Dear Supplier, Tipperary Co-Op is committed to producing top quality products from milk supplied by our Milk Suppliers.

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1 1 Dear Supplier, Under EU legislation, everyone involved at any stage of the food production cycle is responsible for its safety. Farmers are key players in ensuring that milk of the desired quality is produced so that our processing facilities have the correct building materials to produce safe, wholesome and traceable food products. We have updated our Milk Quality/Composition Regulations to reflect changes in customer requirements and EU Regulations. The environment in which the cow is reared and milked, together with feedstuffs, herd management and general practices have a significant impact on the ultimate quality of the milk that dairy farmers produce for the Society. The parameters which define milk quality standards are constantly being reviewed from a customer and regulatory point of view. The feedback of milk quality data with the assistance of our Milk Advisory Service ensure that each Milk Supplier has the information and guidance available to achieve best standards on his/her dairy operation. Tipperary Co-Op is committed to producing top quality products from milk supplied by our Milk Suppliers. Yours sincerely, Ted O Connor General Manager

2 2 Tipperary Co-Operative Creamery Ltd. Definitions: In these regulations the following words are defined as follows: The Society: Tipperary Co-operative Creamery Ltd. The Board: A Supplier: Board of Directors at the time being of the Society. Any person, individual, company or legal entity who supplies milk to the Society. Conditions: 1. All regulations now or hereafter made by the Board relating to standard or quality of milk or to terms under which milk is acceptable to the Society are deemed to be conditions of the Contract for the supply by a Supplier and purchase by the Society of the milk for that supplier. 2. If there be any conflict between the 2009 Regulations and any previous regulations made by the Society the 2009 regulations will be deemed to prevail. 3. Any penalty imposed by these or any other regulations is not to be deemed to prejudice any other rights of the Society for loss sustained by the Society from defects in the nature or quality of milk supplied to the Society. 4. The 2009 Regulations come into effect on the 1st May 2009 and will continue in effect unless they are altered, amended or revoked by the Board. 5. The Society reserves the right to refuse to accept milk where, in the opinion of the Society, it is or could be contaminated or diluted, or where it is deemed that the health status of the herd or an animal thereof could effect the quality or marketability of the Society s product or is in breach of any Statutory Regulation or requirement for the time being in force. Should a supplier s milk not be suitable for collection they should immediately contact the Society. Failure to do so will make the supplier responsible for all consequential losses. 2

3 3 6. The test methods shall be those used in the Society s laboratory. The testing officer is any officer of the Society authorized by the General Manager to carry out tests on milk supplied or offered to the Society. Food Safety and Food Hygiene Legislation Regulation 178/2002 sets down the general principles of food law and includes a requirement that food shall be safe. It places the responsibility for ensuring this on food producers and food businesses for products at all stages under their control. A major review of existing food hygiene legislation in the EU took place in recent years. It was decided to recast the existing legislation in order to improve, simplify and modernize it. The new Hygiene Regulations, which came into force on the 1st January 2006 replaced the 17 earlier Hygiene Directives with the following legislation: - General Regulation on Food Hygiene (EC 852/2004) - Regulation on Specific Hygiene rules for Food of Animal Origin (EC 853/2004) - Regulation on Official Controls on Foods of Animal Origin (EC 854/2004) - Regulation on Animal Health (EC 2002/99) Milk Production Requirements We are committed to producing and marketing safe, wholesome and traceable food products. In order to achieve this objective, the Society requires raw milk produced from healthy cows that:- do not show any symptoms of infectious disease communicable to humans through milk; are in a good state of health, presenting no sign of disease that might result in the contamination of milk ; have not been administered with unauthorized products/substances and have not undergone illegal treatments as specified in Directive 96/23/EC; in cases where authorized products/substances have been administered, the prescribed withdrawal periods have been observed. 3

4 4 Suppliers must ensure that cows identified with disease or sickness are isolated from the herd and their milk withheld. Milking premises and equipment therein must be maintained at all times in a clean and hygienic condition. Milking must be carried out hygienically. People performing milking must maintain a high degree of personal cleanliness. Raw milk must be free of all taints and odours. All chemicals/detergents used for washing and sanitizing of milking and storage equipment should be of food grade standard, labelled accordingly, secured from reputable sources and used in accordance with manufacturers instructions. Animal Health Certificate All milk suppliers are obliged to ensure that the Animal Health Certificate forms are completed annually and signed by both the supplier and the veterinary surgeon. These forms must be returned to the Society before the 31st December each year. Failure to do so will result in the non collection of their milk. Animal Feedstuff Dairy cows should be fed a balanced diet at all times. It is prohibited by law to feed meat and bone meal to bovine animals. Fish meal, pig feed and poultry feed must not be fed to bovine animals. Medicated feed must not be fed to milking cows. It is recommended that you purchase your bovine rations from the Society or from other reputable approved sources. Verification The Society shall, from time to time, carry out random milk production audits to verify ongoing compliance with the requirements of Regulation 853/2004.

5 5 Antibiotics/Inhibitors/Pesticides Notification: It is an offence to allow milk containing residues from antibiotics/inhibitors/pesticides to enter the food chain. Should a milk supplier suspect that their milk contains antibiotics/inhibitors, he/she must immediately contact the Society s advisory service who will arrange for the milk to be tested prior to collection. This milk will only be collected if the result is negative. If the result is positive, the milk will be rejected for collection and the milk must be disposed of by the supplier. The supplier in question will be compensated at the rate of 14c per litre. Two such payments are allowed in the calendar year. No Notification: When a milk supplier does not inform the Society that his/her milk may contain antibiotics/inhibitors and where subsequently through the routine testing system, such milk is found to contain antibiotics/inhibitors, the following penalties will apply:- Antibiotics/Inhibitors Cent per litre - First failure in the calendar year, no notification. 4c/l penalty on month s supply. Second failure in the calendar year, no notification. 8.5c/l penalty on month s supply. Third and subsequent failures in the calendar Suspension until Society is year, no notification. assured that milk is residue free. Following the detection of antibiotics in a supplier s milk, without notification being received by the Society, the next milk available for collection will be tested and not collected should it test positive. The supplier will meet the cost of this sampling and testing. This milk will not qualify for payment of any kind and it is the supplier s responsibility to dispose of it. The supplier s milk will be placed on positive release and it must be tested and found to be negative before it can be accepted by the Society once again.

6 6 We are obliged to randomly sample a percentage of milk supplies for pesticide residues across the year. We are legally obliged to inform the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of all antibiotic and pesticide positive results. Responsibility Where milk is deemed unfit for processing due to the presence of antibiotics/ inhibitors, the Supplier/Suppliers whose milk was found to contaminate the milk will be liable for all consequential loss as a result of this occurrence. It is imperative that your insurance policy covers product liability in such an eventuality. Approved Suppliers Raw milk can only be collected from premises which comply with EU Regulation 853/ Where necessary suppliers will be alerted to problem areas and will be asked to carry out remedial action within an agreed time frame. The Society reserves the right to refuse the collection of milk from premises that do not conform to the requirements of EU Regulation 853/2004. Excess Water Where milk is found to contain excess water, the following procedure will apply:- If one test in the calendar year is found to contain excess water, the supplier s milk payment for that day s collection will be reduced by the percentage of added water found in it. If a second or subsequent test in the calendar year is found to contain excess water, the supplier s entire milk supply for that week will be deemed to have had the same volume of added water and on this basis an estimate will be made of the number of gallons of water deemed to be in the week s supply. A deduction of 35c per litre will be made against a supplier for the entire week s water supply. Any supplier who persists in supplying milk containing excess water will be suspended for such period of time as shall be determined by the Society s Management.

7 7 Total Bacterial Count (T.B.C.) Normally, a minimum of two tests will be carried out during the testing period, which is the calendar month. However, if the supply of milk does not allow for a second sample to be tested, the result of the one sample tested shall determine the payment for that month. The Society reserves the right to carry out as many quality tests on a supplier s milk as it deems necessary. If more than two samples are tested the grading will be based on the final two test results. Notification of results shall be sent by milk tanker as soon as possible and by SMS text system where applicable. The following are the details of the grading scheme: TBC/ml Cent per Lt. per test per Month Less than 50, ,001 75,000 Basic Price 75, , , , , , > 300, However, if there is only one result greater that 75,000 TBC in the period March to October inclusive and one test greater than 75,000 in the period November to February inclusive the deduction shall be refunded, although counts in excess of 200,000 TBC shall not qualify for refund. Milk exceeding the EU Milk Quality Rejection Standards (Total Bacterial Count 100,000 or greater per ml.), as calculated by means of a Geometric Rolling Average over two months with at least two tests per month, is not acceptable for processing and therefore shall not be collected.

8 8 Thermoduric Bacteria Thermoduric bacteria are heat resistant bacteria that can survive pasteurization temperatures. They cause spoilage, taint, off-flavours and reduce the shelf-life of the final products. They are found in soil, silage, manure, water, poorly cleaned milking equipment and a dirty environment. Humid conditions are favourable to the growth of these bacteria. They are particularly troublesome in late Summer/Autumn and during periods when animals are housed in poor hygienic conditions. In most cases, high levels of Thermoduric Bacteria go hand in hand with elevated TBC counts and with poor sediment readings. Establish a proper daily washing routine for milk plant and bulk tank with a hot wash of 70 C once/week. Maintain plant, equipment, buildings and animals in a hygienic condition at all times. Thermoduric counts in excess of 500 per ml. indicate deteriorating hygiene standards in the milking and cooling equipment. All manufacturing milk will be tested, once per month for Thermoduric Bacteria. A penalty of 0.3c per litre will apply for Thermoduric counts greater than 1,000 per ml. on the result of one sample each month.

9 9 Somatic Cell Count A number of tests may be carried out during the testing period, which is the calendar month. The average of these results will be used for payment purposes. The average result will also be used to calculate the geometric mean required by EU Directive 853/ Notification of results shall be sent by milk tanker as soon as possible and by SMS text system where applicable. SCC/ml Cent per Lt. per Month <200, , , , ,000 Basic Price 400, , , , >600, Milk exceeding the EU Milk Quality Rejection Standards (Somatic Cell Count 400,000 or greater per ml.), which are calculated by means of a Geometric Rolling Average over three months with at least one test per month, is not acceptable for processing and therefore shall not be collected. Bulk Milk Tanks and Temperature Bulk milk at the farm will be collected only from refrigerated tanks. It should be cooled and stored at 4 C. Holding milk at a high temperature has a serious negative effect on quality. Where Suppliers are considering investment in bulk tank replacement, it is strongly advised that pre-cooling equipment should be installed. A penalty of 0.14c per litre, per test, for the month of the test will be applied for milk with a temperature greater than 6 C. In the enforcement of the above, due consideration shall be given to the time of collection. Every supplier must ensure that their dairy and bulk tank is free from obstructions. Both the farm entrance and the dairy must be safely and easily accessible by milk tankers.

10 10 Sediment Milk must be free of physical particles and sediment. Cows udders and teats must be cleaned at milking time and dried with a clean disposable paper towel. All milk must be filtered through an approved filter sock pre the bulk tank stage. Checks shall be carried out routinely on all milk supplies and should the sediment disc be found to be Disc C or worse the supplier shall be notified that improvement is required in their sediment level. If further tests show sediment of disc C standard or worse, the supplier will incur a penalty of 0.14c per litre on the entire milk supply during the month in which the test is taken. The Society reserves the right to refuse milk from persistent offenders. Late Lactation Milk Lactose is a natural sugar found in milk which gives milk its sweet taste. It is secreted in the cow s udder. Lactose is a good indicator of the processability of late lactation milk. Milk with a lactose level of less than 4.2% is unsuitable for processing into premium products and can cause serious problems in product quality, flavour and stability. For the months of January, February, November and December penalties for % Lactose will apply as per the following table:- Average Monthly Lactose % Cent per Litre per Month > 4.20 Basic Price < For quality and economic reasons the Society will not collect milk below 220 litres (48 gallons) per collection on a twice-weekly collection basis. If your supply goes under this level (220 litres) you must bring your milk to the nearest collection point. It is also recommended that cows whose yield decreases below 3.5 litres per day should be dried off.

11 11 Colostrum/Biestings Under no circumstances should colostrum be included in the milk supply. It is essential for milk suppliers to ensure that the first ten milkings (5 days) after cow calving are not included in the milk supply. Illegal Substances/Illegal Practices Where a milk supplier is convicted of a criminal offence in relation to his/her farming practices, for the possession or use of illegal substances or for any other practices which would compromise the food safety aspects of the milk, the Society reserves the right to suspend milk collection for as long as it deems necessary. In such cases, the Society will carry out a full farm audit, at the expense of the milk producer, prior to the recommencement of supply. TCM s (Trichloromethanes) The legal limit for TCM s in butter being imported into the German market is currently set at 0.1 mg of TCM/Kg of product. It has been established that the development of TCM arises from the cleaning and disinfecting procedures that use solvents containing active chlorine. If active chlorine comes in contact with an organic material such as milk, cream, or butter, chlorine binds to the organic compound and forms total organic chlorine. (This TCM develops within the cleaning and disinfection solution.) If such chlorine based detergents are used without being fully rinsed out of equipment, then TCM will be transferred to the milk that subsequently comes in contact with those surfaces. The production of such TCM s can be minimised by ensuring the following:- Sufficient pre-rinsing is necessary to remove all traces of milk, such that milk will not interact with the active chlorine in the cleaning and disinfection solution. Only the recommended volume of cleaning and disinfection solution containing the correct level of active chlorine should be used.

12 12 Storage and re-use of cleaning and disinfection solution should be minimised. Sufficient post-rinsing is necessary to remove all traces of the cleaning and disinfection solution. Water Quality Each supplier using water from private wells in the washing of milking equipment must test their water supply at least once/year to ensure that it is microbiologically acceptable. Biosecurity Each supplier is responsible for ensuring that milk tendered for sale is stored in safe, secure conditions until it is collected by the Society or one of their agents. Quota Regulations(SI 227 of 2008) It is a requirement that all milk supplied to the Society meets the conditions of the Milk Quota regulations (Regulation 1234 of 2007 and SI 227 of 2008). It is an offence for a milk supplier to supply or offer to supply milk which has not been produced on a holding operated by that supplier. The transfer of milk between suppliers is totally illegal.

13 13 Texting of Results All suppliers are encouraged to avail of the text messaging service provided by the Society. Please contact the Milk Advisory Section at for an application form. Testing Frequency/Appeals Where the supply pattern permits, milk will be tested at least eight times per month for Butterfat, Protein, Lactose and SCC. An appeal system for Butterfat and Protein has been put in place, whereby the Dairy Products Research Centre, Moorepark will independently test sealed split samples. Details are available from your milk advisor.

14 14 Re-Commencement of Milk Supply Suppliers are required to give The Milk Advisory Section at least 5 days notice prior to the recommencement of milk supplies after the winter lay off. Suppliers should also inform the Society of their intention to cease production. Mastitis Control Programme The Society provide a mastitis control programme. New legislation which became effective since the 1st January 2008 requires all purchases of intramammary tubes both milking cow and dry cow products to be by Veterinary prescription only. These new regulations allow Milk Processing Co-Ops who operate an approved Mastitis Control Programme to provide veterinary prescriptions for all milk suppliers who sign up to this Programme. The Society has set up an approved Mastitis Control Programme and as a result can issue veterinary prescriptions to Milk Suppliers for appropriate requirements of intramammary treatments. If you wish to avail of this service or would like to know more about it please contact the Milk Advisory Section at for an application form.

15 15 Milk Advisory Service The Society provides a milk advisory service to all suppliers to help meet the quality parameters outlined in these regulations. Please refer to the recent Milk Quality Handbook issued by Teagasc which is a useful guidebook providing practical steps to improve milk quality. Contact our Milk Advisory Section at for all quality related matters.

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