Dairy Proficiency Testing Suspended: What You Need to Know

The recent suspension of the federal Grade A milk quality testing program has raised consumer concerns, prompting questions about milk safety. However, many of the headlines and posts do not reflect the full picture.

Here are the current facts:

• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended its Grade A raw milk and finished product proficiency testing (PT) program.
• Our understanding is that most of the required PT testing has already been completed. Because testing frequency varies, many labs are likely covered for some time, ideally long enough for the FDA to evaluate alternative options.
• Importantly, the FDA has stated that a lab’s standing will not be negatively impacted by this suspension.
• Routine testing at local plants, receiving stations and farms will continue as usual.

Quick answer: This is only affecting the samples that Board of Animal Health (BOAH) sends to labs to verify they are doing antibiotic testing correctly as a measure for full certification of lab techs. BOAH has already done that testing for this year, so we shouldn’t see any changes before this time next year.

If you receive questions from consumers, here are science-backed messages to reinforce:

• The milk supply is safe and pasteurization works.
• Milk undergoes testing at various stages throughout the processing and production cycle to ensure quality and safety. Any milk not meeting federal and state standards is discarded, never reaching consumers.
• Dairy facilities and milk continue to be regularly tested and inspected by regulatory authorities as required by the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance, which has ensured milk safety for more than 100 years.