Thorough cleaning and disinfection of the equipment are essential parts of dairy operations. Bad hygienic can have very serious consequences as milk is a perfect substrate in which bacteria can multiply rapidly.

Milk that comes into contact with surfaces in tanks, pipes and other process equipment that have not been properly cleaned, or with the hands or clothing of dairy personnel, will pick up dirt and bacteria.

CIP can be defined as circulation of cleaning liquids through machines and other equipment in a cleaning circuit. This means that rinsing water and detergent solutions are circulated through tanks, pipes and process lines without the equipment having to be dismantled.

The passage of the high-velocity flow of liquids over the equipment surfaces generates a mechanical scouring effect which dislodges dirt deposits.

Pasteurization of milk is one of the most important dairy processes.

Before it was Introduced, milk was a dangerous source of infection as it is a perfect growth medium for micro-organisms.

Its main aim is to destroy all pathogenic organisms, which cause disease in milk indeed. To achieve this milk has to be heated to a certain temperature and held at that temperature for a prescribed time.

The high temperature short time (HTST) method of pasteurization is used; The milk is heated to not less than 72°c, held at that temperature for at least 15 seconds and then rapidly cooled.

PASTEURIZERS

Milk comes from a silo tank to a balance tank and is pumped at a constant flow rate to the PHE. In the first section it is heated to pasteurization temperature.

The heated milk then flows through a holding section, where no temperature treatment is applied, in order to obtain the necessary holding time.

From the holding section the pasteurized milk continues to a cooling section where it is cooled to about +4°c.