monitoring post-pasteurization contamination
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Post-Pasteurization Contamination Monitoring: A Canary in the Coal Mine

ByDarrell Bigalke

Post-pasteurization contamination in dairy plants is a warning signal for potential food safety and spoilage concerns. While having an effective sanitation program gets the most attention, good sanitation alone cannot guarantee product quality and food safety. Sampling and testing products during processing are critical for identifying potential sources of post-pasteurization contamination. Possible causes of post-pasteurization…

Bulk Starter Vessel Inoculation - QualiTrui
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Bacteriophage Control Using Closed Bulk Starter Vessel Inoculation – Part 2

ByDarrell Bigalke

Bacteriophage control and management for preventing phage invasions are challenges many dairy processing plants face. Starter culture bacteria play an essential role by converting milk sugar (lactose) into lactic acid in making dairy products such as cheese and yogurt. Photomicrograph of yogurt showing S. thermophilus and L. bulgaricus. (Image: Courtesy of Mullan, Michael. (2014). Starter…

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

ByDarrell Bigalke

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…

fluid milk shelf life
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Understanding Bacterial Generation Times and Their Impact on Milk Quality

ByDarrell Bigalke

Bacterial generation times—the period it takes for bacteria to double in population—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, making it essential to…

Biofilms in the Dairy Processing Industry
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Biofilms in the Dairy Processing Industry—What and Why are They Important?

ByDarrell Bigalke

Biofilms in the dairy processing industry are a big problem because they threaten the quality and safety of dairy products. The growth of bacterial biofilms is the primary reason for microbial contamination of milk and other dairy products. “In recent years, the formation and impacts of biofilms on dairy manufacturing have been studied extensively, from…

Heat-Resistant Psychrotrophic Bacteria and Milk Spoilage
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Heat-Resistant Psychrotrophic Bacteria and Their Effect on the Quality of Pasteurized Milk

ByDarrell Bigalke

Heat-Resistant Psychrotrophic Bacteria or Heat-Resistant Psychrotrophs (HRP) can affect the quality of pasteurized milk. Have you ever poured milk from a carton only to see it come out in chunks? Have you ever gulped milk only to realize too late that it tastes awful? Milk curdling and off-flavors in pasteurized fluid milk are huge turnoffs…

Bacteria in pasteurized fluid milk
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Maintaining the Quality of Pasteurized Fluid Milk

ByDarrell Bigalke

Maintaining the quality of pasteurized fluid milk is essential for consumer safety, shelf life, and product satisfaction. While pasteurization eliminates harmful pathogens, other factors, such as microbial contamination and post-pasteurization risks, can compromise milk quality. By implementing robust quality control measures, including regular sampling and testing, dairy plants can help ensure the safety and consistency…