PROCEDURE REGARDING PRACTICABILITY OF THE REGULATION ON MILK HYGIENE (BGBI NR-897 1993) IN STYRIA/

The Austrian ''MHVO'' BGBI. Nr. 897/1993 implements by order quality a ssurance actions in the field of milk production for the first time. T his paper presents a quality system procedure according to ONORM EN IS O 9001 for the realization of this order. It contains in addition to a clear definition of responsibility and authority instructions for sup pliers of milk, dairies and veterinarians the guarantee of a uniform l ine of actions in Styria. There are 15.800 suppliers of milk affected by this law. Due to the limited number of food inspectors and official veterinarians a regular control of the suppliers can only be managed on the basis of a sampling plan. A three staged plan has therefore bee n developed. Three classes of suppliers have been differentiated. ''An lan ss falle'' (suppliers where the microbial count of raw milk or the cell count lie above the limit allowed by law), ''endangered supplier s'' (microbial count and cell count lie once above the limit) and ''un suspicious suppliers''. The consequent application of the quality syst em procedure will guarantee to maintain or even to increase the high s tandard of the local milk production.