---
title: O.C.G.A. § 26-2-458. Chemical, bacteriological, and temperature standards.
collection: code
id: 26-2-458
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 26-2-458 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/26-2-458
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/26-2-458.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/26-2-458/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t24-t26-(v21)-2023-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=5423edd_0#page=451
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: FOOD, DRUGS, AND COSMETICS / STANDARDS, LABELING, AND ADULTERATION OF FOOD / RAW DAIRY
---

# O.C.G.A. § 26-2-458. Chemical, bacteriological, and temperature standards.

(a) All Grade “A” raw milk for human consumption shall be produced to conform with the following chemical, bacteriological, and temperature standards of this Code section:

(1) Raw milk for human consumption shall be cooled to 10 degrees Celsius or less within four hours or less, of the commencement of the first milking, and to 7 degrees Celsius or less within two hours after milking, provided that the blend temperature after the first and subsequent milkings does not exceed 10 degrees Celsius. All finished, processed, and packaged raw milk for human consumption shall be maintained at 7 degrees Celsius or less after processing, during storage, and during transportation;

(2) Individual producer milk shall not exceed bacteria limits of 20,000 per mL;

(3) No positive results on drug residue detection methods required by the department;

(4) Individual producer milk shall not exceed a somatic cell count of 500,000 per mL, except individual producer goat milk shall not exceed 1,000,000 per mL;

(5) Coliform counts shall not exceed 10 per milliliter; and

(6) Individual producer milk shall not contain any organisms of Escherichia coli, including, but not limited to, the 0157:H7 strain, Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, or Campylobacter. Pathogenic testing for such organisms shall be conducted with samples taken by the department:

(A) Quarterly;

(B) Prior to permitting; and

(C) In association with any outbreak of a foodborne disease.

(b) No process or manipulation other than appropriate refrigeration shall be applied to raw milk for human consumption for the purpose of removing or deactivating microorganisms.

## History

Code 1981, § 26-2-458, enacted by Ga. L. 2022, p. 809, § 2/HB 1175.