Milk processing begins on a dairy farm where cows are milked twice daily. The milk is then transported to a processing plant where it undergoes clarification, fortification with vitamins, pasteurization, homogenization, and packaging. Milk containers are stamped with shelf life dates and stored in refrigerated warehouses before being delivered to grocery stores.
In most cases, milk processing begins in a dairy. The dairy is a type of farm dedicated to the breeding and care of cattle in order to use them for milking. After the milk is collected, it goes through a clarification and separation process, after which it is fortified with vitamins. Once fortified, the milk must be pasteurized and homogenized, processes that kill bacteria and reduce the amount of fat it contains. Once these procedures have been completed, the milk is ready to be packaged and sold.
On most farms, the cows are milked twice a day. Milking is done using vacuum equipment which transfers the milk into refrigerated tanks. This milk is then collected by refrigerated trucks which transfer the milk to a processing plant. Before transport, the drivers check that the milk contained in the refrigerated tanks is fit for use, a process which is normally carried out by testing the temperature and flavour. When the truck arrives at the processing plant, the milk is pumped from the truck into tanks which will keep it ready for the separation and clarification process.
Clarification is a step in milk processing that ensures the milk is free of bacteria and debris. The milk is placed in large vats which are constantly turning. The spinning causes the milk to separate from debris and floating bits of bacteria. Once clarification is complete, the milk is centrifuged again to separate the heavier milks from the lighter ones. Heavier milks can be used for butter, cream or buttermilk, while lighter milks are reserved for most table milks.
The next step in milk processing is usually fortifying with vitamins. Most of the time, vitamins A and D are pumped into the milk in carefully measured amounts. Once the vitamins are in the milk, it’s ready to be pasteurized. Pasteurization is an extra step that helps kill any remaining bacteria in the milk. Pasteurization is usually done by heating the milk as it passes through steel pipes.
Homogenization is a stage in milk processing which eliminates part of the residual fat in the milk. This is done by using heat to reduce the size of the fat particles. Without homogenization, the fat particles would eventually separate from the milk and float to the top.
The final step in milk processing is to put the milk into containers for retail sale. Some of the containers may be paper cartons, while others are plastic jugs. Most countries require milk containers to be stamped with dates indicating their shelf life. Once the containers are ready to ship, they are sent to distribution warehouses where they are kept refrigerated until delivered to grocery stores.
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