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- New version
- The program
- Checklist
- Coaching service
- Validation/registration
- Howe to use the menu on the right
- Useful link
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Effective November 1st 2010, Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) have launched a new version of both Canadian Quality Milk (CQM) program's Reference Manual and Workbook.Â
Updates to these documents were made necessary folowing the various precisions brought since the launch of the first version in 2003. The addition of information and the clarification of the contents constitute the major part of the changes. Certain modifications tend to simplify the requirements already planned for the producers and the new requirements relate mainly to the management of medicines. However, these last ones indeed have few consequences for the producers. (Read the CQM Notice of Change : New Reference Manual and Workbook)
The Canadian Quality Milk (CQM) program is an on-farm food safety program designed to help producers prevent, monitor and reduce food safety risks and hazards on their farms.
The CQM program is based on HACCP (hasard analysis critical control points) principles, which is an internationally recognized system that is designed to prevent and reduce food safety risks. Producers participating in the program implement best management practices and keep records to monitor critical areas of food safety.
The CQM program is technically recognized by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency as adhering to HACCP principles and being scientifically sound.
The CQM program provides registration services for producers whose on-farm food safety systems meet the requirements of the CQM reference manual. The Registration System Manual and training materials are also technically recognized by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Within the Registration System Manual, the CQM Policy is stated as:
Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) is committed to implementing the national CQM program, which consists of food safety requirements recognized by the CFIA.
The program promotes the consistent application of Best Management Practices to continuously improve food safety management on dairy farms.
The CQM program's objectives are to:
- Provide effective, efficient, fair and impartial services to all licensed applicants.
- Have producers implementing the program and achieving registration.
- Maintain CFIA technical recognition of CQM food safety requirements.
- Regularly assess and improve these services.
Here is a checklist with all the Canadian quality milk program requirements in order to complete the 63 questions of the Self-evaluation questionnaire in preparation to the on farm validation. Click here to download the checklist.
In the context of the implementation of the Canadian Quality Milk (CQM) program in Quebec, the Fédération des producteurs de lait du Québec (FPLQ) has established the CQM Coaching service, in collaboration with Valacta, to help producers follow the process to CQM validation. This service can be used to:
- obtain coaching for CQM validation, for example, to receive assistance in filling records for the CQM program or implementing the best management practices;
- obtain assistance in writing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Corrective Action Plans (CAPs);
- obtain assistance in achieving corrective actions further to a validation having already taken place.
The CQM Coaching service is offered by Valacta technicians at a cost of $32/hour.
If the service cannot be provided during a regular visit by the Valacta employee, you will also be billed a farm visit fee of $60.
The FPLQ will cover the cost of the first two hours of the CQM Coaching service until the Programme d'appui à l'implantation des systèmes de salubrité alimentaire à la ferme funds are available. This program is administered by the Conseil pour le développement de l'agrilculture du Québec (CDAQ).
Valacta will bill these two hours directly to the FPLQ and will bill you for subsequent hours, as well as for the farm visit fee, if applicable.
To obtain this service, contact your Valacta technician or advisor or, if you are not a Valacta customer, call Valacta's Customer Service Department at 1-800-BON-LAIT (1-800-266-5248).
Once you have implemented the CQM program, you may ask to have your farm registered with the program. Before completing the Registration Application Form, you must have:
- properly completed the 53 questions of the Self-Evaluation Questionnaire;
- written up Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Corrective Action Plans (CAPs), had them verified and updated them;
- installed a time and temperature recorder at least 3 months before asking for validation;
- kept complete records for at least 3 months.
To be registered with the CQM program, a validator must visit your farm. To accurately evaluate how well your farm meets the requirements of the CQM program, the validator's visit will take at least two hours.
During the validation visit, the validator will:
- check the 53 questions of the Self-Evaluation Questionnaire;
- inspect, in particular, the milk house, cattle environments, pharmacy, storage of medicated feed and pesticides;
- interview the employees who perform the tasks covered by the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).
A validation report will then be sent to the FPLQ which will issue the CQM certificate depending on the validator's recommendation. The latter may request that the producer correct certain areas before the certificate is issued. Once the recommended corrections have been made, the certificate will be issued.
To complete the CQM Registration Application, click here.
- After you have entered your user code and password, click on "Quality" and on "CQM -Â Registration application"
- The farm's authorized representative must then complete the required fields and forward the Application to the Federation.
A validator will contact you to set up a date and time for the farm visit.
How to use the menu on the right
In the menu on the right, you will find different tools to help you write your Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and Corrective Action Plans (CAP) and various records for entering information required by the CQM program.
In section "1 Standard Operating Procedures", the "Best Practices List" includes , for each procedure, the various recommended best practices extracted from the CQM Reference Manual. From these best practices, you can choose the steps that apply to your farm to write up your own Standard Operating Procedures. Shaded sections identify the areas that must be covered by your procedure. The reference (MAPAQ) indicates the requirements of MAPAQ's Regulation respecting the quality of dairy products, which you should take into account in drafting your procedures.
The item "SOP Examples" provides an example of each Standard Operating Procedure and emergency plans, which you can adapt as you see fit to produce your own procedures and plans. We have indicated in boldface type the compulsory points required by the CQM. Also, we remind you of the requirements of MAPAQ's Regulation respecting the quality of dairy, which you should take into account in drafting your procedures. These points bear the reference (MAPAQ).
Note that YOUR Standard Operating Procedures Should reflect YOUR production practices. During on-farm validation, the CQM validator will ensure that you have put your methods in writing but that your practices correspond to what you wrote in your SOP and CAP.
In section 1 and in section "2 Farm Records", you will find in "Blank Forms" the various CQM Workbook records in a "Form format" that you will be able to edit directly on your computer once downloaded. You will find these same records in Word format under the last item of the two sections.‚ You can also download and edit these files as needed.
For more detailed information on the CQM program, visit the Dairy Farmers of Canada website.
