Guideline Preparation and Peer Review Process

Guideline development within Dairy Practices Council (DPC) is unique and requires several levels of peer review. The first step in the process of guideline development starts with a Task Force subcommittee made up of individuals from industry, regulatory and education interested in and knowledgeable about the subject to be addressed. Drafts, called ‘white copies’, are circulated until all members are satisfied with the text. The final white copy may then be distributed to the entire task force, DPC Executive Board, state and federal regulators, education members, industry members and anyone else the DPC Executive Vice President and the Task Force Director feels would add to the strength of the review. Following final white copy review and correction the next step in the process requires a yellow cover draft that is circulated to the member Regulatory Agency representatives that are referred to as “Key Sanitarians”. The Key Sanitarians may suggest changes and insert footnotes if their state standards and regulations differ from the text. After final review and editing the Guideline is distributed in the distinctive DPC green cover to people worldwide.  These guidelines represent the state of the knowledge at the time they are written.