We have all heard of the 5 sec rule. If food touches the floor for less than 5 seconds it is safe to eat.
What about your milking parlor? Does it have a 5 second rule? If a liner touches the cow deck for 5 seconds or less can it be directly reattached to the cow? How about three seconds, two? Or do we allow people to make a judgment decision based on visual cleanliness?
The truth is we are dealing with food in both cases. The example using food we put directly in our mouths may seem a bit clearer, but milk in the tank soon becomes food for someone. Bacteria levels in milking parlors, just like floors in your home, can vary greatly. The key isn’t to estimate or calculate the number of bacteria, it is to establish a protocol and follow it. How about any liner that contacts something other than cows or hands gets sprayed with disinfectant? Can’t do that? How about they get wiped with a towel?
Take a look today; do your parlor operators use a consistent method? Just like I responded to my children when they dropped a sucker on the driveway only to pick it up and put it back in their mouth, we need clear protocols to deal with what is an everyday issue.