State says Billings milk plant is fixing problems

The Montana Department of Livestock declined to close a Meadow Gold milk facility in Billings despite multiple violations saying Thursday the company had responded to corrective guidance.

Bird droppings in a loading dock and repeated violations over residue in production areas were among the issues that prompted Meadow Gold to receive on July 31 a notice of proposed license suspension from the Department of Livestock.

There have been no recalls for products from the facility, which is run by Meadow Gold.

That company, nor its parent company, Dairy Farmers of America, immediately responded to a request for comment from the Daily Montanan.

In a press release Thursday, the agency announced it had reviewed the corrective actions a Meadow Gold facility on the south side of Billings had sent it and “will reinspect to verify all non-compliant issues have been corrected or are in the process of being corrected.” 

It wasn’t immediately clear when those inspections would take place, though a department spokesperson said it could be “as soon as tomorrow (Friday).” The agency press release said it expected that “some issues require time and materials to complete.”

The notice of suspension included results from inspections on June 16 and July 27, which included repeated violations related to birds and residue buildup in tanks at the facility. No illnesses have been reported from the milk.

According to MTN News, the Billings milk consumers have complained about milk going bad before its expiration date since spring and that a cluster of complaints during the summer prompted the state investigation.

In the release, the state defended keeping the facility open, saying neither a temporary or permanent closure of the facility “would benefit the industry, dairy producers, retailers, or consumers.”

“However, it is the responsibility of milk processing facilities to produce safe, wholesome milk for the people of Montana and we will apply regulatory enforcement to ensure the standards set forth by state law and the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance are met,” the Livestock Department press release said.