Membrane Filtration Sampling Blog
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Membrane Filtration Sampling

ByChris Pundmann

Membrane filtration is a widely used process in the dairy industry that separates specific components of milk and whey and then either concentrates or removes/reduces them. The technology used in cheese-making, whey protein concentration, fractionation of protein, and numerous other dairy processes requires special sampling considerations for both regulatory purposes and component analysis. It is…

cold-tolerent spore-forming bacteria
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Prevalence of Cold-tolerant Spore-forming Bacteria in the Milk Supply 

ByClarence Johnson

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…

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…

Standard Plate Count and raw milk quality
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Standard Plate Count of Milk: Effects on Quality

ByDan Funke

Standard Plate Count (SPC) directly impacts the quality of raw milk. The quality of the raw milk supply begins on the dairy farm and ends when the product is consumed by consumers. Maintaining the highest quality throughout this chain requires close monitoring and numerous regulations and quality standards for Grade “A” raw milk. SPC measures…

Aseptic sampling for dairy plants
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Aseptic Sampling for Quality Control—Representative or Grab Sampling?

ByAnne Bigalke

Aseptic sampling for quality control is essential for quality management in dairy plants plants. A dairy processor can only be assured of final product quality if strict, comprehensive sampling and testing protocols are followed throughout the process, from unloading the milk at the plant to the finished product. Aseptic and representative sampling for dairy plants…

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

ByDan Funke

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 encouraging…

driver on top of dairy tanker truck
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Aseptic Sampling System for Tanker Trucks: Enhancing Safety and Efficiency

ByMark Moores

This is a guest post written by Mark Z. Moores, CPCU, ARM, AAI, President, Moores Insurance Management, Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is a highly respected adviser in the insurance industry. See Author Bio at the end of the post. Compared to other industries, trucking, including the milk tanker industry, has some of the highest work-related injury…

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…

Water System Testing in Brewery
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Water System Testing for Microorganisms in a Brewery – Committed to Quality

ByGwen Raddatz

Water system testing for microorganisms in a brewery is a regular part of the process at Cold Spring Brewing Company (CSBC). It has been the hallmark of this iconic brewery for well over a century and shows its total commitment to quality. A brief history of CSBC CSBC is located in Cold Spring, Minnesota. It…

Representative sampling for dairy farms
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Representative Sampling Solves Two Critical Problems for Dairy Farmers – Part 1

ByMara Herschbach

How does representative sampling solve two crucial problems for dairy farmers? Recently, I had the opportunity to have an in-depth conversation with Denise Sutton, Large Farm Sales Manager at DFA Farm Supplies. She has extensive experience in the dairy farm industry, including being a herd manager and running a dairy farm. Denise is also a…