Can the official milk fat and bacteria sample be taken from the bottom outlet valve if the agitator is not working?

The correct answer is that samples may not be taken from the bottom outlet valve if the agitator is not functioning. When the agitator is not operational, it can lead to stratification or separation of the milk components, meaning that the milk fat and bacteria might not be uniformly distributed. This would result in an inaccurate representation of the milk's quality, as samples taken from a non-agitated environment can fail to capture the true characteristics of the entire batch. Consequently, for the integrity and accuracy of testing results, it is essential to ensure that proper agitation occurs before sampling.

This guideline helps in maintaining quality standards and ensures compliance with testing protocols, which might be compromised if sampling is done from a non-agitated source.