Kansas Dairy Industry
The dairy industry, in Kansas and most of the nation, is changing. Kansas is recognized as one of the top dairy growth states. The relatively dry climate in the southwest, the ability to obtain the desired quantity and quality of water and the abundant dairy feed supply has contributed to this growth. Expect this growth to continue. Farm numbers will decrease but farm size (cow numbers and milk production) will increase at a greater rate. Along with the number of large dairy farms, there also is a growing number of smaller milk producers–often goat or sheep producers–who are looking for ways to maximize their returns. At the same time some consumers are demanding “locally produced” products and KDA has licensed several small dairy processing plants harkening back to the “glass-bottled” milk of several decades ago.
The dairy food industry has developed new milk based beverages and products beyond traditional dairy products to meet consumer demand. Technology exists to extract the various milk components from the raw milk leading to protein concentration, higher lactose, casein extraction and other processes. FDA and the industry are working together to revise existing standards of identity for common dairy products to take advantage of this technology and meet consumer needs. Dairy inspectors for the department are staying abreast of these changes by attending in-house and FDA sponsored training courses.
Dairy program activities are divided into the general subprograms of farm production, raw product transportation, milk processing, packaged product distribution, and wholesale and retail sale. These goals are accomplished using sanitation inspections with supporting laboratory test results obtained from milk and dairy food samples.
Currently, the following are licensed or permitted in Kansas:
Dairy farms 409
Milk haulers 183
Milk tankers 84
Tanker wash stations 2
Dairy processing plants 11
Milk transfer stations 5
Single service manufacturers 8
Milk and dairy distributors 57
The inspector is the point of contact when dealing with the regulated industry. The department is taking steps to equip inspectors with the necessary tools to meet the regulatory and food safety needs of the job. The dairy and food industry should not view inspections as a “necessary evil” but should use inspections as a tool to improve the quality and safety of their products. Used in this way, the entire industry can enjoy sustained growth.
Kansas dairy and milk regulations are based on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Grade A Pasteurized Milk Ordinance and other documents that can be found at the following site: