Dairy Standard Agency

DSA Laboratory Services

Project Manager: Me Nala Manamela

Job Title: Laboratory manager

Resources: Initial implementation phase funded by Milk SA from statutory levy income and non-statutory income

For further information contact the DSA Lab Services at: 012 665 4250 or Nala at dsalab@dairystandard.co.za

The Dairy Standard Agency is a well-established entity within the Milk SA structure.

  • The DSA has a Board of Directors consisting of members who satisfy the qualification and eligibility requirements set out in the Companies Act and have no commercial interest in any enterprise in the primary or secondary dairy industry;
  • DSA membership consists of the SA National Consumer Union, the Milk Producers’ Organisation, the South African Milk Processors’ Organisation and the South African Society of Dairy Technology;
  • The Dairy Standard Agency in terms of its Memorandum of Incorporation under the Companies Act of 2008 is mandated to:
    • Monitor milk and other dairy products; 
    • Communicate with industry and other stakeholders; 
    • Render support services to the dairy industry and other relevant stakeholders. 

Project purpose

  • To establish and maintain an industry independent national laboratory service for the supply of standardised imported and national reference standards to the dairy industry, private and other laboratories for the calibration of high frequency measuring equipment used in the determination of fat, protein, lactose, milk urea nitrogen and somatic cell counts.
  • To provide a simplified ring test, with the inclusion of test report which will contain statistical calculations, evaluations and maximum allowable deviations.
  • To conduct analytical functions that include microbiological, pathological, compositional testing of samples as well as metrological compliance determination of dairy samples (where applicable).
  • To perform specific laboratory tests required for investigations regarding food safety and related enquiries.
  • To assist with technical execution of special investigation projects where applicable to tests performed by the laboratory.
  • To conduct tests for the purpose of DSA case study and research projects in conjunction with Milk SA Research and Development Project

Project description

The project is a result of the lack of national standardised standards with appropriate metrological values for the calibration of laboratory instruments during the determination of fat, lactose, protein, milk urea, nitrogen and somatic cell counts of milk, which subsequently create technical barriers and add to legal disputes which is not in the interest of the South African organised dairy industry. The development of the laboratory is subject to wide consultation within the organised dairy industry as well as external stakeholders such as private laboratories.

Dairy Standard Agency has also become the distributor of the National Calibration Standards, produced locally, for a variety of matrixes and the following parameters, fat, protein, lactose.  Raw milk samples are made available every month, while other samples are produced quarterly in accordance with annual planning. As these samples are much more affordable, and readily available, most of the laboratories prefer to use the national calibration samples.

Reference standards are imported from Qlip, Netherlands. Imported standards are used for the determination of all the parameters, fat, protein, lactose milk urea nitrogen and somatic cell counts.

In conjunction with the above services, the supply of standards for other dairy products, as well as screen tests (product composition, microbiological testing and metrological measurement) as part of the DSA national monitoring programme relating to milk and other dairy products, and cost effective services in the interest of the dairy industry are also rendered.

The following services are rendered by the laboratory:

  • Phosphatase in milk
  • Inhibitory substances in milk
  • Freezing point depression (FPD)
  • Fat, protein, lactose, solids non-fat, total solids
  • coli and Coliforms in milk and dairy products
  • Aerobic counts in milk and dairy products
  • Bacillus cereus in milk and dairy products
  • Staphylococcus aureus in milk and dairy products
  • Enterobacteriaceae in milk and milk products
  • Lactic acid bacteria in cultured products
  • Yeast and moulds in dairy products
  • Presence of Listeria spp. in milk and dairy products
  • pH measurement in milk and dairy products
  • Compositional testing of cheese, cultured products, butter and whey powder
  • Somatic cell count and chemical residue
  • Specialised testing for the purposes of case studies and research programmes
ABOUT DSA LABORATORY

On 22 May 2019, the dairy industry reached an important milestone with the official opening of the Dairy Standard Agency’s (DSA) independent laboratory, DSA Lab Services, in Centurion. DSA Lab Services is the latest strategic project development of the DSA and renders a support service to the organised dairy industry, retail and government structures. 

The establishment of the DSA Lab Services project of DSA was a direct result of the lack of a harmonised (standardised) system at national level for the calibration of laboratory instruments for the measurement of somatic cell count and other quality parameters of milk which in many instances resulted in disputes regarding laboratory test results not in the interest of the dairy industry and other stakeholders such as external, private and state-owned laboratories. 

  • The laboratory is currently fully functional, and also supports the DSA statutory monitoring project relating to milk and other dairy products. 
  • The DSA Lab Services currently conducts the following tests on milk and other dairy products in support of its statutory National Dairy Monitoring Programme and related projects such as consumer complaints and special investigations to determine compliance in terms of food safety, product composition and metrology standards:
    • Milk 
    • Mass (packed products) 
    • Phosphatase 
    • Inhibitory substances 
    • Contagious abortion (raw milk)(analysis outsourced to ARC-OVI) 
    • Freezing point (added water) 
    • Fat, protein, lactose, solids non-fat 
    • E.coli/Coliforms 
    • Aerobic counts 
    • Enterobacteriaceae 
    • Determination of Aflatoxin M1 levels in milk 
    • An array of pathogen identifications 
  • testing for somatic cell counts (bulk tank and individual cows) 
  • pathogen specific identification and confirmation 
  • antibiotic susceptibility testing of pathogens (chemical residue) 
  • fat, protein, lactose, urea determination 
  • microbiological testing including psychrotrophic bacteria counts 
  • antibiotic determination 
  • aflatoxin M1 testing 
  • water addition determination
  • Mass (all) 
  • E.coli/Coliforms (all) 
  • Lactic acid bacteria (fermented products) 
  • Yeast and moulds (fermented products) 
  • FoodScan (product composition determination on fermented products) 
  • pH (fermented products) 
  • An array of pathogen identifications 

The DSA laboratory’s standard operating procedures are aligned with the ISO/SANS 17025. Qlip is the international calibration standard provider from the Netherlands responsible for the import of MUN and SCC standards as it is aligned with the IDF Gold Standard. The acceptance of the Qlip standards, was a very important step in ensuring that a single system is used in the harmonisation process of standards to mitigate the risks of disputes or litigation, especially where other international recognised reference standards for calibration of measuring equipment, which render less conservative results, were used. 

With regards to calibration standards for fat, protein and lactose, a national standard of which the values are verified by means of SANAS accredited methods is used. 

The laboratory further aims at establishing the Brucellosis Milk Ring Test once SANAS accreditation and approval from DALRRD is achieved. 

What further makes the laboratory unique is the advanced reporting system to farmers and veterinarians as well as supportive interpretation of results, all to the advantage of the milk producer. 

To remain sustainable and to render continuous relevant services of a collective nature the DSA is also focused on: 

  • Conducting research and adding where applicable, the establishment of new analytical products and services to those currently in place that can benefit the industry as a whole. 
  • Based on new technology, continue to use equipment that is producing more scientifically accurate and faster test results in the interest of promoting proactive measures and product compliance by industry. 
  • Targeting areas that pose food safety and quality risks in the dairy value chain through special investigations. 
  • Based on food safety and product compositional risks, expand the ability of providing a platform to stimulate research and development in conjunction with the Research and Development Project of Milk SA and academic institutions. 
  • Expanding abilities to deliver dairy analytical and related technological information via the internet in support of the industry. 
  • Serving the industry in the context of its mandate and not striving to be a major competitor to external private analytical entities. 
  • Where possible, consider economical sharing initiatives by avoiding the purchase of already available services at shared-research laboratories such as academic institutions. 

For further information contact the DSA Lab Services at: 012 665 4250 or Nala Manamela at dsalab@dairystandard.co.za.

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