The Dairy Practices Council holds a three-day conference each fall to allow all Task Forces to meet simultaneously and to provide a forum where topics of common interest can be shared with the membership and other attendees. General sessions on Thursday and Friday feature topics of current interest to the Dairy Industry. The program covers topics ranging from the farm side to the plant/production/processing side of the industry. The six Task Forces meet Wednesday and Thursday afternoon, where guidelines are reviewed, revised, and written. Attendees can attend any or all six Task Force meetings and participate in writing and reviewing Guidelines. The conference is approved by several state departments of agriculture and health for fulfilling Continuing Education Credits towards the requirements under the Processing Plant Superintendant (PPS) and Certified Milk Inspector (CMI) Programs as outlined in the PMO. Attendees represent a cross section of the Dairy Industry from the US, Canada, and around the world. General session presentations, photos, and Business Meeting minutes from previous conferences can be found approximately three weeks after the conclusion of the Conference, in the "Past DPC Conference Archives" section below

FSMA Preventive Controls Workshop The Food Safety Modernization Act became law in 2011 and its main component “Preventive Controls for Human Foods” will be finalized in 2015, with FDA enforcement starting in 2016. This Workshop is targeted at small dairy plants, providing them with: •An in-depth understanding of the FSMA “Preventive Controls for Human Foods” regulation. •Model food safety/HAACP/HARPC written programs that can be used as models for your operation. •Small group exercises to train you on ways to improve your food safety HAACP/HARPC programs. •Presentations on how to use environmental testing kits, ATP kits, and metal detection in your plant. •Review of model dairy plant programs on operational records. What FDA’s Preventive Controls for Human Foods requires for plant records and how to maintain an effective dairy plant records system. •Attendees successfully completing the Workshop and a short test will receive a certificate indicating you’ve met the requirements in “Preventive Controls for Human Foods for a Qualified Individual”. Each dairy plant is required to have one. Who should attend? Plant, Industry, Extension, and Regulatory personnel seeking to gain in-depth knowledge of HACCP/HARPC, Prerequisite Programs, and FSMA’s “Preventive Controls for Human Foods”. Those needing to obtain a “Qualified Individual” certification, as required by FSMA for dairy plants. Instructors: Mr. Allen Sayler, Managing Partner, Center for Food Safety & Regulatory Solutions, LLC Mr. Steve C. Murphy, Senior Extension Associate, Food Science, Cornell University Other Technical Experts on Environmental Monitoring, ATP, and metal detection