Milk and Dairy Unit

Mission

The Milk and Dairy Program's mission is to ensure that Texas consumers have a safe and wholesome milk supply. To fulfill this mission, the Texas Department of State Health Services, through a team of professional sanitarians, works to ensure appropriate statutes and regulations are applied uniformly to the entire milk industry. Entities regulated by the Milk and Dairy Program are Producer Dairies, Milk Processing Plants, Frozen Dessert Manufacturers, and Non-Grade “A” Dairy Product Manufacture i.e., Cheese, and Raw for Retail Dairies.

Regulatory Process Requirement

Included in the regulatory process is the requirement that all dairies selling raw milk and raw milk products to the public be issued a Grade "A" Raw for Retail License. This license assures the public that the dairy is inspected at least twice every six months by a registered sanitarian. All Texas-licensed Grade "A" Raw for Retail dairies have their raw milk and raw milk products sampled at least every six weeks.  The samples are tested at a Texas-certified lab for milk quality, the presence of aflatoxin (from the contaminated feed), and potential pathogens.

Email Updates

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Contact Information

For General Program Assistance

Email: Milk and Dairy Unit
Phone: 512-834-6758
Fax: 512-834-6756

For Licensing Assistance

Email: Food & Drug Licensing Unit
Phone: 512-834-6727
Fax: 512-834-6741

For mailing addresses, please visit the contact page.