Guideline Preparation and Peer Review Process
The Dairy Practices Council (DPC) guideline development and update process is unique and requires several levels of peer review. The first step in the process 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 and content. The final white copy may then be distributed to the entire task force, the DPC Executive Board, DPC Regulatory Members and other regulatory agencies, Educational Members, Industry Members and anyone else the Task Force Director and/or the DPC Executive Vice President feel would add strength to the review.
Following final white copy review and corrections, the next step in the process requires a "yellow cover" draft that is circulated to the representatives of participating Regulatory Agencies 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 our knowledge at the time they are written.
Currently, DPC Guidelines are primarily distributed electronically in pdf format without colored covers, but the process and designation of the steps remains the same. Contributors listed affiliations are at the time of their contribution.
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