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YELLOW SHEET Office of the State Auditor of Missouri |
Report No. 2000-65
July 31, 2000
The following problems
were discovered as a result of an audit conducted by our office of the
Department of Agriculture, State Milk Board.
The
State Milk Board is responsible for conducting the state�s Grade A and
manufacturing grade milk inspection programs.�
The
State Milk Board requires water test samples to be taken every six months for
manufacturing grade plants and receiving stations and every three years for
farms.� During our review, we noted
seven of twelve water tests for which the board had no record on file.� Of the seven tests, two were from plants,
one from a receiving station, and four from farms.� Without the actual water test or a report regarding each entity�s
water test results, the board has no assurance that the tests were conducted
and any violations were resolved.
The
State Milk Board requires manufacturing grade farms to be inspected at least
annually.� Because of funding
limitations, the board has arranged for manufacturing milk plant fieldmen to
perform the required inspections of the producers at no cost to the state.
However, the duties of the milk plant fieldmen conflict with the regulatory
responsibilities imposed by the board.
Our
review of the February 2000 delinquent farm inspection report indicated twenty
farm inspections which were delinquent and five of the farms were delinquent
more than thirteen months.� According to
State Milk Board management, a stop sell order is to be issued if the farm
inspection is not received within thirteen months.� As of March 17, 2000, four of the five farms delinquent more than
thirteen months had not been issued a stop sell order.
As
pointed out in previous audits, the board has not established a program which
requires regular pesticide testing of raw manufacturing milk and milk
products.� Federal requirements include
a provision which states milk containing pesticides or other chemical residues
in excess of the established limits shall not be sold or offered for sale for
human food.
State law requires the State Milk Board, at a minimum, to ensure compliance with the Grade A Pasteurized Milk Ordinance of the United States Public Health Services.� Such regulations shall be enforced by the State Milk Board through either contractual agreements with political subdivisions of the state or employees of the board.
The
contract between the board and the local health departments (contractors)
requires the contractors to make inspection and regulatory records
available.� The contract does not
require the contractors to submit the actual inspections or other compliance
monitoring tests to the board; however, some of the inspections and other
compliance monitoring tests are forwarded to the board.�
The
State Milk Board does require contractors to submit a monthly report.� These reports provide summary data of the
total number of: inspections performed, on-site visits, water tests conducted
and unsatisfactory results, pesticide testing and unsatisfactory results, raw
milk samples and unsatisfactory results, finished product samples and
unsatisfactory results.� The monthly
reports lack detailed information on individual plants, farms, receiving and
transfer stations, and haulers.� Without
detailed information by entity, the State Milk Board has no assurance that
inspection and compliance monitoring is being properly performed by the
contractors and that adequate follow up is being performed in those cases where
violations are detected.
Note: Milk inspection fees collected from producers are no longer sufficient to cover costs of payments to contractors who perform inspections.� In addition, the local health departments received payments in excess of the amount allowed by statute.� The State Milk Board could save approximately $143,000 per year by assuming the management responsibilities of the Springfield area.�
