Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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726. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of official controls carried by his Department in 2024 at milk testing laboratories for the purpose of validating accuracy of testing for somatic cell count, total bacterial count, fat and protein content and the results of these control checks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54611/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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My Department carried out 20 official controls in raw milk testing laboratories in 2024. These controls related to total bacterial count and somatic cell count testing carried out to verify compliance with the legal criteria set out in Regulation EC (No) 853 of 2004. Minor recommendations were made in two cases.

There is no legal requirement or basis for my Department to monitor the testing of fat and protein levels in raw milk.