(a) Flavor. Shall be sweet, clean, and free from rancid, oxidized, scorched, fermented, stale or other objectionable tastes and odors.

(b) Color. Shall be white to light cream.

(c) Texture. Shall be smooth and uniform, free from lumps or coarse graininess. There shall not be sufficient settling of the lactose to cause a deposit on the bottom of the container.

(d) Body. Shall be sufficiently viscous so that the product upon being poured at room temperature piles up above the surface of that previously poured, but does not retain a definite form.

(e) Microbiological limits.

(1) Coliforms, less than 10 per gram; (2) yeasts, less than 5 per gram; (3) molds, less than 5 per gram; (4) total plate count, less than 1,000 per gram.

(f) Keeping quality. Samples incubated at 90-100 °F shall show no physical evidence of deterioration after seven days.

(g) Composition. Shall meet the minimum requirements of the Food and Drug Administration for sweetened condensed milk (21 CFR 131.120). In addition, the quantity of refined sugar used shall be sufficient to give a sugar-in-water ratio of not less than 61.5 percent.

(h) Sediment. The amount of sediment retained on a lintine disc after a sample composed of 225 grams of product dissolved in 500 ml. of 140 °F water has passed through it, shall not exceed 0.10 mg. as indicated by the USDA Sediment Standard for Milk and Milk Products (7 CFR 58.2726).

[40 FR 47911, Oct. 10, 1975. Redesignated at 42 FR 32514, June 27, 1977, and further redesignated at 46 FR 63203, Dec. 31, 1981, as amended at 67 FR 48977, July 29, 2002]