Legislation and source of contamination
Do you work in the dairy industry? Then this practical guide is meant for you. It is written specifically for producers and farmers of milk to help you comply with the specifications, regulations, standards and requirements that the milk industry has to live up to. In this field – as in any other field of food processing – there is a massive body of legislation that the different production companies need to live up to in order to be in business.
Some of the areas that will be covered in the guide are:
- Hygiene
- Safety
- Contaminants
- Food contact materials and many, many more …
In the guide, we will go through different regulations, specifications and standards as well as overall good practice when it comes to hygiene in dairy production and processing. You will also find practical examples of the different aspects that we will be discussing. All aspects will deal with how to produce safe food and thus, how to reduce the risks that non-safe foods can have for the consumers – and for your company.
Legislation on food hygiene in Europe
In 2006, the EU launched a new food hygiene legislation which had a lot of new consequences and guidelines for businesses in the food industry. It came with a whole new set of requirements for producing food in a way that places an emphasis on safety, hygiene and consistency. And when we say this, we do not just include the processing of food. We are talking about the whole process – from start to finish, from farm to fork. However, the new legislation did not just contain new things. Some of the elements from the previous legislation were naturally maintained such as:
- The health of the animals
- The cleanliness of the animals
- Hygiene during milking and many, many more …
Where does contamination of milk come from?
There are several points at which milk can be contaminated – and these risk points occur all the way during the process of milk production. From the treatment of the animals to the later packaging and delivery. Regardless of where the contamination comes from, it is the responsibility of the milk producer to eradicate all sources of contamination for the milk. Because if the milk is contaminated during this process, it is the milk farmer – or the food business operator more generally – that is liable and held responsible. And this can create severe consequences for the company and finally be the end of a company. Therefore, it is crucial to identify risk points – contamination points – and to take precaution and implement certain control measures to avoid contamination.
Hygiene has to be implemented everywhere – down to the smallest, yet important machinery part. One example of a (maybe unexpected) control measure is the hygiene of the machinery. It is crucial that each part in the production machinery lives up to the several different requirements for hygiene. From the larger parts of the machinery to the smallest elements such as the wheels and IP67 Bearings.
Read more in part 2 of 5 of the practical guide for ensuring hygiene in dairy production.