall can be fully cleaned without depleting the availability of hot water for other milking parlor or milkhouse operations.

ATCP 65.06(11) (11) Drug storage. No drug or medicinal item, or drug administering device such as a bolus wand or syringe, may be kept in a milkhouse unless it is intended or prescribed for use on dairy animals. If drugs or medicinal items are kept in a milkhouse, they shall be stored in an enclosed cabinet, separate from all other articles stored in the milkhouse. Drugs and medicinal items shall be clearly labeled to indicate their identity and intended use, and prescription drugs shall be labeled as provided under s. ATCP 65.20 (5). Drugs and medicinal items intended solely for treatment of non-lactating milking animals shall be kept separate from those used for treatment of lactating milking animals.

ATCP 65.06 History History: CR 14-073: cr. Register August 2016 No. 728, eff. 9-1-16.

ATCP 65.08 ATCP 65.08 Milkhouse.

ATCP 65.08(1) (1) Requirement. Every dairy farm shall have a milkhouse. Except as provided in s. ATCP 65.16 (5), a milk producer shall cool and store milk in the milkhouse. A milkhouse shall be separate from a milking barn or parlor, but may share common walls with a milking barn or parlor. All milking equipment and utensils shall be cleaned, sanitized and stored in the milkhouse, except for C-I-P milk pipelines that are mechanically cleaned in place in a milking barn or parlor, or C-I-P milking equipment that is mechanically cleaned and stored in a milking parlor under s. ATCP 65.06 (10) (a).

ATCP 65.08(2) (2) Access to Milkhouse. Every access driveway and every exterior access door to the milkhouse shall be located in such a manner that no vehicle or a person traveling to the milkhouse must pass through an animal walkway, holding area, or yard where excessive animal waste may accumulate on the ground near these access areas.

ATCP 65.08(3) (3) Construction.

ATCP 65.08(3)(a) (a) Floors. A milkhouse floor shall be constructed of concrete or one or more other impervious materials, and shall be easily cleanable. This requirement does not prohibit construction with anti-slip floor surfaces that are easily cleanable. The floor shall be sloped for drainage to a floor drain. Floor drains shall be readily accessible. A floor drain shall be equipped with a trap if the floor drain is connected to a sanitary sewer system.

ATCP 65.08(3)(b) (b) Walls and ceilings. Milkhouse walls and ceilings shall be constructed and finished so that they are impervious to water, are light colored, and are easily cleanable.

ATCP 65.08(3)(c) (c) Doors and windows. A milkhouse shall not open directly into a barn, stable or milking parlor, or into a room not used for the operation of the dairy farm unless the opening is equipped with a tight-fitting, self-closing and solid door. All milkhouse external openings shall be screened or otherwise protected against entry of insects, rodents, or other pests. External doors and windows shall be tight-fitting and shall be kept closed during dusty conditions. External doors shall be self-closing. All swinging screen doors on the milkhouse shall open outward.

ATCP 65.08(3)(d) (d) Lighting. Natural or artificial lighting, or both, shall be provided in a milkhouse to ensure adequate illumination for daytime and nighttime operations. There shall be at least 30 foot-candles of illumination in all working areas of the milkhouse. Artificial lights located over a bulk tank shall be shatterproof or shielded to protect milk from contamination with broken glass.

ATCP 65.08(3)(e) (e) Ventilation. Ventilation in a milkhouse shall be adequate to minimize odors and to prevent visible condensation on floors, walls, ceilings, clean equipment, and clean utensils. Vents shall be screened and shall be located and maintained to prevent contamination of bulk tanks or clean equipment and utensils. Exhaust fans shall be screened or louvered to prevent entry of pests when not in operation. Ventilation in an AMI room shall be sufficient to minimize odors from any nearby manure storage.

ATCP 65.08(3)(f) (f) Water heating capacity. Hot water capacity shall be adequate for all milkhouse operations. Hot water heaters or hot water supply systems shall have a capacity of at least 10 gallons for washing equipment and utensils. The division may authorize alternative systems, including heat recovery and continuous flow systems that provide adequate hot water for all milkhouse operations. Authorization shall be in writing and valid for 5 years. Re-authorization for each subsequent 5-year period shall be obtained in writing from the division.

ATCP 65.08(3)(g) (g) Wash and rinse vat. A milkhouse shall be equipped with a 2-compartment wash and rinse vat for cleaning equipment and utensils. The vat shall be served by potable hot and cold running water from a faucet or faucets located directly over the vat. Water shall enter and leave the vat by means that preclude splashing. A vat designed to hold cleaning or sanitizing solutions drawn through C-I-P milking equipment may serve as one compartment of a two-compartment wash and rinse vat under this paragraph, provided that the C-I-P inflation rack and all C-I-P milking equipment are completely removed from the vat while other equipment and utensils are being washed, rinsed, and sanitized in the vat. This paragraph shall apply to an AMI for which manual cleaning and sanitizing of AMI components must be done on a routine basis.

ATCP 65.08(3)(h) (h) Handwashing facility. A milkhouse shall be equipped with a fixed hand washing facility that is separate from the wash and rinse vat under par. (g). The hand washing facility shall be served by potable hot and cold running water from a faucet or faucets located directly over the facility. Water shall enter and leave the handwashing facility by means that preclude splashing. Soap and single service sanitary towels or another approved means of drying hands shall be available at all times for use at the hand washing facility. A hand washing facility may be located in a room immediately adjacent to the milkhouse, provided that it is readily accessible from the milkhouse. This paragraph applies to an AMI room in which the operator’s hands will contact milk filters or other milk contact surfaces. This paragraph does not apply to licensed milk producers who do not hold a grade A producer permit but operate a dairy farm on which the currently used bulk tank was installed before January 1, 1979, or on which milk is stored and cooled only in cans.

ATCP 65.08(3)(i) (i) Bulk tank hose port. If a bulk tank is used to receive and hold milk in a milkhouse, the milkhouse shall have a hose port opening in the outside wall to permit the removal of milk from the bulk tank. The hose port opening shall be at least 6 inches above the floor of the milkhouse, and shall be equipped with a tight-fitting door that shall be kept closed except when the hose port is in use. A paved surface of concrete or other readily cleanable material shall be installed adjacent to the outside wall of the milkhouse, immediately under the bulk tank hose port. The paved surface shall be at least a 4 foot by 4 foot square and shall cover as much additional ground area as is necessary to protect the milk hose from ground contamination.

ATCP 65.08(4) (4) Maintenance and sanitation. The floors, walls, ceilings, windows, hose port assembly, and all equipment of a milkhouse shall be kept clean and in a good state of repair. Liquid wastes from milkhouse operations shall be drained and removed in a sanitary manner. Equipment and utensils shall be cleaned and maintained in compliance with s. ATCP 65.12. A milkhouse shall be kept free of insects, rodents, and other pests. Animals shall be kept out of the milkhouse at all times. Potential sources of milk contamination, including materials that may attract or harbor pests, shall be excluded from the milkhouse.

ATCP 65.08(5) (5) Storage.

ATCP 65.08(5)(a) (a) General. No equipment, supplies, or other articles may be stored in a milkhouse, unless the articles are used in milkhouse operations. Articles stored in a milkhouse shall be stored above the floor, on racks, or in a cabinet. Articles shall be stored in a manner that prevents both the contamination of milk and contact of equipment or utensils with milk. Washing machines, laundry dryers, and pasteurizers used to prepare milk-replacement formula for calves shall not be stored in the milkhouse.

ATCP 65.08(5)(b) (b) Drugs and medicinal items. No drug or medicinal item, or drug administering device such as a bolus wand or syringe, may be kept in a milkhouse unless it is intended or prescribed for use on dairy animals. If drugs or medicinal items are kept in a milkhouse, they shall be stored in an enclosed cabinet, separate from all other articles stored in the milkhouse. Drugs and medicinal items shall be clearly labeled to indicate their identity and intended use, and prescription drugs shall be labeled as provided under s. ATCP 65.20 (5). Drugs and medicinal items intended solely for treatment of non-lactating milking animals shall be kept separate from those used for treatment of lactating milking animals.

ATCP 65.08(5)(c) (c) Pesticides. No pesticides, except for sanitizers, germicides, disinfectants, or pesticides labeled and used for routine milkhouse sanitation purposes, may be stored in a milkhouse. Any of the chemicals labeled for routine use in a milkhouse must be stored in a manner that precludes contamination of milk and milk handling equipment.

ATCP 65.08 History History: CR 14-073: cr. Register August 2016 No. 728, eff. 9-1-16.

ATCP 65.10 ATCP 65.10 Dairy farm water supply.

ATCP 65.10(1) (1) General. An adequate supply of potable water shall be supplied under pressure for milkhouse and milking operations. Water used for milkhouse and milking operations, including water used to cool milk in a plate or tubular cooler, shall be potable. Potable water shall comply with the microbiological drinking water standards set forth in s. NR 809.30.

ATCP 65.10 Note Note: A properly designed and installed water supply tank that utilizes static head pressure to provide potable running water to the milkhouse is minimally adequate to comply with this paragraph.

ATCP 65.10(2) (2) Backflow protection; cross-connections. A potable water supply system on a dairy farm shall be designed, constructed, installed, and maintained to prevent contamination of the potable water supply through backflow, backsiphonage, cross-connections, or any other connection to the potable water supply system. An air gap adequate to prevent the back-siphonage or backflow of any liquids shall be maintained between every potable water outlet and the flood rim of the fixture that it supplies, and between the potable water outlet and every other source of potential contamination, unless alternative protection is approved under s. SPS 382.41.

ATCP 65.10(3) (3) Well construction. Wells used to supply water for milkhouse and milking operations on dairy farms shall comply with ch. NR 810, 811, or 812 in the case of a community water system.

ATCP 65.10(4) (4) Water transported to dairy farm. A person transporting water in containers or tanks to a dairy farm for milkhouse or milking operations shall seal the containers or tanks to prevent contamination. The containers and tanks shall be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized before being filled with potable water for use at the dairy farm. A sanitarily designed, cleaned, and sanitized pump, hose, and fittings shall be used to transfer water from transport containers and tanks to previously cleaned and sanitized storage tanks at the dairy farm so that the water is not contaminated during transfer or by the storage tanks.

ATCP 65.10(5) (5) Water quality testing by dairy plant. A dairy plant operator, including a milk contractor that submits a milk producer license application on behalf of a milk producer and thereby certifies that the milk producer’s dairy farm and milking operations comply with applicable requirements under this chapter, shall do all of the following for each milk producer from whom the dairy plant operator procures milk:

ATCP 65.10(5)(a) (a) Sample the milk producer’s water supply at least once every two years. If the water supply system has more than one well, water from each well shall be sampled. The water sample from each well shall be taken from water before it has flowed into a pressure tank or any water treatment equipment.

ATCP 65.10(5)(b) (b) Sample the milk producer’s water supply whenever the milk producer installs, alters, or repairs the water supply system.

ATCP 65.10(5)(c) (c) Sample any transported water supply used by the milk producer at the point of use, at or before first use and monthly thereafter.

ATCP 65.10(5)(d) (d) Have each water sample under this subsection analyzed at a laboratory that is certified under ch. ATCP 77 to perform water quality analyses. The laboratory shall analyze the water samples for compliance with the microbiological drinking water standards set forth in s. NR 809.30. The dairy plant operator shall submit each water quality analysis result to the division within 30 days after the dairy plant receives the water quality analysis result. If the analysis of any water sample indicates that the water supply of a dairy farm may be unsafe, the dairy plant operator, within 3 business days of the water quality analysis result being reported to the dairy plant operator, shall report the analysis result to the division and resample the water supply and have it analyzed.

ATCP 65.10(6) (6) Recirculating water system.

ATCP 65.10(6)(a) (a) A milk producer may use re-circulated water in a plate cooler to cool milk on a dairy farm if all of the following apply:

ATCP 65.10(6)(a)1. 1. The recirculated water originates from a safe source that complies with applicable provisions of ch. NR 810, 811, or 812.

ATCP 65.10(6)(a)2. 2. The recirculated water meets the microbiological standards of s. NR 809.30.

ATCP 65.10(6)(a)3. 3. The recirculated water is protected from contamination.

ATCP 65.10(6)(a)4. 4. The coolant used in the water recirculation system is non-toxic food or pharmaceutical grade propylene glycol meeting the specifications in 21 CFR 184.1666, and does not contain coliform bacteria as determined by sampling and analysis done at least semi-annually by the dairy plant operator.

ATCP 65.10(6)(a)5. 5. The dairy plant operator who procures milk from the milk producer tests the recirculated water for coliform bacterial contamination at least semi-annually.

ATCP 65.10(6)(b) (b) If a recirculating water system, under par. (a), becomes contaminated, the milk producer shall stop using the system until all the following conditions are met:

ATCP 65.10(6)(b)1. 1. The milk producer eliminates the contamination source and treats the recirculated water to make it potable.

ATCP 65.10(6)(b)2. 2. The dairy plant operator who procures milk from the milk producer retests the recirculated water to determine whether the contamination is eliminated.

ATCP 65.10(6)(b)3. 3. Retesting shows that the recirculated water complies with the bacteriological standards under par. (c).

ATCP 65.10(6)(c) (c) Recirculated water shall meet all the following bacteriological test standards:

ATCP 65.10(6)(c)1. 1. The most probable number (MPN) of coliform organisms shall be less than 1.1 per 100 ml. as determined using the multiple tube fermentation technique, or less than 1.0 per 100 ml. as determined using the membrane filter technique.