The Grade "A" Pasteurized Milk Ordinance

The Grade "A" Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO) is recognized by the Public Health Agencies, the milk industry, and many state regulatory bodies as the national standard for milk processing regulation. The PMO provides uniform regulations for the dairy industry that are created by the dairy industry, government, and academic representatives.

The Grade "A" Pasteurized Milk Ordinance is considered the gold standard and is an invaluable resource on all aspects of dairy production and processing. Some sections of the PMO apply to all dairy food processors, such as processing plant requirements and drug residue testing, while other sections apply to those producing pasteurized, Grade "A" products. Other key features of the PMO include information on inspections, the standards for milk and milk products, pasteurization conditions, equipment and testing specifications, dairy farm and milk plant facility specifications, and the HACCP and Preventive Controls food safety programs. The PMO contains many illustrations to assist farmers and processors with the correct setup for items such as buildings, wells, ventilation systems, and pasteurizer flow diagrams.

Regardless of what type of dairy food you are making, the PMO is the standard reference for processing facility and equipment requirements. It is often used by local milk inspectors and regulatory agencies as the guidelines for processing plant approval and inspection. It is well worth your time to become familiar with the information in the PMO.

Obtaining a Copy of the PMO

The PMO is easy to find electronically, but it is usually difficult to get in printed format. The PMO and other related documents can be found on the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments (NCIMS) website.  Alternatively, doing an internet browser search for "Pasteurized Milk Ordinance" and the year of the most current revision will bring up a link that automatically downloads the document in a pdf format. The PMO is over 400 pages and is always free of charge.

PMO Revisions

The PMO is revised every two years, in odd-numbered years, by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, and Food and Drug Administration. Changes to the PMO are based on the outcome of proposals, discussions, and votes by representatives of the dairy industry, government, and academia from all 50 states and U.S. territories that occur at the biannual meeting of the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments.

The process of updating the PMO after each conference takes time before the new PMO is released in electronic and paper format to FDA personnel, local inspectors, and the dairy industry. The changes that were made at 2019 conference were released in spring 2020, as the 2019 PMO, which is the most recent version. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 NCIMS conference and PMO revision are being delayed until 2022. Thus, the next revision is expected to be made available to the public in the spring of 2023.

PMO Table of Contents

The scope and importance of this document warrant including the Table of Contents of the 2019 version here for reference, particularly for those who are unfamiliar with this resource. Many of the sections below contain detailed subsections but are not listed here. For example, Section 7 contains subsections on the construction of floors and walls, the water supply, handwashing facilities, pasteurization condition, storage of containers, etc.

Table of Contents

List of Previous Editions of USPHS/FDA Milk Ordinance

Foreword

Preface

Introduction

Table of Contents

• Illustrations
• Tables
• Abbreviations and Acronyms

Grade "A" Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (Grade "A" PMO) 2019 Revision

Section 1. Definitions

Section 2. Adulterated or Misbranded Milk and/or Milk Products

Section 3. Permits

Section 4. Labeling

Section 5. Inspection of Dairy Farms and Milk Plants

Section 6. The Examination of Milk and/or Milk Products

Section 7. Standards for Grade “A” Milk and

• Standards for Grade "A" Raw Milk for Pasteurization, Ultra-pasteurization, Aseptic Processing and Packaging, Retort Processed After Packaging or Fermented High-Acid, Shelf-Stable Processing and Packaging
• Standards for Grade "A" Pasteurized, Ultra-pasteurized, Aseptically Processed and Packaged Low-acid Milk and/or Milk Products, Retort Processed After Packaged Low-acid Milk and/or Milk Products and Fermented High-Acid, Shelf-Stable Processed and Packaged Milk and/or Milk Products

Section 8. Animal Health

Section 9. Milk and/or Milk Products Which May be Sold

Section 10. Transferring; Delivery Containers; and Cooling

Section 11. Milk and/or Milk Products from Points Beyond the Limits of Routine Inspection

Section 12. Plans for Construction and Reconstruction

Section 13. Personnel Health

Section 14. Procedure When Infection or High Risk of Infection is Discovered

Section 15. Enforcement

Section 16. Penalty

Section 17. Repeal and Date Effect

Section 18. Separability Clause

Footnotes

Appendix A. Animal Disease Control

Appendix B. Milk Sampling, Hauling and Transportation

Appendix C. Dairy Farm Construction Standards and Milk Production

Appendix D. Standards for Water Sources

Appendix E. Examples of 3-Out-Of-5 Compliance Enforcement Procedures

Appendix F. Cleaning and Sanitization

Appendix G. Chemical and Bacteriological Tests

Appendix H. Continuous-Flow Pasteurization Systems (Equipment and Procedures) and Other Equipment

Appendix I. Pasteurization Equipment and Controls – Tests

Appendix J. Standards for the Fabrication of Single-Service Containers and/or Closures for Milk and/or Milk Products

Appendix K. HACCP Program

Appendix L. Applicable Regulations, Standards of Identity for Milk and Milk Products, The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act

Appendix M. Reports and Records

Appendix N. Drug Residue Testing and Farm Surveillance

Appendix O. Vitamin Fortification of Fluid Milk Products

Appendix P. Performance-Based Dairy Farm Inspection System

Appendix Q. [Reserved]

Appendix R. Determination of Time/Temperature Control for Safety Milk and/or Milk Products

Appendix S. Aseptic Processing and Packaging Program, Retort Processed After Packaging Program and Fermented High-Acid, Shelf-Stable Processing and Packaging Program

Appendix T. Preventive Controls for Human Food Requirements for Grade “A” Milk and Milk Products

Index

The PMO and Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)

Dairy products have long been known to be associated with pathogens and the industry has long participated in a voluntary food safety system to control these hazards and produce safe dairy products. This system follows the principles of a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system, including required prerequisite programs. The requirements of a dairy HACCP system, prerequisite programs, records, training, and implementation are listed in Appendix K of the PMO.

The federal Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) requires food facilities to have food safety plans that are broader in scope than the traditional HACCP plans. The FSMA requirements for Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food (21 CFR 117) contains more preventive controls (process, sanitation, allergen) to manage hazards than are defined as critical control points (CCPs) under a HACCP system. Additionally, these requirements include supply-chain control programs and recall plans.