Family Cows Milk Quality Test Results

The federal law governing the commercial production and sale of pasteurized milk
requires farms and milk processing plants to test milk for various measures of
quality. The numbers shown in the following charts are regulatory testing limits for
Grade A Milk sold in stores.
Act 62 is a state law, enacted in 2009, that governs the production and sale of
unpasteurized milk in Vermont. Act 62 establishes two tiers of raw milk producers.
Tier II producers, like Family Cow Farmstand, can sell up to 40 gallons per day of
unpasteurized milk and must submit milk for regular quality testing. The tests are
performed on milk in its final retail bottle.
Family Cow Farmstand was the first and is currently the only Tier II raw milk
producer in Vermont. We have been testing our milk at the Agency of Agricultures
laboratory since July of 2009. We also voluntarily test our milk at an independent
lab for verification. The following charts compare our average test results to the
federal regulatory limits for Grade A Milk and Act 62 for Tier II Raw Milk.

Total Bacteria Counts

120000

Grade A Milk
(before pasteurization)
limit = 100,000

cells per ml

100000

80000

60000

40000

20000

Grade A Milk, after

pasteurization
Vermont Tier II
(bottled for sale)
Family Cow Raw Milk
Raw Milk
limit = 20,000
(bottled for sale)
(bottled for sale)
limit = 15,000 Average test result =
<250

Total Bacteria Count measures numbers of viable bacteria cells per milliliter of milk. It
is an indication of contamination during milking and processing. The bacteria counted
are not necessarily an indication of pathogens, which cause disease.
Grade A Milk before it is pasteurized, can have a count of up to 100,000. Pasteurization
kills these cells, but the dead cells remain in the milk. After pasteurization, new bacteria
can be introduced during bottling. These cells remain viable in the pasteurized milk. The
limit for pasteurized milk is 20,000. So a gallon of pasteurized milk in the store contains
millions of dead bacterial cells from before pasteurization and millions of live bacterial
cells from after pasteurization. This heavy load of dead and live bacteria in pasteurized
milk stimulates the human immune system to produce mucus.
Vermont Tier II Raw Milk test results show all contaminants introduced during the entire
milking and bottling process. This test does not count the beneficial, probiotic bacteria
that strengthen our immune systems and aid in digestion. Raw milk contains probiotic
bacteria, pasteurized milk does not. Probiotics are destroyed during pasteurization.
Family Cows milk test results show that our equipment and milking and bottling
processes are extremely clean.

120

Coliform Bacteria Counts

100

Cells per ml

80

60

Grade A Milk
(in bulk transport)
limit = 100

40

20

Grade A
Pasteurized Milk
(bottled for sale)
limit = 10

Vermont Tier II
Family Cow
Raw Milk
Raw Milk
(bottled for sale)
(bottled for sale)
limit = 10
average test result = 0

Coliform Bacteria Count is also a measure of the cleanliness of the milking and
bottling processes. They can be associated with fecal contamination, although
not all coliforms are fecal coliforms. Like total bacteria, they are killed during
pasteurization and more are introduced after pasteurization. The numbers in
Grade A Pasteurized Milk only reflect the numbers of viable cells introduced after
pasteurization.

Somatic Cell Counts

800000
700000

Grade A Milk
limit = 750,000

Cells per ml

600000
500000

above 400,000 indicates udder infection

400000

300000
200000

100000

Vermont Tier II
Raw Milk
limit = 250,000

Family Cow
Raw Milk
Average test results =
35,000

Somatic Cell Count measures the health of a cows udder. Counts above 400,000
indicate an infection in the udder. The regulatory test measures the average count
from the entire herd of cows on a farm. The Grade A Milk supply can legally contain
milk from infected cows. Since what is counted is the average from a whole herd,
every cow in a herd could have an udder infection and that milk would still be allowed
to enter the food supply and be called Grade A. Family Cows test results show that
our cows are in excellent health. Our policy is to only ever sell milk from healthy
cows.