Search Results for: microbial contamination of raw milk

The Crucial Role of Raw Milk Microbial Testing in Producing High-Quality Dairy Products
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The Crucial Role of Raw Milk Microbial Testing in Producing High-Quality Dairy Products

The dairy industry globally strives to meet high-quality standards for processed products. One key to achieving this is raw milk microbial testing, a meticulous monitoring process that examines raw milk’s microbiological parameters. In this blog, we review the significance of these parameters, including somatic cell counts (SCC) and bacterial counts, and their direct impact on…

NF – QualiTru TruDraw Sterile Single Sampler Information

NF – QualiTru TruDraw Sterile Single Sampler Information

If you cannot measure contamination accurately, you cannot control it! Achieving accuracy in sampling and testing is crucial for controlling contamination; aseptic inline sampling is critical in ensuring this accuracy. Based on the latest Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommendations, using the right combination of environmental and process monitoring is essential to help ensure farmers…

Micro Testing for Post-pasteurization Contamination (Part 3)
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Micro Testing for Post-pasteurization Contamination (Part 3)

The first article in this series, Raw Milk Dairy Micro Testing, focused on Gram-negative bacteria in raw milk with the Preliminary Incubation (PI) Count and Fresh Standard Plate Count (SPC) tests. The second article, The Effects of Gram-positive HRSF Bacteria on Fluid Milk Shelf Life, discussed another classification of bacteria that was not known as…

The Effects of Gram-positive HRSF Bacteria on Fluid Milk Shelf Life (Part 2)
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The Effects of Gram-positive HRSF Bacteria on Fluid Milk Shelf Life (Part 2)

The first article in this series, Raw Milk Micro Testing, focused on Gram-negative bacteria in raw milk with the Preliminary Incubation (PI) Count and Fresh Standard Plate Count (SPC) tests. In this second installment, I would like to discuss another classification of bacteria (Gram-positive HRSF Bacteria) that was not known as a major issue in fluid…

Prevalence of Cold-tolerant Spore-forming Bacteria in the Milk Supply 
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Prevalence of Cold-tolerant Spore-forming Bacteria in the Milk Supply 

The shelf life of pasteurized fluid milk is challenged by bacterial contamination that enters the finished milk supply through two portals: a) contamination by Gram-negative psychrotrophic bacteria during processing after pasteurization; and b) contamination by Gram-positive spore-forming bacteria that enter primarily through the raw milk supply. In today’s processing environment, where post-pasteurization contamination is largely…

Using Preliminary Incubation Count for Measuring Raw Milk Quality
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Using Preliminary Incubation Count for Measuring Raw Milk Quality

The Preliminary Incubation (PI) Count for measuring the quality of raw milk has become increasingly popular since the production of quality milk is the number one goal of dairy farmers and cooperatives. The PI test is especially sensitive to psychrotrophic bacteria. These particular bacteria can grow at colder temperatures, which is why dairy processors are…

Using Bulk-Tank Somatic Cell Counts for Monitoring Milk Quality and Udder Health
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Using Bulk-Tank Somatic Cell Counts for Monitoring Milk Quality and Udder Health

Bulk-tank somatic cell counts (BTSCCs) are measured and monitored from Federal Milk Marketing Orders (FMMOs) to determine the quality of the milk supply in the U.S. BTSCCs are defined as the number of white blood cells, secretory cells, and squamous cells per milliliter of raw milk. Milk processors monitor BTSCCs in the nation’s milk shipments…

Psychrotrophic Bacteria in Pasteurized Milk—Spoilage, Testing, and Line Sampling
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Psychrotrophic Bacteria in Pasteurized Milk—Spoilage, Testing, and Line Sampling

Bacteria in pasteurized milk is the leading cause of spoilage and reducing shelf-life. Refer to my earlier posts, How Bacterial Generation Times Impact Fluid Milk Quality and Shelf-life and Heat-Resistant Psychrotrophic Bacteria and Their Effect on the Quality of Pasteurized Milk. In those posts, I discussed the collective efforts of the dairy industry and regulatory…

How Bacterial Generation Times Impact Fluid Milk Quality and Shelf Life
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How Bacterial Generation Times Impact Fluid Milk Quality and Shelf Life

Bacterial generation times have a significant impact on the quality of fluid milk and its shelf life regardless of the source of microbial contamination. While many factors can lower the quality of fluid milk and reduce shelf life, the most significant is microbial spoilage. “As the ability to kill, remove, or control microbial growth in…

Maintaining the Quality of Pasteurized Fluid Milk
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Maintaining the Quality of Pasteurized Fluid Milk

Quality control of pasteurized fluid milk can be complex and requires the understanding of microbial contamination, both in raw and processed milk. Aseptic and representative sampling plays an important role in monitoring raw milk quality and process monitoring for contamination within the dairy plant. Fluid milk (A commonly used term in the industry for milk…