Contamination sources, risks and precautions

There a several different sources of contamination during the milk production process. It does not matter when or how the contamination occurs – either way, it is always the producer who is held responsible for the contamination. For that reason, it is of utmost importance that the producer identifies the different risks – contamination points – and then takes measures to prevent the contamination from happening.

Some of the major sources of contamination during the milk production process are:

• Feces from animals, in particular from the tail, the udder or teats.
• Bacteria from dirty hands, unhygienic milking practice, poorly cleaned equipment, insufficient disinfection of teats before the milking starts.
• Abnormal milk such as blood in the milk, clots or pathogens
• Foreign materials, elements and bodies, such as components from the machinery that have nearly disintegrated, but also dust, insects or hairs from the animals.
• Metals, chemicals or organics from cleaning detergents, leftover from veterinary products or other foreign bodies.

How do milk producers minimize the risks of contamination of the milk?

There are a lot of different ways to minimize the contamination risks in milk production farms. In this guide, we will take you through some of them such as:

1. The health of the animals
2. The cleanliness of the animals
3. Best practices for milking
4. The equipment used for milking
5. The storage and cooling of milk

In these new sections, we will go through these bullets, so you can learn more about how to reduce the risks of contamination by identifying the sources and taking precautionary measures to remove these sources entirely.

 

How to avoid risks of contamination in terms of animal health

In order for the milk to be safe and contamination-free, it is important that the animals are healthy. It is necessary to do continuous check-ups on the animals to make sure that they are in a good general health state. Because only these animals are able to produce milk at the level of safety that is required. Furthermore, if the animals show any possible sign of udder disease, it is also important that the milk that these animals produce is not used for human consumption. Udder disease is an example of lack of health for the animals – a lack of health that compromises the quality (and safety) of the milk. Last but not least, if the animals are getting some sort of medical treatment, it is also important that the milk that they produce is not used for human consumption. You will have to wait until the end of the withdrawal period that is prescribed for the particular kind of medicine that the animal is being treated with.

 

Hygiene is a matter of animal health – and detail

Hygiene in dairy production has animal health at the base. It is a fundamental requirement for safe milk. However, there are so many other ways where the need for hygiene manifests itself. From the very large and overarching aspects such as animal health to using the right machinery parts even though they are very small, for example the nylon wheels. Even the stainless feet of the production machinery that you need in your farm need to comply with hygienic regulations.

Read more on how to minimize the risks of milk contamination in part 3 of 5 of the practical guide – the guide that gives you a full overview of how to ensure hygiene in dairy production.