Promoting the improvement of dairy quality and safety
in the interest of the dairy industry and the consumer
5. Remedial Action Programs
Remedial action programs with producers/processors and processors/distributors (PD's).
Project purpose:
- To facilitate awareness of non-conforming results with processors/distributors/PD’s after each quarterly sample run as the first step of the remedial action program.
- To interact with all processors whose results are in non-compliance with the relevant legal standards.
- To follow-up by means of personal contacts to address non-conformities.
- To offer technical assistance by means of DSA developed literature, guidelines and information brochures.
- To conduct further sampling, where appropriate, to establish whether non-conformances in terms of legal standards are addressed.
- To hand over unresolved matters to Project 6 for further action with higher-level government officials.
Due to its restricted shelf life, fresh milk (heat-treated and raw) non-conforming products require prompt action by the parties involved.
Following the activities of project 1 and as a cost-effective measure, this goal provides for procedures whereby information regarding non-conforming test results are communicated to the processors and distributors and where applicable, to retailers. In the event of non-conformances, such persons are contacted to address non-conforming issues as a priority. Telephonic calls and electronic mail are subsequently followed up with personal contacts. This DSA action also allows for technical information being made available to processors and distributors.
Planned activities and outputs
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Actions |
Projected dates of completion |
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Telephonic and electronic contact with product supplier/distributor explain-ing non-conformities as well as the transfer of the information regarding problem-solving, where applicable. |
Step 1
Step 2 Visit producers/processors/distributors identified by Project 1 of which any Category A or B analysis indicates a non-conformance. The following actions shall be taken:
In the case of a lack of resources e.g. personnel and/or visiting time, the visits will be scheduled according to the following criteria:
and/or
• Added Water • Phosphatase positive results • Inhibitory substances • E. coli positive results • Underfilling Step 3 Follow-up sampling on-site and monitoring as per Project 1. Step 4
• conduct consumer fraud (addition of water, under filling, misconduct in terms of the quality of the product etc. butterfat, protein) of products not complying with the requirements as stipulated in terms of the Agricultural Product Standards Act, 1990 (Act No. 119 of 1990) Regulations Relating to Dairy Products and Imitation Dairy Products (R1510/2019). • mislead the consumer (sell of raw milk as pasteurised milk, incorrect labelling of a product, etc.) • sell a product with a potential food safety risk in terms of the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act (Act 54 of 1972) to the consumer (if there is any reason to believe that a dairy product poses a definite food safety risk to the consumer, step 1 and 2 of the remedial action program will not come into effect) • neglect the implementation of good practices (PRP’s) and continues to sell product not complying with microbial standards up to the end of shelf life
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Industry Partners
