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HomeFood and Agricultural CodeDiv. 15Pt. 2Ch. 2Art. 5§ 35861 Raw Milk Safety Standards

§ 35861 Raw Milk Safety Standards

Food and Agricultural Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 35861 Raw Milk Safety Standards

Key Takeaways

  • •Raw milk must come from healthy cows or goats checked every month by an approved inspector.
  • •The farm where the milk is made must be very clean, scoring at least 90 out of 100 on a cleanliness check.
  • •The milk must be bottled right where it's made, and the bottles must be sealed to keep dirt out.
  • •The milk must be kept cold, sold within 30 hours, and have very few bacteria to be safe to drink.

Example

A farmer sells raw milk at a local market.

The farmer must make sure the cows are checked every month, the farm is super clean, the milk is bottled safely, and it’s sold quickly while staying cold. If not, the milk can’t be sold as 'guaranteed raw milk'.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 35861 Raw Milk Safety Standards

Guaranteed raw milk is market milk which conforms to all of the following minimum requirements: (a) The health of the cows and goats shall be determined at least once each month by an official representative of an approved milk inspection service, or a milk inspection service which is established by the director. (b) It shall be produced on dairy farms which score not less than 90 percent on the dairy farm scorecard. (c) It shall be bottled on the premises where produced and delivered in containers which have the pouring lip completely protected from contamination. (d) It shall be cooled as provided in Section 35782, and so maintained until it is delivered to the consumer, at which time it shall contain not more than 10,000 bacteria per milliliter or not more than 10 coliform bacteria per milliliter. (e) It shall be sold to the consumer within 30 hours after production and labeled to indicate the date of sale to the consumer. (Amended by Stats. 2007, Ch. 339, Sec. 5. Effective January 1, 2008.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

contaminationhealthdirectorproductioninspection

Related Statutes

  • § 59641 Producer Marketing Program Petition
  • § 59643 Proration Zone Hearing Requirements
  • § 59656 Commodity Price Determination Factors
  • § 59657 Marketing Program Approval Requirements
  • § 59659 Proration Zone Area Requirements

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Food and Agricultural Code. Section 35861.
View Official Source