The Raw Milk Institute is pleased to share with you this new video for learning how to do on-farm bacterial testing of raw milk. This video was put together by Kelsey Barefoot, who is on the RAWMI Board of Directors and tests the raw milk from her own farm in an on-farm lab.
Regular bacterial testing is one of the keys to ensuring that raw milk is low-risk. On-farm testing is economical and valuable for raw milk farmers, as it allows them to test their milk more frequently and detect trouble spots before they become a bigger issue.
This new video will show you:
Materials needed for on-farm lab testing
How to perform on-farm lab testing of raw milk using Charm Sciences peel plates
How to interpret the results
The bacterial tests performed in an on-farm lab (coliform and Standard Plate Count) are used to provide a general indicator that milk is being produced in a way that is unlikely to lead to pathogens and pathogen growth. RAWMI Common Standards aim for a rolling three-month average of less than 5,000 cfu/mL for Standard Plate Count and less than 10 cfu/mL for coliforms.
For more information about on-farm milk testing, including materials lists and written procedures, go here: