Virginia Law

A. Each person who determines the quantity of milk in any lot of milk being picked up on any dairy farm in Virginia shall comply with one of the following:

1. If the milk is being picked up from a farm bulk cooling or holding tank, the person shall use only a measuring rod, gauge, or gauge tube accurately calibrated to the individual farm bulk cooling or holding tank and the accompanying calibration chart with a serial number that matches the serial number for the specific farm bulk cooling or holding tank for which it was prepared;

2. If the milk being picked up is not stored in a farm bulk cooling or holding tank, the person shall determine the quantity of milk at the point of delivery to the milk plant processing the milk by commingling all of the milk in a vessel equipped with a gauge rod, surface gauge, gauge, or gauge tube and a volume chart that has been prepared in compliance with § 3.2-5620 of the Code of Virginia;

3. If the milk being picked up is not stored in a farm bulk cooling or holding tank and the basis for payment for the milk will be based solely on the volume of milk in gallons, the person shall determine the quantity of milk by adding the volume in gallons of each separate full container and the volume in gallons of any milk in containers that are not full; or

4. If the milk being picked up is not stored in a farm bulk cooling or holding tank and the basis for payment for the milk will be based solely on the pounds of milk delivered, the person shall determine the quantity of milk in pounds by weighing each of the containers of milk on a commercial scale before and after they have been emptied and subtracting the weight of the empty containers from the total weight of the containers and the milk, the difference being the weight in pounds of milk.

B. Each person who desires to convert a volumetric measurement of milk to weight in pounds of milk shall multiply the volume of milk in gallons by 8.60.

C. Each person that operates a dairy farm and transports any milk in cans or other containers from the dairy farm to a milk plant and intends to determine the basis for payment of the milk based solely on its volume in gallons or solely on its weight in pounds, shall ensure the cans or other containers comply with the following:

1. Each container shall be provided with a visual means to measure the volume of milk in the container in divisions of one or more whole gallons up to the total capacity of the container;

2. Each container shall be equipped with a tightly fitting lid that prevents any milk from leaking out around the closure;

3. Each container shall be manufactured from stainless steel, food grade plastic, or tinned metal;

4. No container shall be manufactured from glass or other easily breakable material;

5. Each container shall be smooth and easily cleanable; and

6. Each container shall be equipped with an opening large enough to allow the container to be washed by hand if it is intended to be washed by hand or washed by mechanical means if it is intended to be washed by mechanical means.

D. Each person that operates a pay purpose laboratory shall:

1. Provide a separate room of sufficient size in which pay purpose testing shall be conducted;

2. Provide lighting of at least 20 foot-candles when measured at work bench levels and at all other work areas used to conduct testing;

3. Provide adequate ventilation sufficient to prevent condensation from forming and to prevent noxious or hazardous chemical fumes from collecting in the laboratory;

4. Provide heating and cooling equipment sufficient to maintain a constant room temperature of 70°F plus or minus 2.0°F in his laboratory at all times;

5. Provide a separate permanently installed hand-washing facility with hot and cold running water under pressure supplied through a mix valve, soap, and single service paper towels;

6. Provide only potable water under pressure in the laboratory;

7. Provide walls that are constructed of impervious material with a light-colored material and that are easily cleanable;

8. Provide floors made of concrete or other equally impervious material that are easily cleanable;

9. Provide toilet facilities for employees;

10. Use only methods and equipment approved by the state regulatory agency to test milk for protein, solids, solids not fat, and fat;

11. Construct the facility to ensure that the laboratory environment has a stable electrical supply, stable water supply, stable heating and cooling, and stable ventilation to allow a constantly controllable environment for pay purpose testing procedures and pay purpose equipment; and

12. Dispose of all liquid, solid, and gaseous wastes in a manner that complies with state and federal requirements for waste disposal.

E. Each bulk milk hauler shall:

1. Collect at least two representative samples from each bulk milk cooling or holding tank each time that milk is picked up from the dairy farm for use as official milk samples;

2. Collect a minimum of four ounces of milk for each official milk sample collected;

3. Maintain custody of all official milk samples collected or transfer custody of all official milk samples collected to another permitted bulk milk hauler, bulk milk sampler, or at the discretion of the state regulatory agency, lock all official milk samples in a suitable container in which they may be transported or stored;

4. Pick up all of the milk in each farm bulk cooling or holding tank each time that milk is picked up from the farm bulk cooling or holding tank; and

5. Pick up only milk that is 45°F or cooler, but not frozen.

F. Each person who desires to determine the butterfat content of milk as a basis for payment shall either select from each dairy farm supplying them with milk a minimum of four milk samples taken at irregular intervals each month and utilize only laboratory butterfat test results from milk samples that have been tested within 48 hours of collection for pay purposes or:

1. Collect a representative sample from each shipment of each producer supplying them with milk for a maximum of 16 days, if composite milk samples are used to determine butterfat content;

2. Store composite milk samples only in an approved milk laboratory that will perform the butterfat test;

3. Preserve all composite milk samples with an appropriate preservative designed to prevent the spoilage of milk and that will not affect the butterfat test; and

4. Test each composite milk sample within three days following the end of the number of days used to create the composite milk sample.