ABSTRACT

Microbiological testing in the dairy plant is critical to ensure that raw milk, other ingredients, and finished products are of high quality. Such testing also serves to verify the adequacy of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) procedures. Testing for pathogens is normally not done in the dairy plant, but samples are sent to a laboratory located far enough from the plant to preclude introduction of unwanted microorganisms through manipulations in the laboratory (see Chaps. 13, 15, and 16).