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Milk Chilling and Storage

Production of milk in India is very widely scattered in rural areas and at vast distances from the places of consumption i.e. urban areas. Various sources which contribute to the micro-flora in milk are containers, udder of the animal, dust and dirt particles, fodder, leaves, atmospheric air, the milker and the animal itself. The number further increases during handling, storage, transportation, processing and consuming practices prevalent in rural areas. The number and types of micro-organisms would depend upon the conditions and the sources of contamination.

As soon as microorganisms get into milk, they start growing rapidly because milkcontains all the nutrients and favourable conditions required for their growth. If the growth of micro-organisms is not checked, then their growth will continue and several bio-chemical changes will take place affecting the quality of milk. Further,if milk has to be transported to longer distances, considerable time is involved between production and processing. During this period, milk must be protected from spoilage by the action of micro-organisms. Prompt cooling, i.e. chilling is one of the methods of preserving milk, after production to maintain its quality.

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