The Eastern Ontario Local Food Conference (EOLFC 2013) provided a great opportunity to share information, learn about success stories and gather information on innovative local food businesses, projects and best practices. The conference was organized by KEDCO (Kingston Economic Development Corporation) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food and the Ministry of Rural Affairs. The theme of the conference was Innovation Driving Local Food and it was held December 3, 2013 at the Ambassador Hotel in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Presentation notes - Food inspection branch OMAF and MRA milk - regulation considerations in local food processing.

1. Provincial Dairy Food Safety
Program
Eastern Ontario Local Food
Conference
Food Inspection Branch
Food Safety and Environment Division
Ministry of Agriculture and Food
Ministry of Rural Affairs
December 3, 2013

2. Overview
•
•
•
•
A few statistics
Roles and responsibilities
Role of public health units
Steps to becoming licensed
2

3. A Few Statistics
Regulated under the Milk Act
3,996 cow milk producers
2.5 billion litres per year
228 goat milk producers
35 million litres per year
127 provincially licensed
dairy plants
3

4. A Few Statistics
Not regulated under the Milk Act
Approximately 80 sheep milk producers
and three million litres per year
4

5. Roles and
Responsibilities
The Dairy Food Safety Program
covers producer, processor and
distributor levels

6. The Milk Act
Production, processing, distribution and packaging of safe, high
quality cow and goat milk and milk products in Ontario
Who does what:
OMAF
• Responsible for
administration and
enforcement of
quality and safety of
milk and milk products
Farm Products
Marketing
Commission
• Responsible for
Ontario’s regulated
marketing system
• Supervision of
marketing boards
including Dairy
Farmers of Ontario
Dairy Farmers of
Ontario
Delegated authority
for administration of:
• on-farm cow milk
inspection & raw milk
quality
• marketing plan
responsible for the
production and
marketing, including
quota (quantity)
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7. Roles and Responsibilities
Dairy producer level:
Inspecting and testing
for raw milk quality

Cow milk: program administered by Dairy Farmers of Ontario with OMAF oversight

Goat milk: program administered by OMAF
Includes:

Inspection of farms

Training, certification and monitoring of milk transporters (drivers)

Inspection of tank trucks (used to collect and transport milk from farms to processors)

Testing of raw milk
–
one regulatory sample tested per producer each month for:
• bacteria content
• somatic cell count
• abnormal freezing point
–
OMAF conducts regulatory testing for antibiotic residues and industry tests truck loads
prior to unloading raw milk at plants
7

8. Roles and Responsibilities
Dairy processor level:
Licensing and inspection
All dairy plants processing cow or goat milk must be licensed
by OMAF (licences renewed annually in April)


Licensing is based on compliance with regulatory requirements
Requirements focus on food safety - regardless of plant size
All dairy plants receive an annual in-depth inspection and must
receive a satisfactory rating to remain licensed

Inspections are currently performed by:
– OMAF in non-federally registered plants (40)
– Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in federally registered plants
(87)
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9. Roles and Responsibilities
Dairy processor level:
Finished product and environmental testing
OMAF conducts finished product and environmental
sampling in plants
 Finished product samples are analyzed for microbial levels to verify
proper pasteurization and food safety
 Environmental samples are analyzed for Listeria monocytogenes to verify
sanitary manufacturing conditions and to demonstrate adherence to Health
Canada’s “Listeria Policy” for ready-to-eat foods
 Fluid milk samples are analyzed to verify compliance with compositional
standards under the Milk Act
9

10. Roles and Responsibilities
Distributor Level:
Fluid milk distribution licensing –
vehicles and depots
OMAF inspects and licenses non-shopkeeper distributors
whether they sell or distribute fluid milk products directly or
indirectly to consumers
10

11. Role of Public Health Units
•
The 36 public health units in Ontario are responsible for the
administration of a range of public health programs at the municipal
level, under the Food Premises Regulation (Health Protection and
Promotion Act)
•
The role of public health units complements that of OMAF in:
– inspecting dairy plants that only process sheep milk products (which
are not covered under the Milk Act)
– ensuring compliance with sanitary food preparation standards in food
premises that are not required to be licensed under the Milk Act (e.g.
Dairy Queen, Marble Slab)
•
The Health Protection and Promotion Act includes regulatory
requirements for pasteurization of raw milk
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12. Steps to Building and Licensing a Dairy Plant
• Obtain an Application for a Permit to Alter & Construct and an
application for a licence to operate a dairy plant
• Complete applications and send with required documents (e.g.
drawings of the facility) to OMAF
• If Director decides to proceed with issuing the permit, OMAF
provides a 30-day notice to industry for comments
• If application is approved, permit is sent to the applicant and
construction can begin -- ministry staff are available to provide
advice/assistance
• Once the dairy plant is constructed, a final inspection is
conducted
• Following the inspection, the Director makes the decision on
whether to issue the licence or not
• Once the licence is issued the facility can begin to operate as a
dairy plant
• The Director’s decision can be appealed to the Agriculture, Food
and Rural Affairs Appeal Tribunal
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