How to find the source of your milk

Finding the source of your food is an important task. For example suppose you consume some liquid dairy that was spoiled before its expiration date. Where would you look for the plant? The first guess would be to look at the label, but is that the address of the plant that makes the milk or the corporate office?

Luckily for us we have the Interstate Milk Shippers List available. This publication, brought to you by the FDA contains a list of liquid dairy plants in the U.S. that passed quality control inspections and is rated for grade A milk. Liquid dairy includes anything liquid/semi solid that can be made from milk. This ranges from milk to cottage cheese, egg nogg, coffee creamer and yogurt. Cheddar cheese is solid so it's not included in the IMSL.

Step 1 You'll need:

You'll need the Interstate Milk Shippers List (IMSL) availble here:
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~ear/ims-toc.html

A suitable liquid dairy product. (Like milk, cottage cheese, sour cream or yogart)

And about 10 to 20 minutes to be wowed!

Comments

[Mirime]

OR you can buy "pet milk" from a local farmer that you trust and can meet their cows and see how they do things.

[emartian]

Thanks so much for this! With food imports and weird supply chains and who knows what along the way, it's great to have these ways to decypher food's origins. Now, how safe are those plastic jugs...

[trevor6]

 Or, you could just visit whereismymilkfrom.com and type in the same code. Great easy way to find out the source of your dairy!

[kelsium]

Wow, that was a lot easier than I thought. Thanks for the info. I got a pen and pater and wrote down all the dairy codes then looked them up....I live in Texas and that is where my milk comes from and the other products are from Penn, Tenn, and Mass....thats a long way for yogurt! Thanks!! :)

[kikkoman7347]

Ok. I got a problem - there is no ###### or ##-#### style format code on my milk jug. It is 1% Low-fat Milk with a Brand name of "Dairy Maid Dairy". I checked, our milk came from a Marine (name withheld) Commissary, so the standards should be the same (retired Army), but - there is no formatted code like that anywhere on the jug. Just a 'sell-by date' and it does have the address of a company, but I reference your comment "of the plant that makes the milk or the corporate office?". Any suggestion?

[thematthatter]

i think we inspect them as well. im not sure if the plant code is a requirment i will have to ask my NCOIC, but search the address of the company in the IMSL. If the brand/company is not in there than take it to the commissary manager, they might also have the phone # for the inspector, if the manager gives you the "run around" im not sure if marines use their vets or Army vets but also try taking it to the vet clinic on post and ask for the contact info for the food inpectors (we cross train with vets) if its something they shouldnt have then they will pull it off the shelves and reports will be filed.

[kikkoman7347]

Thaks. WILCO and be safe.

[GorillazMiko]

cool. but I know milk comes from cows :-) haha

[thematthatter]

which cow? the one giving you the evil eye when you drive past her or the nice bovine that lives up the road?

[GorillazMiko]

the one that gives you the evil eye

[nagutron]

This is cool. I love learning bits of really specialized knowledge. Does the IMSL cover all those little organic dairies, too?

[thematthatter]

im not sure, im guessing it would if the milk is graded. if the code is present on the product than it should be in the IMSL