[Avodah] Government Shutdown and Chalav Yisrael

[Zev Sero]

On 13/1/19 8:56 pm, Micha Berger via Avodah wrote:
> 
> Meanwhile, Zev mentioned my errors in metzi'us. The USDA not the FDA is
> responsible for milk. And the inspection is at bottling, not the farm.
> I have gotten conflicting reports about whether the USDA or a state
> agency does those inspections.

The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service does not inspect milk for 
safety.   It inspects meat, poultry, and egg products.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_Safety_and_Inspection_Service
"Food products that are under the jurisdiction of the FSIS, and thus 
subject to inspection, are those that contain more than 3% meat or 2% 
poultry products, with several exceptions, and egg products (liquid, 
frozen or dried)."

As I understand it plants that produce dairy products can voluntarily 
sign up for a "hechsher" from the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service, 
which inspects its clients and grades them for quality.
https://www.ams.usda.gov/about-ams/programs-offices/dairy-program

However, unlike a hechsher, there is nothing on a bottle of retail milk 
to show directly that it comes from an inspected plant.  Therefore I 
doubt any plant producing bottled milk for the retail market would sign 
up for this inspection, since it would not generate extra sales.  It 
seems to be designed for plants selling to industrial customers, who 
wish to know that the ingredients in their own products are of good quality.


Dairy safety inspection is a state matter.   (I can personally testify 
that the inspectors who come to NY dairy farms are from the state.  I 
have no personal knowledge of who comes to the plants, but my 
understanding is that it's the same people.)


-- 
Zev Sero            A prosperous and healthy 5779 to all
zev at sero.name       Seek Jerusalem's peace; may all who love you prosper