In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we are joined by milk and dairy safety experts from FDA, CDC, and NCIMS to mark 100 years since the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO) was adopted. We discuss the requirements and public health impact of PMO, the increasing consumer interest in raw milk and dairy, and the regulatory futures of milk and dairy safety and the PMO.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has provided updates on its sampling and testing activities of retail milk for the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viral fragments. Additionally, Health Canada and CFIA recently completed a study on pasteurization’s efficacy against HPAI in milk. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a proposed exemption for certain cottage cheese products from the requirements of the Food Traceability Final Rule, fulfilling Subpart 204 of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA 204). 

Intended to inform food safety decision-making, a new risk assessment model developed by researchers at Penn State University helps milk processors evaluate possible consumer exposure to Bacillus cereus from milk subjected to high-temperature, short-time pasteurization.

University of Edinburgh researchers have conducted a study that affirms the efficacy of standard pasteurization practices against Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1.

Microfiltration—an emerging processing technology that extends milk’s shelf life by using semipermeable membranes to keep out undesirable microbes—can introduce bacteria that are resistant to pasteurization into fluid milk if equipment is not cleaned properly, Cornell researchers recently found.

Agri-Neo’s Neo-Pure continuous food safety system and organic pasteurization process have been validated by an ABC-approved Process Authority, with agreement by ABC TERP.

Hygiena’s ZymoSnap ALP, which is now AOAC-Certified, ensured food safety by verifying the proper pasteurization of dairy products.

Building on a foothold in batch guacamole processing, high pressure processing moves into bulk and grows in markets that require fresh taste with no preservatives and a long shelf life.

Food safety technology is rapidly advancing year by year, and many companies are using high pressure processing (HPP) and pasteurization for their products’ packaging.