FDA Certified Milk Testing Laboratory

MMPA owns and operates its own laboratory so MMPA members are assured of accurate, timely testing. The MMPA laboratory located at the Novi, Michigan office operates six days a week, performing a variety of lab tests on milk samples. Samples tested are maintained at 32-40 degrees Fahrenheit at all times prior to testing. Members are notified immediately after lab tests are completed. Quality information is automatically updated as new tests are performed and members can receive notifications when new results are available through their preferred communication channel.

The FDA certified MMPA milk testing laboratory offers testing as part of the MMPA udder health program and calf milk pasteurizer program.

MMPA Milk Testing Laboratory Programs

Udder Health Program

In addition to the milk testing services available through MMPA’s FDA certified laboratory, members have access to additional herd health testing in a variety of areas. As part of MMPA’s Udder Health Program, MMPA members can monitor their herd’s health through MMPA’s partnership with other laboratories.

Calf Milk Pasteurizer Program

The MMPA Calf Milk Pasteurizer Program can help you evaluate and troubleshoot the effectiveness of your on-farm pasteurizer process. This program can help you assess the cleanliness of milk harvesting, on-farm pasteurizing and milk storage equipment. If needed, the program could also be used to diagnose potential bacteria issues with automatic calf feeders.

MMPA Milk Testing Laboratory Tests and Results

Raw Bacteria Count – RBC

RBC is also sometimes referred to as PLC or official. Prior to testing, milk samples are maintained at 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit and then tested on the BactoScan. The BactoScan is an instrument that electronically measures the bacteria levels in milk.

Pre-Incubated Count – PIC

To perform this test, the milk sample is pre-incubated at 55 degrees Fahrenheit for 18 hours prior to testing it on the BactoScan. The 55 degrees Fahrenheit incubation is an optimal growth temperature for psychrotrophic (cold-loving) bacteria. An elevated result could indicate the presence of a spoilage organism.

Lab Pasteurized Counts – LPC

The LPC is the number of bacteria per ml of milk which survive laboratory pasteurization at 143 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Thermoduric bacteria can survive pasteurization because they have developed mechanisms to resist heat and other lethal agents such as sanitizers. Overall cleanliness of equipment can improve results.

MMPA’s Focus on Milk Quality

The laboratory is a critical piece of MMPA’s portfolio of member services to help members produce the highest quality milk possible. Through routine and special testing done at the lab, MMPA’s team of field representatives provide an on-farm partnership that helps each member achieve milk quality and herd health goals. MMPA also offers a quality premium incentive for its members producing higher quality milk.