What Foodservice Professionals Need to Know about the FDA Milk Testing Changes

In late-April and early-May 2025, headlines across the country and several social media posts stirred concern after reports surfaced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had temporarily suspended part of its milk testing program. For foodservice operators, this raises an important question: does this change compromise the safety of milk—and by extension, dairy products served in commercial kitchens, cafeterias, and restaurants?

To clarify, the FDA did not stop testing milk for safety. The agency temporarily paused its milk proficiency testing program, which is designed to evaluate and certify the laboratories that conduct routine safety testing on milk. While the pause raised public alarm, the FDA emphasized it continues to test milk for contaminants like antibiotics, pathogens, and chemical residues. Milk sold across the country still undergoes rigorous testing through state-level and industry systems. As such, milk continues to be inspected and tested by regulatory authorities, just as it has been for the last century.


…from a safety standpoint, milk remains one of the most closely monitored food products in the United States.


From a safety standpoint, milk remains one of the most closely monitored food products in the United States. While I was in grad school, I had a professor who noted that the milk we pour in a foodservice or in our homes has been tested upwards of 15 different times before we consume it. As such, I think it is safe to say that foodservice operators can still rely on their dairy suppliers and regulatory bodies to maintain strict safety standards. However, public perception is just as important as the truth.

Consumer trust is a major pillar of food safety, and news headlines, even when misinterpreted, can erode that trust. For operators in schools, hospitals, and other institutions serving vulnerable populations, even a temporary perception of risk can lead to questions, concern, or changes in purchasing behavior.

Foodservice managers may find themselves fielding questions from staff or customers who have heard about the testing pause. It’s important to be proactive by educating your team members and, if appropriate, providing signage or statements that clarify the milk supply remains safe.

Now is also a good time to check in with your dairy vendors. Ask for updated safety protocols or third-party certifications. Transparency from suppliers helps reinforce your own credibility with customers and regulatory bodies.

While the FDA’s testing changes are not a direct threat, they’re a reminder that internal milk and dairy handling protocols should follow the food code and your established SOPs. Ensure cold chain practices, date labeling, and storage procedures are up to standard.

This one instance helps to illustrate just how easily regulatory changes, even temporary ones, can impact perception. Foodservice operations should include regulatory communication risks in their crisis planning. A prepared response helps maintain calm, trust, and consistency.

Although the FDA’s milk proficiency testing pause isn’t cause for alarm, it serves as a valuable case study in food safety communication and preparedness. For foodservice operations: stay informed, stay transparent, and be ready to reinforce confidence, not just in your dairy products and food, but in your entire safety culture. Risk Nothing.

Food Defense—What is Your Game Plan?

We are into the season of Friday Night Lights and for many of you, this is a time when offensive and defensive strategies are discussed and rehashed during Monday morning quarterbacking sessions. Most of you working in foodservices have your “offensive” game under control with menu item and service strategies to ensure customer satisfaction--a big part of your play book. But, how is your “defensive” game? Do you have procedures in place to protect food from intentional contamination? In this blog, we will cover some background on food defense and discuss whether it really is a necessary strategy. In the second posting for this month, action steps for operations to consider will be presented.

Evaluating Food Safety

One of the suggestions I made in the last blog was to assess the food safety culture in your organization by observing the food handling techniques of workers. Let’s explore that some more. You can do an overall assessment or you can hone in on specific areas of the operation, such as production or cleaning practices. Remember, when the environmental health inspector visits your operation, he/she just gets a snapshot of what is going on in your operation on that particular day at that specific time. You are there nearly every day, so you have a much better understanding on what really happens in your operation.

September is Food Safety Education Month: The Culture of Food Safety

Developing a culture of food safety is important for any foodservice operation. You may be wondering--just what is a culture of food safety? Let’s start talking about it by first defining what is meant by culture. When you look culture up in the dictionary, you will see terms such as shared knowledge, beliefs, values, attitudes, and meanings; a way of life; patterns of behavior; learned behavior of a group of people; and transmitted from generation to generation. I think these descriptors provide good insight into the meaning of a culture of food safety. You can also think about where you grew up, and a vision of culture comes. For example, I grew up in rural Oklahoma, graduating in the 1970’s with a class of 24 students. My culture instilled in me an appreciation for rural life, hard work, and independence. As I grow older, I realize I haven’t changed very much from my early years, even though I have completed a PhD, lived a lot of places, and traveled throughout the world!