Is Your Raw Milk Safe to Drink?

We get this question a lot! 

The truth is, there are always risks associated with consuming raw foods, including dairy products. But we take every precaution to ensure that the milk on our shelves is safe to drink. 

Every single batch of milk is tested at an independent state-certified lab for the presence of bacteria and other pathogens to make sure our milk meets or exceeds the requirements for raw or pasteurized milk. We also keep our equipment clean and regularly test our herd for potential diseases. 

Here’s what we do to mitigate the potential risks:

The milk goes through two separate bacteria tests. 

The first test is a Standard Plate Count, or SPC, which measures the total amount of bacteria colonies. The law requires milk to be under 20,000 bacterial colony units. Our milk usually clocks in at less than 1,000 units. 

The second test is the coliform test, which looks for environmental bacteria that may have found their way into the milk. Milk is required to be under 10 coliform colonies, which is incredibly strict. However, our milk averages 1.

Each batch of milk is also tested by an independent, state-certified lab for the presence of pathogens, including:

• Salmonella
• E.coli (0157)
• Listeria
• Campylobacter

In addition to regular inspections, the state health department performs monthly tests of the health of our herd through a process called SCC (Somatic Cell Count).

In line with all dairies in the state, every batch of milk is tested for antibiotics.

In addition to our rigorous testing, our milking team carefully cleans our cows’ udders before milking. 

We thoroughly and consistently clean our tank and entire milking system to minimize the possibility of bacteria entering the milk.

Finally, our herd is tested annually for tuberculosis.

These tests are in place to ensure the cleanliness and safety of our milk. 

Occasionally, we do not pass these tests. In these rare cases, the milk is disposed of on the farm and is not shipped to our stores.

Every jug of milk that makes it to our shelves has undergone all these tests and passed with flying colors!

Key:

Coliform
This test specifically targets bacteria that is found in the environment with the intention to see how much environmental bacteria is getting into the milk.  The industry standard for pasteurized and certified raw milk for retail is 10 colonies.  This is actually a very strict test.   As seen above we average about 1.

SPC-Standard Plate Count
This test measures the total amount of bacteria colonies found in the milk.  Industry standard for pasteurized and certified raw milk for retail is 20,000 colonies.  As seen above we average under 1,000.