While consumers often only see the finished block of cheese on a grocery shelf, that product has undergone a level of scrutiny comparable to airport security.
In an interview with Mid-West Farm Report, Elsie Lundquist, a dairy sanitarian with the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, says the journey from farm to table is rigorous. It includes inspections designed to catch errors before they become health crises.
Lundquist is part of a team of about 20 specialists overseeing the state’s dairy supply chain. Her office is her car, which she uses to travel across Dane and Green counties to visit farms and processing plants. During these visits, she performs a two-part inspection: a physical walkthrough of the machinery and a comprehensive review of safety records.
“Issues are generally, oftentimes can be human error,” Lundquist explains. “The energy that it takes, sometimes things get missed or overlooked. And that is where an issue could start is, oh shoot, maybe I forgot to clean something, or I forgot to turn the switch on, and it didn’t get washed.”
This risk is amplified by the sheer scale of Wisconsin’s dairy industry. Furthermore, industry-wide staffing shortages and high turnover can lead to education gaps, making the role of state sanitarians as a “second set of eyes” even more critical.
Recalls are categorized into three classes based on risk levels. A Class 3 recall might involve a simple labeling error with no safety risk, while higher-risk classes involve physical contaminants, like metal fragments, that could cause severe injury.
To prevent these scenarios, testing begins before the milk even leaves the truck. Samples are checked for antibiotics, bacteria levels, and the overall health of the herd. While nothing is perfect, Lundquist believes the low number of recalls relative to Wisconsin’s massive output is a testament to the state’s success.
“I do think the state of Wisconsin is doing a good job,” Lundquist said. “I think that there is always room for improvement… doing our best to educate those who are working in the food system and those who are regulating is going to be really helpful.”
