(a) Each milk tank truck used to transport milk or milk products to or from a dairy farm, milk plant, or receiving station, shall be permitted by the department or by the authorized Regulatory Agency of another state. Failure to obtain a permit may result in the milk tank truck and its contents being immediately removed from Grade A or food use.

(b) All vehicles and milk tank trucks containing milk or milk products shall be legibly marked with the name and address of the milk plant or hauler in possession of the contents. The permit sticker issued by the department shall be placed near the outlet valve of the tanker truck or trailer.

(c) All milk tank trucks must be inspected prior to the issuance of a permit and a minimum of once each 12 months thereafter. The requirement for this annual inspection does not eliminate or supersede other licenses or permits required by any other official regulatory agency. The owner or manager of the milk transportation company will report verbally or in writing to the department, within ten days, any milk transport tanks taken out of service or severely damaged.

(d) Milk tank trucks must be operated in compliance with the following provisions.

(1) Permanently installed milk tank truck washing equipment must be in compliance with the current edition of the 3-A Sanitary Standards and Accepted Practices at the time of installation and be approved by the department. This equipment shall be so designed that it will properly clean and sanitize all milk-contact surfaces when connected to a cleaning system at an approved milk tank truck cleaning facility.

(2) Each bulk milk pickup tanker shall be provided with adequate space for sanitary storage, without overcrowding, of fittings, valves, milk pumps, racks for milk conducting equipment, wrenches, sample bottles, dippers, solutions for washing and sanitizing milk contact equipment, and all other equipment used for milk handling and sampling purposes.

(3) When compartment milk tank trucks are used, Grade A milk shall not be permitted to be hauled in one compartment while ungraded milk or another product is being hauled in another compartment on the same tanker.

(4) Agitating and sampling milk in a milk tank truck shall be accomplished in such a manner as to provide maximum protection against product contamination. In no instance shall these activities be performed at a place other than a location approved by the department.

(5) Milk tank trucks may not be used to transport poisonous or toxic substances.

(6) Milk tank trucks transporting pasteurized milk or milk products that will not be re-pasteurized at the receiving milk processing plant shall not be used to transport raw milk, raw egg products, or any other product determined by the department to be a source of microbiological or chemical contamination.

Source Note: The provisions of this §217.63 adopted to be effective July 4, 2010, 35 TexReg 3038