DHIA
Quality Assured
Quality is one of the most
important aspects of your Pa.
DHIA monthly report.
You’ll never see a quality score
anywhere on your report, or a little
sticker saying, “These samples
inspected by No. 4,” but sample
testing quality affects every aspect
of the information you pay for.
Think about it. How do you
know that the fat, protein, and
somatic cell count results on your
monthly report are accurate?
You base feeding, breeding,
and even culling decisions on
these results. To use this informa
tion effectively, you must have
confidence in the test results.
As Laboratory Quality Control
Specialist for Pa. DHIA I’d like to
share with you some of the steps
we take, every day, to assure that
the results you receive are of the
highest possible quality.
First, let me describe several
aspects of sample testing that
influence the “correctness” of test
results.
An instrument must be specific
for the component in question.
There should not be background
noise that causes elevated or
depressed readings.
An instrument must produce
repeatable results. A given sample
should have the same result each
time it is tested by the machine.
Of' Course, each instrument
must be accurate, giving the right
answer each time a sample is
tested.
Every week, I run a battery of
quality checks on each machine in
the lab to make sure that it reads
Pioneered the first Central Milk Testing Laboratory
One of the first Labs to test for Protein, Somatic Cell count
Pioneer of the first computerized Laboratory
The most sophisticated and accurate Laboratory Machine Te
Fully electronic built-in PC flow of data
99% score with National Quality Certification in 94
Monthly standards - Monitored by NDHIA
Hourly check tests used to verify machine accuracy
Annual Laboratory Technician Certification
A licensed Laboratory Control Specialist on Staff
Laboratory Bulletin Board access component results on test
Pick up milk samples 6 days a week in PA
eaUiuaii-too-m-tm
samples specifically, repeatably
and accurately. Each machine is
calibrated to standards' produced
by a nationally distributed
company.
The standards cover a wide
range of values for fat, protein,
lactose and somatic cell count,
thus ensuring that the machines
are reading all samples correctly
whether, for instance, the somatic
cell count is 150,000 or 1.000.Q00.
Each morning, before any pro
ducer samples are tested, the
machine operators go through a
series of start-up tests to verify
machine performance: Is there any
background noise? Does the
machine produce the correct value
on a known sample? Is it giving
the same value each time the
sample is tested?
Any machine which does not
pass all of the performance checks
is not used until we can rectify the
problem, then verify machine
performance.
'Every hour during the day,
“check test” samples of known
value are tested to verify that the
machines are reading accurately
and consistently. Again,, any
machine not passing all quality
checks at any time is taken off line
until we feel confident that it is
functioning properly.
Throughout the course of a nor
mal working day, each woik sta
tion is subjected to a minimum of
73 quality checks!
Of course, these sophisticated
machines don’t run by them
selves. A critical part of the
H ft Can Q'm yen Qeeurah Results
From the left, Dixie Burris, director of laboratory services, end Cathy Haughwout,
laboratory control specialist, are in the Pa.DHIA laboratory where many quality con
trol operations take place dally to ensure accuracy in reports.
machine operator’s job is monitor
ing the parts of quality that any
number of machine tests can’t
control.
Things like identification,
temperature at testing, and condi
tion of samples are monitored by
the machine operator as each herd
is tested. Quality is the most
County Dairy
CLARION, (Clarion
Co.)—Pennsylvania Dairy Prin
cess and Promotion Services, Inc.
has announced the dates for its
annual Spring District Meetings
for all local dairy promoters.
Featured speaker will be Dr.
Natalie M. Ferry, extension direc
tor, Union County Penn State
Cooperative Extension. Her timely
topic will be “De-Stressing Dairy
Dilemmas.” A Family Life and
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 25, 1995-A27
important aspect of the job for our
machine operators.
Although we strive for quick
turnaround time, getting the right
answer is always more important
than gelling a fast answer.
Did you know that Pa. DHIA’s
laboratory scored 99 out of a pos
sible 100 on our last annual certifi-
Promoter
Health Specialist and former mem
ber of the SUN Area dairy promo
tion committee. Dr. Ferry is an
entertaining and thought
provoldng speaker.
The meetings will also include
updates on activities of the various
Pennsylvania dairy promotion
agencies and information needed
for upcoming dairy princess con
tests and dairy promotion
activities.
cation for National DHIA?
Whenever your samples are
tested, and whatever type of test
ing you request, you can be
assured that the test results you get
from Pa. DHIA are of the highest
possible quality.
At Pa. DHIA, we care!
Meetings
Spring
Those interested in working
with dairy promotion at the county
level are urged to attend the most
convenient meeting. Reservations
may be made by calling the Pen
nsylvania Dairy Princess office at
(814) 226-7470.
All meetings will commence at
9:30 a.m. and conclude at 3:30
p.m. and will include lunch.
Area meetings will be held as
follows:
•Central District: March
30-Holiday Inn, State
College.
South Central District:
March 31-Best Western
Inn, Carlisle.
Northwest District;
April 3-Days Inn,
Clarion.
Southwest District:
April 4-Knight’s Court,
New Stanton.
Southeast District:
April 6-Holiday Inn,
Denver.
Northeast District;
April 11-Williamston
[nn, Towanda.