1. (1) Cleaning and sanitizing required. A bulk milk tanker operator shall ensure the following:

   1. (a) No person may operate a bulk milk tanker unless the bulk milk tanker is cleaned immediately after each day’s use and sanitized prior to the next day’s use. A bulk milk tanker, including all attached dairy product pumps and hoses, shall be cleaned and sanitized according to this section. A bulk milk tanker shall be re-sanitized if the tanker has not been used for more than 96 hours after last being sanitized.
   2. (b) Except as provided in par. (c), a bulk milk tanker is not required to be cleaned or sanitized between loads during a 24 hour period, provided that the bulk milk tanker is cleaned after that day’s use and sanitized prior to the next day’s use.
   3. (c) Milk and dairy product pumps and hoses shall be cleaned and sanitized whenever those pumps or hoses remain unused for more than 4 hours.
   4. (d) No person may operate a bulk milk tanker unless there is documentation as required under sub. (4) showing that it has been cleaned and sanitized according to this section.
   5. (e) No person may operate a bulk milk tanker to collect grade A milk unless the tanker has been cleaned and sanitized per this section in a facility covered by a grade A permit under sub. (6).

2. (2) Bulk milk tanker cleaning facility.

   1. (a) A bulk milk tanker, including its pumps and hoses, shall be cleaned and sanitized in a fully enclosed and heated facility. The facility shall have an impervious drained floor. The facility shall have a water supply that meets the requirements of s. ATCP 65.24 (8) and (9). The facility shall be equipped with adequate hot and cold water under pressure, a wash vat, pressure sanitizing facilities, and equipment storage racks. Bulk milk tankers may be cleaned and sanitized in the same room where milk is received from those bulk milk tankers.
   2. (b) A facility used to clean and sanitize grade A bulk milk tankers, pumps, and hoses shall be covered by a grade A permit under sub. (6) and meet the requirements of par. (a).

3. (3) Cleaning and sanitizing procedure. Whenever a bulk milk tanker is cleaned and sanitized, the bulk milk tanker operator or bulk milk tanker cleaning facility employee shall do all of the following:

   1. (a) Clean and sanitize every dairy product contact surface on the bulk milk tanker, including product contact surfaces of equipment and accessories used on the tanker. If a bulk milk tanker operator or bulk milk tanker cleaning facility employee is only required to clean tanker pumps and hoses under sub. (1) (c), the operator or employee shall clean every dairy product contact surface on those pumps and hoses.
   2. (b) Sanitize dairy product contact surfaces according to s. ATCP 65.34.
   3. (c) Thoroughly clean all of the external surfaces of the bulk milk tanker.

4. (4) Cleaning documentation.

   1. (a) No person may operate a bulk milk tanker unless there is a cleaning tag or other evidence of cleaning and includes all of the following information:

      1. 1. The identification number of the bulk milk tanker, including grade A permit number if any.
      2. 2. The date and time of day when the bulk milk tanker was cleaned and sanitized.
      3. 3. The name and location of the facility where the bulk milk tanker was cleaned and sanitized and the facility’s grade A permit number under sub. (6) if any.
      4. 4. The signature or initials of the person who cleaned and sanitized the tanker.
   2. (b) If a cleaning tag is used, the bulk milk tanker shall have the cleaning tag attached as required under par. (a) to the outlet valve or inside the pump cabinet of the tanker. No person may remove the tag, except as provided in par. (c). If using other forms of evidence besides cleaning tags, that evidence must be readily accessible and must be retained as provided in par. (c).
   3. (c) Whenever a bulk milk tanker operator or bulk milk tanker cleaning facility employee cleans and sanitizes a bulk milk tanker, the last cleaning tag attached to the bulk milk tanker under this subsection shall be removed before attaching a new tag. The removed tag or other form of evidence shall be retained for at least 15 days, at the location where the tag was removed and replaced.
   4. (d) Whenever a bulk milk tanker operator or a bulk milk tanker cleaning facility employee cleans and sanitizes a direct ship tanker, the operator or employee shall apply a seal to each access port.

5. (6) Grade a bulk milk tanker cleaning facility; permit.

   1. (a) No person may operate a bulk milk tanker cleaning facility to clean grade A bulk milk tankers unless that person holds a valid grade A permit from the department for that facility. A permit is not transferable between persons or facilities.

   2. (b) A person shall apply for a grade A permit under par. (a) on an application provided by the department. The application shall include all of the following:

      1. 1. The applicant’s name, address, and telephone number.
      2. 2. The complete address of the bulk milk tanker cleaning facility, including street address, post office, and county.

      3. 3. Other information that the department reasonably requires, for purposes of issuing the grade A permit.

         Note: To obtain a copy of the license application form, or to determine which agent to contact for an application form, send an email to datcpdfslicensing@wi.gov or go to https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/Licenses_Permits/FoodLicenses.aspx.

   3. (c) The department shall grant or deny a grade A permit application under par. (a) within 40 days after the department receives a complete application.
   4. (d) In order for a bulk milk tanker cleaning facility to hold a valid grade A permit, the bulk milk tanker cleaning facility must meet the requirements of ss. ATCP 65.28 (1) (a) and 82.12 (2) (b) and pass a semi-annual inspection by the department.

History

History: Cr. Register, November, 1994, No. 467, eff. 12-1-94; CR 07-006: r. and recr., Register January 2008 No. 625, eff. 2-1-08; CR 13-104: am. (title), cr. (1) (intro.), am. (1) (a) to (c), (2), (3) (intro.), (a), (4) (title), (a) (intro.), 2., 3., (b), (c), cr. (4) (d), (6) (d) Register July 2014 No. 703, eff. 8-1-14; CR 14-073: am. (3) (b) Register August 2016 No. 728, eff. 9-1-16; CR 24-086: am. (1) (d), cr. (1) (e), am. (2) (a), (4) (a) (intro.), (b), (c), (6) (b) (intro.), (d) Register October 2025 No. 838, eff. 11-1-25; correction in (2) (a) made under s. 35.17, Stats., and correction in (6) (d) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register October 2025 No. 838.