Under IC 4-22-2-24, notice is hereby given that on October 14, 2010, at 9:45 a.m., at the Indiana State Board of Animal Health, 4154 North Keystone Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana, the Indiana State Board of Animal Health will hold a public hearing on a proposed rule that will amend 345 IAC 8-2-3 to, effective January 1, 2011, change the bacteria count standard for manufacturing grade raw milk from 1,000,000 bacteria per milliliter to 500,000 thousand per milliliter and to change the somatic cell count standard for manufacturing grade raw milk from 1,000,000 bacteria per milliliter to 750,000 per milliliter for all milk other than goat milk, which will be changed to 1,500,000 and to amend 345 IAC 8-3-1 to update matters incorporated by reference.

Indiana law requires the Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH) to adopt rules to establish standards for Grade A milk and milk products that are at least as effective in protecting public health as the standards adopted by the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments (NCIMS) in accordance with the national conference's memorandum of understanding with the United States Food and Drug Administration. IC 15-18-1-14. The NCIMS standards are published in the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO). The proposed rules adopt the 2009 edition of the PMO. The United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service publishes recommended requirements for the production of milk for manufacturing purposes. These standards are utilized by many states for the regulation of manufacturing grade raw milk and by companies and governments to establish purchasing specifications for manufacturing grade raw milk. The BOAH utilizes the USDA standards to set state standards for the production of manufacturing grade raw milk. The current rule allows for 1,000,000 bacteria per milliliter of raw milk, and the USDA standard is 500,000 per milliliter. The current rule sets a somatic cell count standard for manufacturing grade raw milk of 1,000,000 bacteria per milliliter, and the USDA standard is 750,000 per milliliter for all milk other than goat milk. The current USDA standard for goat milk is 1,500,000. The proposed rule changes the BOAH rule to match the USDA standards.

Copies of these rules are now on file at the Indiana State Board of Animal Health, 4154 North Keystone Avenue and Legislative Services Agency, Indiana Government Center North, 100 North Senate Avenue, Room N201, Indianapolis, Indiana and are open for public inspection.