Meadow Gold milk is cleared for sale

Meadow Gold Dairies has approved milk.

The state said Tuesday that Meadow Gold may resume selling 2 percent reduced-fat milk processed at its Honolulu plant after sales were suspended more than a week ago because of signs of potential contamination.

Meadow Gold, a brand of Dallas-based Dean Foods Co, received a cease-and-desist order Feb. 27 from the state Department of Health to stop sales of the 2 percent milk in response to milk samples exceeding limits for coliform bacteria, an indicator of contamination.

The source of the problem was Meadow Gold Dairies’ Honolulu plant, one of two facilities the company has in Hawaii.

Coliform bacteria are commonly found in soil and surface water, on plants and in the intestines of humans and animals. The presence of coliform bacteria shows that other disease-causing organisms also could be in milk.

Reace Smith, spokeswoman for Meadow Gold owner Dean Foods, said Meadow Gold fixed an equipment problem that led to the earlier results.

“When the Department of Health raised their concerns, we immediately addressed the problem and were cleared to once again process 2 percent milk in Honolulu,” she said in an email. “We believe we identified and resolved an equipment issue that contributed to the quality results that were below our standards. We appreciate the efforts of the Department of Health to quickly address the situation so we may continue to supply quality milk to our neighbors on the island.”

Smith said the milk was never recalled or pulled from the market.

“We were able to continue supplying our neighbors with additional milk from our plants on the Big Island and the mainland,” she said.

Meadow Gold moved the production of 2 percent milk to other facilities, including its other processing plant, in Hilo.

Milk samples taken by the DOH in January and February showed coliform counts of up to 15 times the maximum allowed. The maximum allowed coliform limit for pasteurized milk is 10 coliforms per milliliter.

DOH said Tuesday that tests conducted in March showed the milk was in compliance with the standards. Samples taken March 1, 2 and 6 found coliform counts of less than 1 coliform per milliliter.

DOH said the milk was still safe to drink when the test showed it was exceeding the maximum coliform counts allowed.

“The milk is safe to drink,” DOH spokeswoman Janice Okubo said. “The coliform levels are used primarily as a quality control indicator.”