Ontario's Dairy Food Safety Program

This is accomplished by the use of a comprehensive legislative framework, farm and processing facility inspection, laboratory testing and various partnerships within the sector.

The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs' Dairy Food Safety Program ensures compliance with regulations and policies governing the production, processing, distribution and packaging of safe, high quality cow and goat milk and milk products in Ontario. The Program includes the following components:

Raw Milk Quality Program

The Raw Milk Quality Program ensures the safe production, handling and transportation of raw milk. This is accomplished through the use of a comprehensive legislative framework, the Milk Act (Ontario) and Regulations, laboratory testing, inspection and audit activities. The program includes milk from cows and goats and also includes an emerging sheep milk industry.

On-farm production inspection for Ontario’s 5,000 fluid cow milk producers is conducted by Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO). OMAFRA is responsible for the monitoring and audit of DFO. This partnership arrangement is established through legislation and a comprehensive administrative agreement.

Responsibility for delivery of the raw milk quality program for the province’s 170 goat milk producers and sheep milk producers remains with OMAFRA. Sheep milk is not included in the current definition of milk under the Milk Act, but most sheep milk producers, understanding the importance of the production of a safe, high quality product, have agreed to voluntarily meet the existing regulations until legislative changes are made. There are currently about 20 known sheep milk producers in Ontario. The implementation of the National Dairy Regulations and Code will require sheep milk to be included in the definition of milk.

Dairy Plant Inspection

Dairy Plant Inspection Program staff license and inspect dairy processing plants across the province to ensure compliance with the Milk Act (Ontario) and Regulations. Each licensed facility receives at least one full, in-depth inspection each year using the national inspection program called Dairy Plant Registration Inspection System (same program that is used by the federal government and several other provinces). This system emphasizes health and safety aspects of dairy processing.

All 115 dairy plants are licensed by OMAFRA, and the licences are issued and renewed based on acceptable inspection reports. Dairy plants in Ontario that market dairy products outside the province are required to be registered with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Through a Memorandum of Agreement, OMAFRA inspects about 39 dairy plants, these include non-federally registered plants and any federally registered plants which process and package fluid milk products. The CFIA inspects the remainder of the dairy processing plants.

Distribution Licensing

This inspection and licensing program ensures the integrity of the fluid milk distribution system in Ontario. Distributors who buy, sell and or distribute fluid milk products directly or indirectly to consumers are inspected and licensed. There are about 262 licencees currently in the province. The same Dairy Plant Specialists responsible for the Dairy Plant Inspection Program carry out this program.