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About the Milk Program

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Raw milk and the law

The sale of raw cow, goat or sheep milk for human consumption is illegal in Colorado.

Our role

  • We monitor milk and milk products produced in Colorado. Regulations are based on the federal Grade “A” Pasteurized Milk Ordinance.
  • We regularly perform inspections and sample products at all dairy farms, dairy plants and milk plants.
  • We also check milk and dairy plant pasteurizers and pasteurization procedures.

 

Manufacturing and sale of ice cream | Keeping your milk fresh | Veterinary drugs in food-producing animals | Manufacture-grade dairy farms | Marketing dairy products | Cheese requirements | Grade A milk plant requirements | Grade A dairy farm requirements | License requirements

 

Manufacturing and sale of ice cream

  • To manufacture ice cream for sale from a premade, pasteurized mix, you must get the blend from an approved source.
    • You can’t add ingredients such as pasteurized creams, powders and sugars, etc.
    • You can add colorings, flavorings or items such as fruits or nuts.
  • To open an ice cream operation that will be part of a retail food establishment, where the product will be eaten on the premises or served over the counter to customers, you must notify your local health department.
  • All ice cream freezers must be an approved commercial type.
  • If your business will only be a manufacturing operation and not part of a retail food establishment, you must tell us about your plans for production:

303-854-7096

Keeping your milk fresh

  • Refrigerate milk promptly after purchase and after each use.
  • Storing milk at cooler temperatures keeps it fresh longer.
  • Retail stores must keep their dairy cases at 45 degrees Fahrenheit or lower to help promote the products’ safety and shelf life.
  • Consumers who follow similar handling, storage and temperature guidelines can expect their milk to last 14-21 days after it was packaged.
    • This date is indicated on containers by a "sell by" or "use by" date. However, all code dating is voluntary, and a few milk processors start from the date the milk was first produced rather than when it was packaged.

Veterinary drugs in food-producing animals

You can get information about veterinary drug usage in food-producing animals from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Manufacture-grade dairy farms

Get educational materials or nutritional information about milk and dairy products from the Western Dairy Association:
 
1-800-274-6455

Marketing dairy products

  • All products marketed in Colorado must be from approved sources, but you don’t need a permit to sell the products.
  • If you want to sell products manufactured by a Colorado-based operation, the operation must have a manufacturer’s license. All such products must be from sources that have been inspected by our staff.
  • If you're an out-of-state manufacturer planning to market dairy products in Colorado, the plant where the products will be manufactured must be listed with Interstate Milk Shippers (IMS) for Grade A products. Additionally,you must send us a letter including specific information about:
    • The plant where the products will be manufactured.
    • The kinds of products that will be marketed.
    • The locations of any Colorado warehouses where the products will be stored.

Send the letter to:

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Division of Environmental Health and Sustainability
Attention: Milk Program Manager
4300 Cherry Creek Drive South, A2
Denver, CO 80246

Cheese requirements

  • Regulations about producing cheese from cow, goat or sheep milk are in the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance, in particular items 1p through 22p. These are the same as the Colorado Grade A Pasteurized Fluid Milk and Milk Product Regulations. These apply to:
    • 1 percent, 2 percent, skim and whole milk.
    • Cottage cheese.
    • Half-and-half.
    • Sour cream.
    • Whipping cream.
    • Yogurt.
    • Frozen desserts.
    • Hard and soft cheeses made from pasteurized milk.
    • Properly aged cheeses made from raw milk.
  • All Grade A milk and milk products must be packaged and produced in a Grade A milk plant approved by us.
  • The raw milk supply for Grade A milk plants must be from dairy farms approved by us.
  • If the raw milk must be transported to the plant for processing, an approved milk tanker must be used.
  • Cheese processors must comply with requirements for:
    • Aging rooms.
    • Approved cheese molds and vats.
    • Dry storage, labeling and packaging equipment.
  • We must approve aging practices for certain types of cheeses.

Grade A milk plant requirements

  • Regulations about Grade A milk plants can be found in the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance, in particular items 1p through 22p. These apply to:
    • 1 percent, 2 percent, skim and whole milk.
    • Cottage cheese.
    • Half-and-half.
    • Sour cream.
    • Whipping cream.
    • Yogurt.
  • All Grade A milk and milk products must be packaged and produced in a Grade A milk plant approved by the division.
  • The raw milk supply for Grade A milk plants must be from dairy farms approved by us.
  • If the raw milk must be transported to the plant for processing, an approved milk tanker must be used.
  • All Grade A milk plants must include proper:
    • Cleaning facilities.
    • Containers.
    • Hand-washing facilities.
    • Lighting.
    • Pipelines.
    • Refrigeration.
    • Storage tanks.
    • Ventilation.
    • Waste disposal.
    • Water supply.
  • The pasteurization process must use an approved pasteurizer, equipped with an indicating and recording thermometer.
  • Batch pasteurizers also must have an air space thermometer and a properly designed outlet valve with stops.

Grade A dairy farm requirements

  • Regulations about Grade A dairy farms can be found in the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance, in particular items 1p through 22p. 
  • These apply to 1 percent, 2 percent, skim and whole milk, cottage cheese, half-and-half, sour cream, whipping cream, and yogurt.
  • All Grade A milk and milk products must be packaged and produced in a Grade A milk plant approved by us.
  • The raw milk supply for Grade A milk plants must be from dairy farms approved by us.
  • If the raw milk must be transported to the plant for processing, an approved milk tanker must be used.

License requirements

We require a:
  • Dairy Plant License (non-Grade A milk manufacturing).
  • Grade A Dairy Farm License.
  • Grade A Milk Plant License.
  • Milk Hauler’s License.
  • Milk Receiving Station License.
  • Milk Sampler and/or Tester License.

To apply for a license, call 303-854-7096.