Hygienic milk processing procedures

1.0 Milk pasteurization

1.1 Pasteurization
Pasteurization of milk is a universally known method of rendering raw milk safe
through controlled heat treatment and can be defined as the process of heating
every particle of milk and milk products to a pre-determined temperature and
holding this temperature for a pre-determined time.

1.2 Objectives of pasteurization.
Pasteurization of milk is usually done to meet at least three objectives.
To ensure that all pathogenic micro-organisms commonly found in milk are
completely destroyed.
To safeguard the food value of milk; to ensure that its chemical
compositions/constituents are retained as much as possible
The third objective is to ensure that other non-pathogenic bacteria and certain
undesirable enzymes, which may cause spoilage, are inactivated or reduced to
optimal levels.
1.3 Methods of pasteurization of Milk
Basically pasteurization of milk involves three essential steps:
Heating raw milk to a pre-determined temperature
Holding at this temperature for a predetermined time
Immediately cooling down to at least below 10
0
C
Therefore, the two most important variables are pasteurization temperature and the
exposure or holding time. At present there are at least three accepted methods of
pasteurization of milk:
1.3.1 The holding or vat method
The holding or vat method, also known as the low temperature holding time (LTLT)
process, is a method of holding the milk in a vat (container) to a temperature of 60-
65
0
C for 30 minutes. The milk is then immediately cooled to at least 10
0
Cor less in the
same container.





1.3.2 The high temperature-short time method.


This is a continuous process by which milk is rapidly brought to a temperature of 70-
75
0
C and heated continuously for 15 seconds.
For all practical purposes if milk is said to be properly pasteurized it must satisfy the
following three conditions:
o The milk must be cooled adequately (10
0
C or less) before
pasteurization so as to prevent the formation of heat resistant
staphylococcal enterotoxin.
o The pasteurization equipment should function properly and
adequately

o Precautions should be taken to prevent any post-pasteurization
contamination.

1.3.3 The ultra-high temperature (UHT) method
In this process the milk is heated to at least 90-145
0
C and held at this temperature for
at least one second and then immediately cooled to at least below 10
0
C.
1.3.4 Sanitary problems in pasteurization plants

In order to market safe milk precautions have to be taken in such pasteurization
plants:
The plant should first of all be properly designed
The equipment used for pasteurization, storage, packaging,
cooling, etc. should be of standard design, easily washable,
sterilizable etc.
There should not be any contact or leak of unpasteurized or raw
milk into the finished product
Time keeping and thermometers are necessary at all times
Since foam and splashed milk on the vat surface will not be
properly heated, steam or hot air should be applied from the top
All valves used in milk pasteurizing plants should be leak protector
types. If any leakage occurs, the leaking milk is wasted and should
not pass down the holding tube
Manual control of milk plants has proved to be unreliable because
of contamination due to carelessness.
For this reason it is now being advocated that an automatic
continuous flow type should be used.
An automatic milk flow stop is necessary to stop the forward flow
of sub temperature milk in time when the heat source fails to
provide the optimum temperature.
1.4 Fermented milk products
1.4.1 Yoghurt making
1.4.2 Basic practical requirement for production of Good quality Yoghurt milk.
Use high quality milk (must undergo basic quality testing)

Use colostrum and mastitis free milk.

Use milk free of starter culture inhibitors (chemical and drug residues)

Use clean equipment, which should be sterilized with hot water.

Always pasteurize the milk to the recommended temperatures.

Use fresh starter cultures.

Cool Yoghurt promptly and maintain cold chain during marketing.








1.4.3 Production of Yoghurt. - (Naivasha Recipe).

You require good quality milk.
Ensure you have good starter culture.

Filter the milk to remove physical dirt.

Pasteurize the milk at 80 - 85
o
C for 30 minutes in a batch pasteurizer which can be a
50 litre can heated in hot water or improved wood fueled jiko.

After pasteurization the milk should be cooled to 40 - 45 0C. Cooling may be done
rapidly in a cold water basin or trough

After cooling, inoculate the milk with 2 - 3% active starter culture. Stir well for 3-5
minutes to ensure uniform distribution of starter culture.

Incubate at 40-45 0C for a period of 3- 5 hours.

Check the coagulum. It should be compact without cracks or whey on top.

Check the acidity. It should be 0.8 - 0.9% lactic acid or pH 4.2 - 4.3.

Cool the coagulum by placing cans in chilled water or store in a refrigerator for.
12hrs. this is essential in preventing over souring of yoghurt. It also improves
consistency and viscosity as well as full yoghurt flavour development.

Break the coagulum and stir well to homogenise the curd to a smooth consistency.
You may add sugar and flavourings at this stage. To minimise contamination sugar
may be added towards the end of the pasteurisation process i.e. when the milk is
still hot.

Pack the finished product in retail containers for marketing.



1.4.4 Processing Steps in Commercial Yogurt Production:
Adjust Milk Composition and Blend Ingredients
Milk composition may be adjusted to achieve the desired fat and solids
content. Often dry milk is added to increase the amount of whey protein to
provide a desirable texture. Ingredients such as stabilizers are added at this
time.


Pasteurize Milk
The milk mixture is pasteurized at 85C for 30 minutes or at 95C for 10
minutes. A high heat treatment is used to denature the whey (serum)
proteins.
This allows the proteins to form a more stable gel, which prevents separation
of the water during storage.
The high heat treatment also further reduces the number of spoilage
organisms in the milk to provide a better environment for the starter cultures
to grow.
Yogurt is pasteurized before the starter cultures are added to ensure that the
cultures remain active in the yogurt after fermentation to act as probiotics; if
the yogurt is pasteurized after fermentation the cultures will be inactivated.

Homogenize
The blend is homogenized to mix all ingredients thoroughly and improve
yogurt consistency.

Cool Milk
The milk is cooled to 42C to bring the yogurt to the ideal growth temperature
for the starter culture.

Inoculate with Starter Cultures
The starter cultures are mixed into the cooled milk.
Hold
The milk is held at 42C until pH 4.5 is reached. This allows the fermentation to
progress to form a soft gel and the characteristic flavor of yogurt. This
process can take several hours.
Cool
The yogurt is cooled to 7C to stop the fermentation process.
Add Fruit & Flavors and sweetener
Fruit and flavors and sweeteners are added at different steps depending on
the type of yogurt.
For set style yogurt,
the fruit is added in the bottom of the cup and then the inoculated yogurt is
poured on top and the
Yogurt is fermented in the cup.
For Swiss style

The fruit is blended with the fermented, cooled yogurt prior to packaging.
1.4.5 Mala

How to make mala (Naivasha recipe)
Use good quality milk, i.e. free from antibiotics and preservatives, not
adulterated.

If making sweetened cultured milk, add sugar at the rate of 20 to 25 kg
per 500 liters (40 to 50 g per 1 litre).

Heat the milk to 92 to 95C for 3 to 5 minutes or 85C for 30 minutes or
just bring to the boil.

Cool to 22 to 25C (warm room temperature).

Inoculate with a commercial fermented milk culture (Mesophilic type)
or mix with a small amount of fermented milk.

Incubate at 22 - 25C (warm room temperate) for 16 to 18 hours.

Cool to 20C (just cool to the touch) in 30 minutes.

In case of flavored cultured milk, add flavor and color.

Stir until smooth.

Pack at 20C.

Refrigerate for 10 to 12 hours to help recover thickness lost during
stirring.

Distribute for consumption and/or sale.

1.4.6 Butter

1.4.6.1 Butter
Butter is obtained by separation of the milk and subsequent churning of the
cream. It contains a minimum of 80% butterfat. Butter can be made from fresh or
sour cream. One litre of cream makes 300 to 400 g butter.

1.4.6.2 How to make butter (Naivasha recipe)
If the cream is fresh:
Heat the cream to 80
0
C to 90C
Cool it quickly, such as in running water, to 18C
Ripen by adding 50 ml (3 tablespoons) of sour butter milk or Mesophilic starter
culture. Stir this into the cream. Cover container and leave for 24 hours at 18C
Churning:
Half fill a churn with sour cream
Churn with regular movement until the pieces of butter are as big as peas and the
buttermilk looks watery. Do not let the pieces of butter become one large lump
If there are no pieces of butter after 30 minutes, change the temperature by
adding cold or warm water then churn again.
Churning may take 15 to 60 minutes - the time depends on the weather
conditions, type of churn, fullness of the churn and fat content of the milk
Carefully remove the pieces of butter from the lid and side with clean cold water.
The water with butter will float on top of the butter milk.
Pour off the butter milk through a coarse sieve.
Washing:
Wash the butter to remove butter milk. The more butter milk you remove the
better the butter
Half fill the churn with clean cold water.
Churn for at least 10 minutes
Use a skimmer to remove the pieces of butter floating on the water or wash the
butter in a sieve
Sieve the butter and butter milk, put the butter milk on one side, turn the butter
over while washing with clean cold water.
Do not let the butter become one large lump.

Salting:
Salt according to taste - 10g per kg of butter. Leave it overnight.


Kneading:
Work (knead) the following day to improve the structure and quality
Wash the work table with clean water
Work the butter with a dump wooden spoon or a dump roller until it has a
smooth surface and you can see no more drops of water. As you work, remove
any water.

Storage:
Store butter in a cool place, in a pot or wrapped in a greaseproof paper or
aluminium foil
Sprinkle a little salt on the surface of butter in a pot; this prevents fungus. You
can freeze butter but it becomes rancid quickly after defrosting
Divide the butter into many small parts and defrost only what you need
Do not freeze salted butter; it easily becomes fatty or oily and smells fishy
If you keep butter for too long it tastes rancid and develops fungus.


1.5 Ghee

Ghee is a class of clarified butter that originated in India and is commonly
used in South Asian (Indian, Bangladeshi, Nepali, Sri Lankan, and Pakistani)
cuisine and ritual.
Ghee can be defined as a pure clarified fat exclusively obtained from milk,
cream or butter, by means of processes involving application of heat at
atmospheric pressure, which results in the almost total removal of moisture
and solid nonfat and which gives the product a characteristic flavor and
physical structure and texture.
Ghee is a concentrated milk fat that is widely used in tropical regions of the
world, especially in South Asian countries

1.5.1 Traditional ghee
Traditionally, ghee is produced both on the domestic scale by first converting milk
into curd by fermentation process (Lactobacilli), churning curd to produce butter
and subjecting butter to heat clarification to yield the final product.
Clarification by heat is done either on an open fire or in a steam-jacketed
hemispherical kettle.
During initial heating of butter, extensive frothing takes place, which must be
controlled to avoid losses associated with boil-over.
1.5.2 Uses
Ghee is primarily used for domestic culinary purposes
it may be incorporated into confectionery products,
used to garnish food, or fed to children for therapeutic purposes

1.5.3 Production of ghee

Ghee is typically prepared by heating cream or butter (from cows,
buffaloes, camels, goats, or sheep) to a sufficiently high temperature at
which it is held until most of the moisture has evaporated.
The high temperature produces carbonyls (aldehydes and ketones),
lactones, and Free Fatty Acids , which confer a characteristic flavor (varies
between locales) while improving shelf life by destroying bacteria,
inactivating enzymes, and forming reducing compounds
Over - heating, however, may lead to charring of milk solids - not - fat,
discoloration, and even loss of desirable volatile flavor compounds.
1.5.4 Commercial process
Typically, in larger scale commercial production of ghee, fresh or
cultured cream is heated to 115 C in stainless steel steam - jacketed
vessels with continuous agitation until caramelisation produces a
golden brown color.
When butter is the starting material, it is usually first heated to
60 C and then transferred as a liquid into the steam - jacketed
stainless - steel ghee boiler, where it is heated with continuous
agitation to 90 C
Heating to a higher temperature may be carried out to develop a
desirable color and flavor in the final product.
The use of ripened milk, cream, or butter has been shown to produce
an enhanced flavor in the ghee compared to the use of uncultured raw
materials, and this is thought to be due to transfer of flavor
metabolites such as free fatty acids and carbonyls from the aqueous
phase of the original cultured source.
1.5.5 Packing and shelf life
Ghee is generally packed into metal cans with a lacquered inner surface,
although laminated pouches have also been used as a cheaper alternative.
The shelf life of ghee is affected by its degree of unsaturation, but may be
extended by storing a low moisture product in opaque containers at a low
temperature to reduce autoxidation.
1.5.6 Preference
A good grainy texture due to the formation of large milk fat crystals is an important
quality attribute of ghee; this can be encouraged by seeding liquid ghee with a small
quantity of ghee grains.
Ghee color and flavor are source and process dependent and tend to be determined
by regional consumer preference.
1.6 Cheese

1.6.1 Cheese making involves a number of main stages that are common to most types of
cheeses.
1.6.2 The cheese milk is pre-treated, possibly pre-ripened after addition of a bacteria
culture appropriate to the type of cheese, and mixed with rennet.
1.6.3 Basic steps in cheese making
1.6.3.1 Pasteurization
Before the actual cheese making begins, the milk usually undergoes pre-
treatment designed to create optimum conditions for production.
Pasteurization must be sufficient to kill bacteria capable of affecting the
quality of the cheese, e.g. coliforms, which can cause early blowing and
a disagreeable taste. Regular pasteurization at 72 73C for 15 20
seconds is most commonly applied.

1.6.3.2