Cooperatives play a vital role in farm production. Beyond providing training and technical support, more importantly, they conduct the initial inspection of milk quality. At the Dairygold laboratory in Ireland, manager Dan Curtin stated: "Milk sources transported from various farms are recorded. We measure several indicators, including casein and non-protein nitrogen, as well as lactose, fat, total cell count, and more."
Regarding how to prevent harmful substances such as antibiotics from appearing in milk, Irish farms generally use electronic ear tags to avoid such issues. If a cow requires antibiotic treatment, strict isolation measures are first implemented. Secondly, the cow's electronic ear tag records the antibiotic treatment, and this record is maintained by both the farm's cooperative and the Irish Department of Agriculture. During the isolation period, milk samples from the cow are tested after every milking, every 8 hours, until the milk meets the standards of the Irish Department of Agriculture, at which point the isolation can be ended.