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Program Objectives To aid in the marketing of milk and dairy products by providing a common language of trade through the development, improvement, and interpretation of standards, specifications and quality improvement programs.
The following two sections provide an overview of Standardization. USDA AMS Quality Standards, Specifications, and Commercial Item Descriptions
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General Specifications for Dairy Plants Approved for USDA Inspection and Grading Service [PDF] - effective August 28, 2002 Milk for Manufacturing Purposes and its Production and Processing [PDF] - effective June 17, 2002 Judging and Scoring Milk and Cheese, Farmers' Bulletin No. 2259, USDA, [PDF], graphics for figures 1 & 2 [revised March, 2000] International Dairy Standards List of Available Publications For more information, contact the Standardization Branch, Dairy Programs, Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Room 2746-South Building, Stop Code 0230, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-0230. Telephone: (202) 720-7473. FAX: (202) 720-2643. Internet: Susan Sausville
The work of the Standardization Branch benefits everyone in the United States as well as people throughout the world. Employees of the Dairy Standardization Branch develop, maintain, and distribute:
Standardization Branch employees also actively participate in the development and revision of international dairy standards to protect public health, enhance export opportunities, and ensure fair trade practices for dairy products in international trade. Reviewers assigned to the Standardization Branch Review and Evaluation program act as internal auditors of Dairy Grading Branch programs. (A) Development of standards and specifications The dairy product quality standards serve as an industry guide for the marketing of quality products. The grade standards provide an official description that measures quality in dairy products based on attributes important to consumers, such as taste, texture, appearance, and color. The services provided by the Standardization Branch have helped keep our national marketing system for dairy products operating in an orderly and efficient manner and now, more than ever, dairy quality standards are playing an important role in the international marketplace. Official USDA grades for dairy products, such as U.S. Grade AA for butter and Cheddar cheese, and U.S. Extra Grade for non-fat dry milk, are based on nationally uniform standards of quality developed by the Standardization Branch. These standards promote uniformity in Federal grading services and are sometimes used by dairy plants in their quality control programs. The official USDA grade shield indicates the product's quality level by use of letters such as "AA" , and "A" or the words "extra" and "standard" .
Product specifications measure quality by establishing minimum acceptable requirements for dairy products not covered by an official grade standard. Specifications are a guide to quality for consumers; are routinely referenced in government procurement documents; and form a basis for trade across the United States. The official USDA quality approved shield can be applied to packages of dairy products meeting the requirements of a specification.
(B) Development and maintenance of standards, specifications, and requirements It takes considerable time to develop a standard or specification. The process generally begins with a request from outside the Department of Agriculture and is usually the result of the marketing of a new dairy product or of a technological change. Often the industry requests a new standard or specification, but other groups may also initiate the process. The development of a new standard or specification requires a great deal of research into a wide range of activities including: (1) a study of the product to determine the quality factors involved and the range of quality produced; (2) an investigation into the production practices in major producing areas, varieties or types of production, packing, processing techniques and consumer buying practices; (3) a statistical plan for sampling product; and, (4) interviews with producers, packers, processors, shippers, receivers, consumers, and scientists. Once the research is completed, the standard or specification is extensively field tested. These tests are used to adjust the standard or specification until it is an accurate, workable and uniform measure of the commodity. The standard is then released, and published in the Federal Register. Although a standard or specification includes written descriptions, microscopic examinations, and increasingly the use of scientific measuring devices, setting a standard or specification is still generally a subjective process. Conformity to a standard and ultimately the grade assigned to the product is largely determined by how the grader perceives a sample's taste, feel, appearance, and color. Since a change in dairy technology, food processing, or milk quality could affect a standard or specification, they must be reviewed and up-dated periodically. (C) Model regulations and state requirements The Dairy Standardization Branch has published recommended requirements for the production and processing of milk for manufacturing purposes. The intent of the recommended requirements is to promote, through State adoption and enforcement, uniformity in State dairy laws and regulations as well as national uniformity in the sanitary production and processing of milk for manufacturing purposes. The responsibility for the enforcement of the recommended requirements rests solely with the adopting state. The Dairy Standardization Branch will assist the States as an advisor and interpreter of the recommended requirements and will continue to review each State's progress toward adoption of the recommended requirements. (D) International standards and hygienic codes A Dairy Standardization Branch representative serves as the U.S. delegate to the Codex Alimentarius Committee on Milk and Milk Products and also chairs the national Codex Committee on Milk and Milk Products. This national committee consists of dairy experts representing trade associations, dairy manufacturers, academia, consultants, and other government officials who act as advisors to the delegate. In this regard, the U.S. delegate solicits and coordinates input from the committee members pertaining to various pending Codex issues and develops U.S. position papers. After Codex standards have been established, the standards are recommended to governments for their adoption and have an increasing impact on international trade. Review Specialists assigned to the Standardization Branch Review and Evaluation program conduct independent internal audits of the services provided by the Dairy Grading Branch. The objective of the review and evaluation program is to identify ways to improve the uniformity and effectiveness of Dairy Grading Branch programs. Go To: Dairy Programs |
