A practical approach to hygienic design of dairy equipment
The hygienic design of dairy equipment aims to prevent contamination (biological, chemical, physical) of the product or material flow through ingress, accumulation or growth. As a pre-requisite programme (PRP), it supports HACCP in a Food Safety Management System (FSMS) by limiting the number of foreseeable hygiene risks to a practical minimum and by facilitating mitigation […]
Let’s Explore the Dairy Matrix
In recent years, nutrition science has shifted focus from examining individual nutrients to understanding the health effects of whole foods. This approach acknowledges that the nutrient composition of a food doesn’t always predict its overall health impacts. Whole foods, such as dairy products, are made up of complex structures containing various nutrients, bioactive compounds, and […]
Safety aspects of pesticides on dairy farms
Pesticides are intrinsically hazardous of nature but the risks of storing and using pesticides and related animal health products on dairy farms can be mitigated or eliminated by playing according to the safety rules. Safe storage, safe application, proper cleaning and disposal of empty containers, and safe disposal of obsolete or redundant pesticides will be […]
Dairy calf welfare trends, suggestions and solutions
“If we want people to still be drinking real milk in 20 or 30 years, we need to give them a reason to drink milk, not just shoot down their reasons not to drink it.” – Canadian Dairy Farmer 2022. Ignore the trends in dairy calf welfare at your own peril. There is a disconnect between how the public perceive […]
Let’s troubleshoot cheesemaking and get solutions to your challenges!
After the previous cheese fermentation webinar, we received numerous requests for assistance with challenges experienced during cheesemaking. This follow up webinar focused on the most common challenges during cheesemaking. Hans focused on the following topics:
Fermentation techniques that play a role in cheesemaking and ripening
Fermented dairy products, particularly cheese, have been used for thousands of years to preserve milk, to make it more transportable, readily available, and more digestible because of lactose breakdown during the fermentation process. There are various fermentations that play an important role in cheese making and cheese ripening. As they say…” Age is not important […]
DSA Lab Services: The real test of quality
DSA Lab Services: The real test of quality The promotion of quality milk and dairy products is extremely important, as inferior quality products can be catastrophic to the South African dairy industry and its consumers. This is the foundation on which the Dairy Standard Agency (DSA) has been built. To fortify its focus even more, […]
Pre-employment and routine examinations of milk handlers
Pre-employment and routine examinations of milk handlers With biosecurity and food safety now at the forefront more than ever before, the question is often asked to what extent the staff at farm level, with specific reference to handlers of milk, contribute to food safety risks. Pathogenic organisms Regulation 961 of 2012 relating to hygiene requirements […]
Public Health risks related to consumption of raw milk and raw milk dairy products
Raw milk has a diverse microbial flora which can include pathogens transmissible to humans. The main microbiological hazards associated with raw milk from milking animals can be identified using a decision tree approach, considering the evidence of milk-borne infection and the hazards being present and the impact of potential hazards on human health for example […]
Design criteria and factors important for effective cleaning
Hygienic design principles, relating to equipment as well as the relevant processes, are applied in Food and Beverage operations. This is done to allow for effective and efficient cleaning and disinfection regimes in order to minimize cross-contamination risks and manage food safety risks. During this discussion, design criteria and factors affecting the application of validated […]