The NDSU-VDL does not perform testing on animal products intended for human consumption. This applies to all test methods performed at the laboratory. Submissions with requests to test samples to determine whether a product is safe for human consumption will be rejected.
Specifically, milk cultures are only intended to determine potential causes of mastitis in animals. The method used for mastitis testing is not appropriate for determining whether milk is safe for human consumption.
For more information on raw milk and other foodborne illnesses, please visit: https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/rawmilk/raw-milk-index.htmlÂ
Milk sedimentation test image credit: PHIL #8532
Caption: This historic 1922 photograph showed laboratory Petri dishes, which contained the results of milk sedimentation tests. The results revealed that dirty milk had been adulterated at some point, during its production process. This was one of a series of instructional images used by the Minnesota Board of Health, in order to train public health workers. The purpose of these images, and the training, was focused on protecting food supplies from bacterial contamination.