Milk’s (Clean) journey:
Cowsheds to consumers
Cleaning of large equipment / machines in any industrial environment is a challenge, particularly when it relates to the manufacturing of consumables. In the food and related sectors, the need to clean the equipment and surrounding areas are paramount. Most modern units have adopted Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Cleaning In Place (CIP) processes which are based on a systematic and strict timetable.
“In the changing production scenario where manufacturing is done in bulk, say, as much as 1.5lakh litres or more of milk processed for various products at-a-time, the cleaning of large silos and pipes becomes a challenge”, says Dr K K Pramanik, Manager-Quality Assurance of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Market Federation. “Cleaning in such units is not spring cleaning, spot cleaning or deep cleaning that can be done on a once or twice a day, weekly or monthly basis. CIP is a continuous cleaning process,”
Even a slight spill of milk can wreak havoc. When milk spills, it not only decomposes but causes instant odour. Cleaning becomes equally difficult and cumbersome. Hence, the best way is to control odour at the root than to prevent it later. “At Amul, we try and ensure there is no milk spillage at any place. It is better to find the source of odour and remove the source than to allow the odour to set in and then control it,” says Dr Pramanik.
A modern unit today has fully computerised automated systems that control the processing right from the opening of the valve to the running of the pump. These machines are equipped with CIP system which is PLC based (programmable logic controller).“Cleaning in the food processing plant, particularly dairy processing unit, involves four important aspects the cleaning agent, the temperature, the flow and the time. To maintain all these in the precise specification, we need the CIP systems. At a given temperature, with a certain flow and turbulence using a certain type of cleaning agent, specific cleaning is possible. The CIP systems which have conductivity meters, RTDS for temperature, flow meters… are the eyes and ears in the plant. This is connected to the PLC system.
“With every product, there are certain CIP recipes which are programmed to perform the various cleaning operations. For example, if you activate recipe one, it is programmed to drain the milk, recipe two to clean with fresh water, recipe three to clean with caustic at a particular concentration, then drain, then clean with water, then sterilize with hot water at 90oC for 10 minutes … until the system is clean and ready for the next batch. The system is allowed to cool and the milk is inducted into the system.” The conductivity meter reads the system once the water is flushed out after the wash and ensures that the system is ready for circulation.
This cleaning process is followed in all the dairy product manufacturing equipment. The CIP system is provided by companies like GEA, IDMC, Alfa Laval, Tetra Pak and others.
Besides, the actual production area, the basic GMP takes into consideration the surrounding area which should be clean, green and germ free. Machines like scrubber-drier and vacuum cleaners are deployed for the general cleaning of the surrounding area. Personal hygiene and cleanliness play a vital role and workers are trained to practise various hygiene requirements. Laundered and sanitised attire, clean & sanitised hands, foot hygiene and use of hand wash are some of the basic standards followed as part of GMP in the manufacturing units. “At Amul, the periphery cleaning is done by our trained workers who use Diversey scrubber-driers and cleaning solutions. We use hand sanitising solution of Diversey and also of Tetra Pak,” says Dr Pramanik.
The cleaning of general or surrounding area at many units have been outsourced to housekeeping contractors who follow the standards laid down to meet GMP requirements.
Clean India Journal visited two dairy processing units – Parag Milk Foods Pvt Ltd’s ‘Go Cheese’ manufacturing unit in Manchar (Pune) which is Asia’s largest cheese plant, and the government-owned Mahanand Dairy, Goregaon, Mumbai, which processes lassi, shrikhand, buttermilk and other products.
Gowardhan
Setting new standards
“Every activity at the farm is driven with precision, care and concern for our cows in forming International standards. Our growth in such a short span is because of our best practices, innovation, expertise, ethics, honesty, sustainability and our strong base for being a pure player of cow’s milk,” says Devendra Shah, Chairman.
Parag Milk Foods has strategically integrated sustainable practices to encompass the entire value chain. At the Bhagyalaxmi farm, it has tried to create a role model of a meticulously planned environment and installed systems to enhance both the quality and quantity of milk production and products. With the systems in place for production and cleaning there is least human intervention; thereby avoiding chances of contamination at any level of the production process.
The cheese unit is equipped with state-of-the-art sophisticated machines of UK-based Tetra Pak, which are programmed with CIP systems. Around 50 workers are engaged in the production process. The cleanliness and hygiene at this unit begins right from the moment the worker enters the premises. They are trained in maintaining personal hygiene. At the changing room the workers wash and get into their work suit – white coat and disposable face mask & cap – before entering the production area. These white suits are washed every day at an approved laundry. The linen goes through the specified wash cycle and sanitizing processes in line with the requirement of a food industry.
This cleaning and sanitizing machine of EDT, Germany, is a foolproof system. “Unless the shoes are clean and hands sufficiently sanitized, the machine will not give way for entry,” explains Sanjay Mishra, GM-Works. EDT does not have India operations and is looking at expanding into India. Easy to maintain, the foot bath machine is fed with Diversey’s sanitizing solution periodically.
At the processing plant, after every batch there is a cleaning process. “Out of the 24 hours of the plant operation, four hours is kept for cleaning,” says Sanjay Mishra. The entire production operations and cleaning is fully computerised.
“There are about three to four tanks in the CIP system. The first tank has the rinse water which is used for the initial washing of the machine. The second is the hot water tank which is used for sterilisation and also for intermediate washing during the CIP process. Then we have the caustic solution tank and the nitric acid solution tank. As a regular practice, we run the caustic-hot water CIP and in case of scale removal we go for caustic-acid-hot water,” explains Mishra. The type of CIP required after a batch is decided by the officers who are involved in the production process. They visually observe through the manhole if there is scale formation and decide on the need to run the caustic-acid-hot water combination. At least once or twice a month, the acid combination of CIP is used. At the end of the process, a sample test of the pH levels in the last rinse is taken.
In the sanitizing process, after the CIP, the system is sanitized with hot water at 85 degrees temperature for 10 minutes. This ensures there is no microbial contamination. All the vats are swap tested before every batch.
Experts from Tetra Pak-UK had come from Sweden to commission each and every aspect of the plant, including the CIP. “A batch from the unit was trained initially by Tetra Pak on the CIP systems. All systems installed are CIP enabled,” says Mishra.
“In the cheese shredding area, we have installed two air purification machines that are based on NASA technology. It makes the air bacteria free. A Mumbai based company has provided this equipment which are also being used in hospitals. Being a totally hygienic and bacteria free production area, the cheese spillage is taken up for re-processing.”
Bhagyalaxmi Cow Farm
More than 3000 cows and 800 new claves inhabit this farm. What is amiss in this place is the typically strong stench of cow dung, flies, sludge… A light music in the background, a constant light spray of water above rows of cows, no fodder littered, no cow dung on the pathway… in short, it gives a welcome ambience for everyone walking in, including the cows.
Cleaning is a need, not just necessity
Three brothers, who were milk farmers, began their journey of milk farming way back in 1992. Devendra Shah has left no stone unturned in establishing state-of-the-art milk farms in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. “There will be no compromise in maintaining it too. As I see many cleaning equipment in the Clean India Journal magazine, I want to ensure that the right cleaning equipment is deployed at our premises too.”
While the shopfloor is equipped with CIP systems, the periphery area has been outsourced to Sumeet Facilities for housekeeping. At present scrubber-driers and vacuum cleaners are running at the premises for the upkeep of the office area and guest house. Right from the collection of the milk to the processing to the delivery of the product, the hygiene levels are maintained through constant testing. There are 12 microbiologists in all who ensure the best goes out.
“We are also in the process of expanding and will soon be providing fresh milk from the new centre coming up within the premises. This limited fresh milk packed in plastic bottles is rich and will be sold at premium prize to niche consumers.” Why plastic? “There is less chances of contamination and it is much more hygienic than any other packaging. These bottles will be collected back too. At times one has to compromise,” Devendra Shah explains. At one end plastic may not sound eco-friendly but converting waste to bio-gas for energy is a big initiative that Parag Milk Foods is working on. “Within a year the bio-gas plant will be erected and we will be generating our own power to at least feed the energy requirements of the plant. Three to four companies, including a couple from Germany, have given the plans for the bio-gas plant. We will also be making manure from cow waste.”
Innovation and implementation of modern techniques are never ending at the farm. “In keeping with the newer technology in maintenance, we are also procuring a new hydraulic system from Germany or Netherlands for clearing the waste and manure from the cowsheds. We are also looking at mechanised cleaning systems.
“Cleaning is not a necessity, it is a need. As a simple example one can consume much more home food than the hotel food even if it is much tastier. This is because home food is more hygienic and prepared in a hygienic surrounding. This goes with any food item, even milk and milk products. We strive to give the best with hygienic products.”
We must measure cleaning not by the normal day but by an emergency. I judge my team not by normal operations but by how they react to an emergency. I am very proud of the fact that the mall is now in a very good condition in spite of the heavy 800mm rain the previous day. The heavy rain fall had created havoc in the basement but we rose to the occasion. We have issues that we still need to contemplate but the housekeepers were able to deal with it very quickly; they got the required equipment on site, they got the team on site and most importantly, they mobilised the man power to come here in an emergency and responded to the situation. Whenever there is an emergency we have massive mobilization of cleaners and other teams to immediately resolve the issue.
Lack of skilled workers is an issue in this industry. The trained workers stay but “when they get married outside the area, they tend to leave”.
Milking parlour
The rotary milking parlour is where the cows line up in a circle for the mechanised milking process. The rotary at a glance looks like children playing ‘Ringa Ringa Roses’. The entire parlour is a secluded and clean area with least human intervention, except for the workers who monitor the milking process and usher the cows into the rotary.
The cows are sprayed with disinfectants for 30 seconds and checked for any kind of contamination before milking. Besides, the parlour itself is equipped with CIP systems. After every milking process, the parlour is kept scrupulously clean. The rotary is washed with hot water, treated with chemicals and rinsed with cold water again. Even the water used for drinking for the cows and the wash water used for the parlour is treated with activated carbon. The farm is equipped with an in house filtration and disinfection facility.
Mohana M
Farmers are trained on
Clean Collection of Milk
Out of the 1.8 crore litres of milk produced in Maharashtra, around 95 lakh litres come from the organised sector comprising of the Government, Cooperative Societies and Private segments. The contribution by the government to the daily milk supply is around 3-4%, by the Cooperatives is 35-36% and the rest over 60% is from the private segment. Standing sixth in the country, after UP, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat, Maharashtra has approximately 310 dairies of which 245 are in the private sector. “Earlier, the government used to be the main supplier of milk for daily consumption. But today, most of it comes from the private suppliers,” said Dairy Development Commissioner and MD of MRSDMM (Maharashtra) RD Shinde.
As a general practice milk goes passes through three levels before being taken up for processing. Milk is collected at the village level through the primary cooperative societies and sent to the chilling centres where it is tested, pasteurized and chilled before being distributed to various dairies. “We have two laboratories where the milk goes through various tests before being released. The labs are equipped with fully automated systems which reduce manual handling and give more accurate results. The chilling centres are also equipped with the scientific and automated testing system – AMCU (automated milk collection unit) – to perform preliminary tests the milk. The milk received is checked for a minimum of 3.5gm fat and 8.5% SNF (solid non fat) in one litre. What is received is basically cow’s milk. The price of the milk is determined according to the fat and SNF.”
In order to ensure clean practices, the cooperative societies at the village level train the framers on personal hygiene, cowshed cleaning, cattle care and clean collection of milk. The farmers are provided with milk collection cans and also taught to keep those clean. “As soon as the milk is collected, it is chilled at the cooperative society and sent to the chilling centre. These centres are located close to the cooperative societies so that the milk once collected is chilled at below 4oC and tested for 21 parameters.”
There is at least one society in each village. “These societies cool the milk and transport it to the chilling centre where it is tested and then sent to the dairy. It is then distributed in clean packages. Hence, the cold chain is mandatory at every level from the village level to the dairy level until it goes to the end consumer. The booth holders too have coolers where they maintain the 4°C temperature.”
In Maharashtra, there are 117 chilling centres – 67 state owned ones and 50 at the cooperative society level. At every level, there is auditing conducted. “Besides the FDA audit, the central government does occasionally MMP (milk and milk products) audit of the government dairies. At the private sector level, the Quality control officers of the Dairy Development Authority visit the dairies periodically.
Around 10% of the milk produced is diverted to the production of other products like Shrikhand, flavoured milk, curd and ghee.
Even a city like Mumbai requires 50-60 lakh litres per day of which Mahanand supplies only five lakh litres and Amul around six lakhs. Left over milk is converted to milk powder which is sent for animal consumption.
Maintaining Mahanand
Located in Goregaon, close to the Aarey Milk Colony, is the Government owned Mahanand Dairy Farm. All the milk coming to the gates of Mahanand is subjected to tests before being accepted. The milk in the tankers is stirred continuously with the help of a milk-plunger for about 40 times so that the fat gets thoroughly mixed with the milk. Thereafter, the tanker is given a code number and the milk sample is sent for online testing for lactose content, gravity, density of the milk and other tests. A swab test followed by sampling test is conducted before it is sent for further processing.
“To curb milk adulteration, a sodium analyzer test is also conducted at the lab. If the sodium content in the milk crosses the 550ppm limit, it is rejected and regarded as adulterated milk,” said RJ Aklekar, Deputy Manager-Quality Control, Mahanand Dairy.
Besides checking the milk for contamination, the staff and the surrounding areas are also subjected to stringent cleanliness and hygiene checks. The staff entering inside the premises is thoroughly frisked for cigarette, paan and other stuff which are strictly prohibited inside the dairy. This initiative by the dairy authorities is believed to have drastically reduced littering and spitting inside the dairy unit and even in the premises.
Three critical areas – the quality control section, the dairy section and the washroom area – are manned constantly by different staff trained for the respective department. “At the production area, we had introduced plastic hand gloves and foot-printer few years back. However, the hand gloves were discontinued because minute plastic particles were traced in the processed products.Even the foot-printer which covers the shoes/footwear with a plastic cover/line had to be discontinued due to paucity of funds,” said Aklekar.
It is made mandatory for all staff members to use mask, cap and aprons and use IPA (Isopropyl alcohol) solution (hand sanitizer) before they enter the production unit. Approved by HACCP, the IPA solution has the ability to kill 75% of bacteria. A weekly swab test is also conducted on the food-handler for microbial count. To prevent food contamination, hand-dryers and hand wash have been installed in the washrooms.
The production process is semi-automatic, especially in the post pasteurization process, where milk powder/sugar is added to the chakka or hung curd to prepare Shrikhand.
Preeti Swaminathan
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FSS Act – Milk Products
Butter
Butter is a fatty product exclusively derived from milk. Sodium chloride, cultures of harmless lactic-acid-producing bacteria and some food additives (e.g. vegetable colours) are permitted. The proportion of milk fat in butter is normally specified in national legislation, and records should be checked to ensure that water is not being substituted for butter- fat.
Butter is generally stored at low temperature, but some organisms such as the mycobacteria brucella and staphylococci, can survive in it for a long time.
Clarified butter (ghee): Clarified butter or butter oil, which may be called ghee, a costly product used as a cooking medium in many countries. It is pure clarified fat derived solely from milk, curd, cooking butter or cream to which no colouring matter or preservative has been added; this is melted by heat and the clear supernatant poured off. Clarified butter should be free from animal fat, whey, vegetable oils and fats, and mineral oils. It keeps well without refrigeration even in warm weather. Samples should be collected for laboratory examination for freedom from admixture with cheaper oils or fats. On rare occasions, motor-oil or mineral grease has been mixed with ghee, resulting in serious poisoning among consumers.
The inspector should check the plant’s quality procedures if any, and look for the presence for potential adulterants in the premises. He should check sanitation and the hygienic practices of employees in the plant.
Ghee substitutes: These are normally made from refined edible vegetables oils and their hydrogenated products, and may contain certain antioxidants and flavouring agents. Regulations in the countries where ghee substitutes are most widely used generally require the presence of not more than 5 percent of sesame oil, giving a standard colour in the Baudouin reaction and a prescribed amount of Vitamin A.
Cream
The main problem is filth and decomposition in the cream itself; however, general plant sanitation is also important. The inspector should examine the surface of the cream in the container visually for filth and insects. For more detailed examination, it may be desirable to filter an entire container of cream through a paper or a cloth filter. The filter should then be washed with hot water to remove the cream residue, and the material trapped on the filter examined for flies, maggots or other insects, and rodent’s excreta. The inspector should watch for milkstone build-up on equipment. This can be identified with an ultraviolet light; its presence indicated poor cleansing procedures.
Cheese
Generally, cheese is the fresh or matured product obtained by the draining after coagulation of milk, skim or partly skim milk, buttermilk, or a combination of some or all of these products. Wax or other materials used for covering the outer surface must not contain material harmful to health. Processed cheese is made by grinding, mixing, melting and emulsifying one or more varieties of cheese with the aid of heat and emulsifying agents, with or without the addition of permitted food addictives. Plants sanitation is of major importance. The inspector should check the adequacy of milk pasteurization operations. Containers of milk may be filtered through a paper or cloth filter to allow examination of the residue for filth and insects. Since many hand operations are used in the manufacture of cheese, employee’s hygienic practices and health conditions must be checked to reduce the possibility of bacterial contamination.