Interstate Milk Shippers Certification Query
Hello All,
We are currently SQF certified in packaging. I have been tasked with researching Interstate Milk Shipper (IMS) certification. After reading the Grade A Pasteurized Milk Ordinance found on the FDA website I am not entirely sure we would qualify as we do not produce or ship dairy products, only packaging consisting primarily of plastic liners. I am reaching out to see if there are any other packaging manufacturers who are IMS certified and if there is any guidance available.
So the question is...does your packaging material come into contact with Grade A dairy products? If "YES" then you need IMS Certification. If "NO" then it is not needed.
If you answer "YES" you need to contact your state department of health. They will have a dairy branch and from there they can give you guidance on obtaining your IMS certification as a Certified Manufacturer of Single-Service Containers and/or Closures for milk and/or Milk Products. It will require an inspection, or multiple inspections, by the county and state.
Here's a link that gives a lot of information around IMS and becoming certified or included in the list.
Hello Ryan,
We do not currently make packaging that comes in contact with Grade A dairy products. My inquiry is for consideration of entering into the market which we would need the IMS Certification for.
Thank-you for the information regarding who to contact and for the link, this is not one I had found in my research and is very informative.
Hello Ryan,
We do not currently make packaging that comes in contact with Grade A dairy products. My inquiry is for consideration of entering into the market which we would need the IMS Certification for.
Thank-you for the information regarding who to contact and for the link, this is not one I had found in my research and is very informative.
Here's the caveat...you likely won't get certification until you have a customer. That is how it worked when I was involved with Grad A dairy products. It is best to make sure you have all your ducks in a row and as soon as you get a customer you can contact the Milk & Dairy Food Safety Branch for your area to get an IMS inspection and become certified. If the inspector in your area is hospitable and reasonable, most are by the way, they may even come by your facility and do an evaluation to see what gaps you may have and how you can address them.
Good luck!