Maximum Plate Count for Pasteurized Milk

Plate count for pasteurized milk should not exceed ________ per ml of milk:

Correct Answer: 30,000 per ml

The Standard Plate Count (SPC) for pasteurized milk should not exceed 30,000 per ml. This is a regulatory limit to ensure adequate pasteurization and good quality milk reaches consumers.

Standard Plate Count Grades for Raw Milk

• Less than 2 lakhs/ml: Very Good
• 2–10 lakhs/ml: Good
• 10–50 lakhs/ml: Fair
• More than 50 lakhs/ml: Poor

For Pasteurized Milk

Pasteurized milk SPC ≤ 30,000 per ml — this ensures that pasteurization was effective and post-pasteurization contamination is minimal.

Methylene Blue Reduction Test Grades

• 5 hours or more → Very Good
• 3–4 hours → Good
• 1–2 hours → Fair
• 0.5 hour or less → Poor

Why Other Options Are Wrong

• 50,000 → exceeds the acceptable limit for pasteurized milk.
• 1 Lakh & 2 Lakhs → these are limits for raw milk quality grading (raw milk grades), not pasteurized milk.