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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.