Food
Safety

Food is such an important part of each our lives. Families and friends come together over a meal (or an ice cream cone) to connect, laugh and share a piece of who they are. We're honored that our products are at the center of these moments, which is why we're so focused on quality and safety.

Food safety is one of our top priorities in our food processing facilities and on our family farms. To ensure we're meeting the highest safety standards, we conduct ongoing employee training in our plants, perform regular product and ingredient testing and offer continuing education and resources to our farmers about milk quality and safety.

Know where your milk comes from

We like to know where our food comes from, so it's important to us that you do, too. At Dairy Farmers of America, we're constantly working to improve traceability through technological and process advancements.

Traceability is the ability to track a product through all stages of production, processing and distribution. We follow detailed guidelines focused on product flows, labeling, record-keeping, data collection and other protocols from the plant to the supply chain to end-product manufacturers so you can feel confident knowing exactly where your dairy came from.

WE CHAMPION QUALITY AT EVERY STEP

AT THE FARM

Milk samples are collected from the bulk tank by haulers before unloading it. These samples are used to check for antibiotics and bacteria levels, as well as milk components such as butterfat, protein and more. In addition, haulers check the temperature of milk in the tank to ensure it has been stored properly and visually inspect milk for proper color and odor before transporting the milk to plants.

At the plant

Additional milk samples are taken before the milk is unloaded at plants. Here, we again check for the presence of antibiotics, as well as milk components and quality. If tests come back positive for antibiotics or do not meet quality and safety standards, the milk is rejected.

Before the store

Finished products are tested before they are shipped to retail shelves for quality, safety and taste.

Safe Quality Foods

In 2009, DFA implemented the Safe Quality Foods (SQF) initiative in all of its plants in the United States. Developed and executed by the Safe Quality Food Institute, the program certifies that a supplier’s food is created, prepared and handled according to the highest possible standards throughout the supply chain.

Plants that undergo the SQF certification process have documented proof that food safety protocols are in place within their facilities. SQF audits include an evaluation of a plant’s facilities, checking for potential food safety issues, and the plant’s policies and procedures, all the way down to employee compliance.

Employee Training

A mindset of continuous improvement runs through everything we do. We are uncompromising in our approach to operational excellence, seeking out and embracing new technologies and innovation. This means upgrading or replacing equipment on an ongoing basis, and refining and developing policies to ensure continued product safety.

Plant employees undergo ongoing training and participate in industry and Cooperative drills and conferences. We bring together maintenance, safety and food quality personnel from DFA plants to undergo trainings and share the latest best practices in safety. In addition, regular crisis drills involving several DFA-produced brands allow staff to run through crisis and recall protocols in close to real-time.