Division 4General dairy processing

Division 4 – General dairy processing

12 Application

(1) To avoid doubt, Standards 3.2.2 and 3.2.3 apply to the processing of dairy products.

(2) Clauses 15 and 16 of this Standard do not apply to milk for raw milk cheese.

13 Controlling food safety hazards

A dairy processing business must control its potential food safety hazards by implementing a documented food safety program.

14 Product tracing

As part of the documented food safety program in clause 13, a dairy processing business must have a system to identify the immediate supplier of dairy products and ingredients and the immediate recipient of the dairy products.

15 Processing of milk and dairy products

(1) Milk must be pasteurised by –

(a) heating to a temperature of no less than 72°C and retaining at such temperature for no less than 15 seconds; or
(b) heating, using any other time and temperature combination of equivalent or greater lethal effect on any pathogenic microorganisms in the milk; or
(c) using any other process that provides an equivalent or greater lethal effect on any pathogenic microorganisms;

unless an applicable law of a State or Territory otherwise expressly provides.

Note: Editorial note:

Note: For paragraph 15(1)(c), any other process used would need to be validated by the business and verified by the Authority.

(2) Milk processed under paragraph 15(1)(a) must be cooled immediately in a way that ensures that the growth of microbiological hazards in the milk is prevented or reduced.

(3) Dairy products, other than cheese and cheese products, must be processed using –

(a) a heat treatment that uses a combination of time and temperature of equal or greater lethal effect on any pathogenic microorganisms in the milk product achieved by paragraphs 15(1)(a) or 15(1)(b); or
(b) using any other process that provides an equivalent or greater lethal effect on any pathogenic microorganisms.

Note: Editorial note:

Note: For paragraph 15(3)(b), any other process used would need to be validated by the business and verified by the Authority.

(4) Dairy products processed under paragraph 15(3)(a) must be cooled immediately in a way that ensures that the growth of microbiological hazards in the product is prevented or reduced.

(5) To avoid doubt, subclause 15(3) does not apply to the processing of dairy products that have been made using milk already processed in accordance with subclause 15(1).