Student Pack
From Cow to Consumer
Getting the milk to you
1. Milking
Cows are milked two or three times a day, using electric milking machines which have special suction cups that are attached to the cows’ teats. Milking this way does not hurt the cow at all. But before any cow is milked, the dairy farmer must ensure all staff are wearing clean clothing and have clean hands. Also all the equipment must be clean and sterile and the cows’ udders must have been washed to remove any dirt.
2. Farm Storage
After the cows have been milked, the fresh milk is pumped to the farm’s storage vats where it is filtered, cooled and stored at or below 4oC.
3. Leaving the Farm
Large milk tankers are used to transport the milk from the dairy farm to the factory. One tanker may collect milk from a number of dairies. Before accepting the milk, the tanker drivers test it to make sure it is okay - it must be clean and smell fresh, and comply with all health standards. The milk tankers are insulated to keep the milk at or below 4oC.
4. At the Factory
When milk is received at the factory it must again be checked to ensure it has been kept at or below 4oC during distribution and delivered within 24 hours after it is milked. The milk is then pumped into large insulated vats at the factory. All machinery and equipment at the factory is cleaned regularly. Samples of the milk are taken at various stages during processing to check the temperature and quality.
5. Pasteurisation
The next step is pasteurisation, which allows milk to stay fresh longer. Using the High Temperature Short Time method, the milk is heated to not less than 72oC for no less than 15 seconds. This kills any potentially harmful bacteria and extends the shelf life of the milk. The milk is then rapidly cooled to 4oC.
6. Homogenisation
All milk is homogenised, to prevent the cream separating and settling on top. During the homogenisation process, the milk is forced through tiny holes at high pressure which breaks up the fat globules (cream) into tiny particles. This results in the cream spreading throughout the milk in a permanent suspension.
7. Packaging
Milk is then sent through a processing line to be packaged in cartons or bottles. Cartons are made from cardboard lined with a polyethylene plastic. The cartons, in varying sizes, are flat and then are formed into their proper shape in a machine just before being filled. Once the correct amount of milk has been put in, the carton is heat sealed, stamped with the ‘use by date’ and packaged in milk crates.
Milk bottles also come in various sizes. These are made on-site or are bought. Just like cartons, milk bottles are filled, then capped, stamped with the ‘use by date’ and packaged in milk crates.
8. Distribution
Every day, milk is distributed from the factory to various milk depots in refrigerated trucks. At the depots, the milk is picked up by milk vendors in smaller trucks and distributed to supermarkets, corner stores, schools, cafes and households.
Quality Assurance
Dairy Farmers incorporates strict hygiene procedures across its supply chain from the farm to the shop, ensuring the milk you buy is of the highest quality.
The first link in the chain is the quality of the raw milk produced by our suppliers, who are also our shareholders. Our raw milk quality is subject to testing and monitoring by relevant state food safety authorities.
The hygiene standards at dairy farms are regularly checked to make sure the milk we collect has been stored in a clean and safe environment. Farm milk is only picked up by the tanker after it has been graded, and checked to ensure it has been adequately cooled.
Farm milk is tested regularly for microbiological quality, composition, and for contamination, such as antibiotics, pesticides and even added water. The health of the cows is also monitored through a range of veterinary programs.
To make sure our milk quality chain is always working correctly, we operate under internationally recognised quality management systems such as AS/NZ ISO 9002 (1996) and more recently AS/NZ ISO 9001: 2000.
These systems are thoroughly documented and audited by third party organisations, ensuring our factory sites also operate to the highest standards.
To make the milk quality chain even stronger, Dairy Farmers requires farmer suppliers to participate in a program called Proven Perfect which is a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) based system.
HACCP systems ensure that critical points in the milk supply process are properly controlled to guarantee food safety and quality. Sanitation, hygiene and pest control procedures are integrated into the system to ensure that food products are processed in hygienic premises and equipment.
HACCP meets the requirements of State food safety authorities, as well as those for exported goods.
In our production facilities, environmental monitoring programs also take place to monitor and control bacteria.
