Information for Raw Milk Producers

Raw for Retail Dairy Permits

Any person who manufactures, distributes, delivers, holds, stores, or sells raw milk or raw milk products in Utah must have a Raw for Retail Dairy Permit issued by the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food.

Application process

To apply for a raw milk permit, submit a completed application form to [email protected], provide evidence of compliance with facility and equipment standards, pay the required permit fee, and schedule an initial inspection with a UDAF dairy inspector. Once an application has been submitted, a UDAF inspector will be in contact within 5 business days.

Exemptions:

There are two limited exemptions that allow for raw milk sales or sharing from non-permitted dairies in Utah:

1. 120-gallon exemption: Producers may legally sell up to 120 gallons of raw milk per month without a permit. Utah Code 4-3-503(5)
2. Herdshare: raw milk may be legally distributed in Utah via a herdshare agreement. Utah Code 4-3-501

To operate under these exemptions, producers must email [email protected] your name, business name, address, species, and number of livestock.

Limitations on raw milk and raw milk product sales distribution

• Raw milk and raw milk products distributed to the public for human consumption may only be sold by permittees on their farm property or at a self-owned, off-premise retail store or mobile sales truck.
• Permitted Utah dairies can sell raw milk only in Utah—interstate sales are illegal.
• Offering free samples of raw milk and raw milk products to the public is prohibited.
• Raw milk and raw milk products are not eligible for wholesale distribution.
• Food service establishments, such as restaurants, caterers, and food trucks, may not use raw milk or raw milk products.
  • Cheeses made from raw milk that have been aged for at least 60 days are exempt from these restrictions.

Testing and quality assurance

Raw milk permittees must be tested at least monthly to ensure raw milk meets safety standards. Milk samples will be collected by a UDAF dairy inspector at least once each month to be delivered to the state dairy testing laboratory. Samples may be tested for bacterial, coliform, and  somatic cell count. If those tests exceed limits, the sample will be tested for Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli O157:H7, STEC, Salmonella, and Campylobacter jejuni.

If sample testing results exceed the standards in any of the prescribed categories, permittees may not allow milk to enter into commerce, must recall milk from the failed batch already in commerce, and must dispose of the milk in a manner agreeable to UDAF.

Raw for Retail Dairy Permits shall be suspended for failure to comply with regulatory requirements or meet testing standards. If monthly samples fail to meet testing requirements three times in a five-month period, UDAF may suspend the raw for retail permit. For additional information on permit suspension and reinstatement, read about UDAF's outbreak response protocol.

Sample Collection

UDAF Inspectors will collect raw milk every month from the dairy before and after it’s packaged and deliver it to the state dairy lab to be tested.

Raw Milk Testing

The lab tests the milk for signs of animal infection by testing for somatic cell counts and signs of environmental contamination by testing for bacteria and coliforms.

Testing Criteria

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Test Results Analyzed

If enough samples fail in a 5-month period, the dairy’s permit is suspended when:

• 3 monthly samples fail bacteria count in a 5-month period; or
• 3 monthly samples fail coliform count in a 5-month period; or
• 2 monthly samples fail somatic cell count in a 4-month period.

UDAF issues a temporary permit when a sample from a dairy whose permit has been suspended meets the standard. The permit is fully reinstated when 3 consecutive samples from separate milkings meet the testing criteria and the facility passes a regulatory inspection.

Labeling requirements

All raw milk and raw milk product labels must meet requirements outlined in Title 4, Chapter 3, the Utah Dairy Act. Additionally, raw for retail milk products must be labeled with the following:

1. marked as “raw milk” without grade designation;
2. if the product is other than cow’s milk, the word “milk” shall be preceded with the type of animal (ex: Raw Goat Milk);
3. the name, address, and zip code of the place of production and packaging;
4. the volume of the product;
5. the phrase: “Raw milk, no matter how carefully produced, may be unsafe”, the height of the smallest letter no less than 1/8th inch;
6. the phrase: “Keep Refrigerated”, the height of the smallest letter no less than 1/8th inch; and
7. The words “raw” and “milk” shall be the same size lettering

Consumer database requirements

Raw milk dairies are required to keep and make available to UDAF and the Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) a database of raw milk customers including:

1. names;
2. addresses;
3. phone numbers;
4. dates of purchases; and
5. amounts of milk purchased.

Contact Us

If you have any questions or would like additional information, contact the UDAF Dairy Program at [email protected] or 801-982-2263.