The audit also looked at 147 dairy facilities, trucks and haulers for which the department conducted 600 routine inspections during that time period and found that 17% of the inspections were conducted 30 days or more later than what state law requires.
Some inspections were conducted more than two years late, the audit found.
In a response included in the report, the department said that because of the retirement of six of the 25 dairy section staff late in 2010, the department did not have enough staff to perform required inspections and moved to a system under which inspections were conducted by certified industry representatives.
But funding has since been restored for the dairy inspection program and, as of March 1, department officials have resumed responsibility for inspection of all dairy farms and related facilities.
“We appreciate the audit process because it helps identify areas where we can make improvements to our regulatory programs to further enhance food and dairy safety efforts and increase effectiveness,” Holton said.
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