Lansing, Mich.-based Neogen Corp. made its Neogen analytics environmental monitoring program (EMP) available to qualified food and beverage manufacturers for a full year at no cost.

Manufacturing safe, wholesome products is the most important aspect of any dairy foods business. And the foundation for producing these products are rigorous food safety and sanitation programs in a properly designed facility.

The organizations collaborated with a team of experts to produce the guide.

Whether you're in the business of manufacturing cheese, milk products, milk powders, cultured products, ice cream or anything else in the dairy world, your final products must be wholesome and pathogen-free.

It's no secret that food recalls can wreak havoc on a dairy processing company, damaging both sales and brand reputation. And one of the major causes of food recalls across the food and beverage industry is bacterial contamination.

The importance of environmental swabbing in dairy operations cannot be overstated. Some reasons are rather obvious, while others may not be so. But the responsibility falls on all food and beverage manufacturing companies to ensure that public safety, health and trust are not compromised in any way.