Various types of containers made of different materials, sizes, shapes and designs are used in milk handling at pick up-points, collecting centres, collecting and cooling centres and finally for delivering to the processing plant.
i. Materials of Construction/Fabrication
Wood, plastics, porcelain, glass, metals etc. are used for fabricating different type of milk containers of several uses (Table).
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| Type of containers and their uses |
ii. Design of Milk Containers
Milk containers must be designed in such a way that all the parts of a container are accessible for cleaning, sanitization and inspection. The container must give protection to milk from spoilage, light penetration and contamination. Some small-scale farmers use cans which were previously used as packaging material for other foods. Such cans may have joints which are not accessible to washing operations.
iii. Containers on the Farm
Type, size and design of containers depend on the farm operations and size of the herd. Milking is usually done by hand in small organized farms. Machine milking is limited to the large-scale government/institutional farms. For hand milking, wide mouthed buckets made of aluminium or stainless steel are used. In some farms,small-mouthed milking pails are prevalent.
At the end of the milking process, the herd’s milk is pooled into one or a few containers. For this, milk cans, bulk tank,refrigerated or insulated vats/tanks with lid to cover, and similar type of containers may be used. The following is the list of equiment and containers used at organized farms:
- Milking machine
- Milking pail
- Weight balance, platform type
- Storage milk cans
- Storage vat
- Bulk storage tank
- Can cooling system
- Milk sampling and testing unit
- Bulk tank cooler
iv. Individual Farmers’ Containers
Farmers in rural area have very small holding of milch animals, usually in the range of 1 to 3 in number. They use the containers varying in size and of materials for milking, storing and carrying to collection point for delivering the milk. Types of containers in use at farmers’ house are:
- Buckets made of galvanized iron, brass, aluminium, stainless steel, etc.
- Milking pail of galvanized iron.
- Baked earthen pots.
- Pitcher of brass, earth or copper.
- Tumbler, jug etc. of brass, bronze, aluminium, mild steel and stainless steel.
- Second hand package container of tin, plastic etc.
- Measures of bronze, aluminium or chrome plated iron.
It is advisable for individual farmers to acquire containers fabricated from approved materials and of standard size. Standard size milk cans ranging from a few litres to the large 40 to 50 litres are available in the market. Farmer organizations should assist the small-scale farmers to acquire milk containers of the right size and design for proper protection in terms of keeping quality, chemical composition, microbial quality, taste and flavour, and also for making handling easier.
Standard containers allow the use of mechanical devices in conveying, tipping,washing, sterilizing, interchanging of lids, loading and unloading. It is easy to control the price of standard equipment throughout the market-both nationally and internationally.
v. Containers at Pick up Points
i. Materials of Construction/Fabrication
Wood, plastics, porcelain, glass, metals etc. are used for fabricating different type of milk containers of several uses (Table ).
ii. Design of Milk Containers
Milk containers must be designed in such a way that all the parts of a container are accessible for cleaning, sanitization and inspection. The container must give protection to milk from spoilage, light penetration and contamination. Some small-scale farmers use cans which were previously used as packaging material for other foods. Such cans may have joints which are not accessible to washing operations.
iii. Containers on the Farm
Type, size and design of containers depend on the farm operations and size of the herd. Milking is usually done by hand in small organized farms. Machine milking is limited to the large-scale government/institutional farms. For hand milking, wide mouthed buckets made of aluminium or stainless steel are used. In some farms,small-mouthed milking pails are prevalent.
At the end of the milking process, the herd’s milk is pooled into one or a few containers. For this, milk cans, bulk tank,refrigerated or insulated vats/tanks with lid to cover, and similar type of containers may be used. The following is the list of equiment and containers used at organized farms:
- Milking machine
- Milking pail
- Weight balance, platform type
- Storage milk cans
- Storage vat
- Bulk storage tank
- Can cooling system
- Milk sampling and testing unit
- Bulk tank cooler
iv. Individual Farmers’ Containers
Farmers in rural area have very small holding of milch animals, usually in the range of 1 to 3 in number. They use the containers varying in size and of materials for milking, storing and carrying to collection point for delivering the milk. Types of containers in use at farmers’ house are:
- Buckets made of galvanized iron, brass, aluminium, stainless steel, etc.
- Milking pail of galvanized iron.
- Baked earthen pots.
- Pitcher of brass, earth or copper.
- Tumbler, jug etc. of brass, bronze, aluminium, mild steel and stainless steel.
- Second hand package container of tin, plastic etc.
- Measures of bronze, aluminium or chrome plated iron.
It is advisable for individual farmers to acquire containers fabricated from approved materials and of standard size. Standard size milk cans ranging from a few litres to the large 40 to 50 litres are available in the market. Farmer organizations should assist the small-scale farmers to acquire milk containers of the right size and design for proper protection in terms of keeping quality, chemical composition, microbial quality, taste and flavour, and also for making handling easier.
Standard containers allow the use of mechanical devices in conveying, tipping,washing, sterilizing, interchanging of lids, loading and unloading. It is easy to control the price of standard equipment throughout the market-both nationally and internationally.
v. Containers at Pick up Points
The individual farmer’s containers are handled at pick up points. At the point,sometimes milk from many farmers is pooled into fewer and larger containers. Use of standard containers reduces the time of weighment of milk of the individual farmers/suppliers.
vi. Containers for Collecting and Cooling Centers
Milk from small-scale farmers is collected daily once or twice, and delivered to a processing plant. Evening milk is collected, cooled and held cold overnight for delivery to the processor together with the following day’s morning milk. The final delivery of milk to the processor is done mainly in 40-50 litre aluminium alloy cans(may be insulated also) or in bulk tanks.
vii. Containers for Bulk Milk
Bulk milk collection is carried out either in 40-50 litres cans loaded on lorries or pick up or it may be collected using bulk pick up road tankers where the infrastructure allows. Single wall cans are usually used. In few cases, insulated cans are used.After delivery, the processor washes and sanitizes the cans and returns to the collection and/or cooling centre.
Road bulk pick up tankers are used to transport milk from collection or collection-cum-cooling centres. A tank may be equipped with a pump and hose, weighing facilities or a flow meter, sample bottle with an in-built automatic sampling line.Bulk pick up tankers are usually constructed with an insulation layer of cork,polystyrene or mineral wool. The tanker may be refrigerated or simply insulated.
The individual farmer’s containers are handled at pick up points. At the point,sometimes milk from many farmers is pooled into fewer and larger containers. Use of standard containers reduces the time of weighment of milk of the individual farmers/suppliers.
vi. Containers for Collecting and Cooling Centers
Milk from small-scale farmers is collected daily once or twice, and delivered to a processing plant. Evening milk is collected, cooled and held cold overnight for delivery to the processor together with the following day’s morning milk. The final delivery of milk to the processor is done mainly in 40-50 litre aluminium alloy cans(may be insulated also) or in bulk tanks.
vii. Containers for Bulk Milk
Bulk milk collection is carried out either in 40-50 litres cans loaded on lorries or pick up or it may be collected using bulk pick up road tankers where the infrastructure allows. Single wall cans are usually used. In few cases, insulated cans are used.After delivery, the processor washes and sanitizes the cans and returns to the collection and/or cooling centre.
Road bulk pick up tankers are used to transport milk from collection or collection-cum-cooling centres. A tank may be equipped with a pump and hose, weighing facilities or a flow meter, sample bottle with an in-built automatic sampling line.Bulk pick up tankers are usually constructed with an insulation layer of cork,polystyrene or mineral wool. The tanker may be refrigerated or simply insulated.
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