CLEAN MILK AND PROCESSING OF CLEAN MILK AND VALUE ADDITION AT FARM LEVEL
UDIT KUMAR, ASHISH KUMAR, DR. AMRITA BEHERA*
*Corresponding Author
Author Information:
Udit Kumar; M.Tech Scholar, Sanjay Gandhi Institute of Dairy Technology, BASU, Patna, email id: uditsgidt@gmail.com
Ashish Kumar; M.Tech Scholar, Sanjay Gandhi Institute of Dairy Technology, BASU, Patna, email id: ashishkumar0889@gmail.com
Amrita Behera; Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary Biochemistry, Bihar Veterinary College, BASU, Patna, email id: amrita23b@gmail.com
INTRODUCTION
- Clean milk can be defined as milk coming from healthy milch animal possessing normal flavour, devoid of dirt and filth containing permissible limit of bacteria and essentially free from adulterants, pathogens, various toxins, abnormal residues, pollutants and metabolites. On the farm, contamination of milk can occur at the following places and procedures viz. animal shed and environment, the animal, milker or milking routine, milking equipment or utensils and storage & transport.
- The clean milk is considered to increase the quality and shelf life of milk and milk products and helps in controlling the spread of infectious diseases like Tuberculosis and Diphtheria etc. The Hygienic practices followed during the production of milk at the point of production (farmers’ level) needs an improvement with regard to reduction in microbial count and overcome the impact of the harmful pathogens. This situation is also aggravated by the fast deterioration of milk quality over the time period which reaches dairy processing plant from milk producer. The milk quality is determined by aspects of composition and hygiene of milk. The fresh milk may get microbial contamination from utensils, animal, environment, or water used etc. (FAO, 2008).
- This needs to be taken into consideration by introducing concept of clean milk production (CMP) at the Village level. Clean milk production is an important occupation of rural farmers in India. In this study data were collected from dairy farmers by using a structured, pretesting interview schedule by interviewing with the farmers at their home /farm at the time of milking. The present study reveals that 57.50 per cent of farmers were females and the majority of farmers were young and middle-aged and illiterate (29.16%), primary (17.50%) and middle (12.50%) level educated. 65.83 per cent had animal husbandry and agriculture as a source of income and up to 5.5 lakhs annual income.
- The majority of farmers had small to medium family sizes (up to 6 members) and nuclear family structure, not attended any training related to clean milk production practices. In general, farmers had poor extension contact and mass media contact.
- Hygenic Practices and Bacteriological Quality of Milk
2.1. Hygienic Practices of Milk
2.1.1. Hygienic Practices Followed During Milk Production
Because of the important influence of primary production activities on the safety of milk products, potential microbiological contamination from all sources should be minimized to the greatest extent practicable at this phase of production (primary). It is recognized that microbiological hazards can be introduced both from the farm environment and from the milking animals themselves. Appropriate animal husbandry practices should be respected and care should be taken to assure that proper health of the milking animals is maintained. Further, lack of good agricultural, animal feeding and veterinary practices and inadequate general hygiene of milking personnel and equipment and inappropriate milking methods may lead to unacceptable levels of contamination with chemical residues and other contaminants during primary production.
2.1.2. Milking Procedure
It is important to remember that quality control must begin at the farm. That way, the milk will have fewer bacteria that cause spoilage and diseases. In order to ensure good quality and protect the health of consumers, one must always carry out milking in accordance with good hygienic practice. Follow these rules on the correct procedures of milking by hand a good milking technique is essential for the production of safe, raw milk (FSA, 2006):
- Teats, udder and adjacent parts must be clean before cluster attachment.
- Teat dips/sprays must be used in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions.
- Milk from each animal must be examined at each milking.
- When identified, abnormal milk must be kept separate and not used for human consumption.
- Milk from animals showing clinical signs of udder disease must be kept separate and not used for human consumption.
- Animals producing milk that is unfit for human consumption must be clearly identified.
- Milking equipment must be kept clean at all times.
- Hands must be cleaned before milking and kept clean during milking and milk handling.
2.1.3. Sanitary Practices of Milk and Milk Products Handling Equipment
2.1.3.1. Cleaning of Milk Handling Equipment
The milk house is a critical place on a dairy farm for maintaining sanitation to produce high quality milk. The milk house is where the milk is brought from the barn by pipeline, cooled and stored. A milk house may also have a utility room, storage room, or office space. Milk houses contain a bulk tank for storing the milk, a milk receiver jar where the pipeline empties, a filtration device, in-line cooling equipment, automatic cleaning controls, and a place to wash and store milking equipment the decision to produce quality milk rests primarily with the dairy producer.
- Milk value addition decision:it is a dummy variable that represents the probability of value addition participation of the household. For the household who participate in milk value addition takes value of one where as it take zero for the household who did not participate in value addition to produce the major products such as butter, cottage cheese and ghee.
3.1. Level of participation in milk value addition: it is a continuous dependent variable and measured in litres and represents the actual volume of milk used in value addition process to produce butter, cottage cheese and ghee.
3.2 Independent (Explanatory) Variables
3.2.1Milk yield per day: is a continuous variable which is measured in litres. A marginal increase in dairy production will has obvious and significant effect in volume of dairy supply. The volume production of dairy is expected to have positive relation to milk value addition.
3.2.2 Types of milking cows (NCB1 for cross breed, NLB for local breed): This variable is dummy taking 1 for cross breed and 0 for local breeds. The milk value addition decision and level of addition are assumed to be positively influenced by the number of milking cows owned.
3.2.3 Education Level of the Household Head (ELHH): It is continuous variable and is measured in years of formal schooling of the household head. Education plays an important role in the adoption of innovations/new technologies. Further, education is believed to improve the readiness of the household to accept new idea and innovations, and get updated demand and supply price information which in turn enhances producers’ willingness to produce more and increase milk value addition decision and level of addition.
3.2.4 Age of the household head (AGE): It is a continuous variable and measured in years. Age is a proxy measure of farming experience of household. Aged households are believed to be wise in resource use, and it is expected to have a positive effect on milk value addition decision and level of addition.
3.2.5 Family size (FSHH): It is a continuous variable and measured in adult equivalent i.e. the availability of active labour force in the household. As dairying is labour intensive activities, dairy production in general and marketable surplus of dairy products in particular is a function of labour. However, family size is expected to have positive impact on m volume of milk value addition. In this context family size is expected to have positive impact on milk value addition and level of addition.
3.2.6 Access to credit (ACCR): Access to credit is measured as a dummy variable taking a value of one if the household has access to credit and zero otherwise. This variable is expected to influence the milk value addition by dairy household positively on the assumption that access to credit improves the financial capacity of dairy households to buy more improved dairy cows, thereby increasing milk production and milk market participation.
3.2.7 Access to Dairy production Extension service (ATDPES): This variable is measured as a dummy variable taking a value of one if the dairy household has access to dairy production extension service and zero otherwise. It is expected that extension service widens the Household’s knowledge with regard to the use of improved dairy production technologies and has positive impact on milk value addition and volume of milk value addition. Number of extension visits improves the household’s intellectual capitals, which improves dairy production and divert dairy production resources.
CONCLUSION
On the farm, contamination of milk can occur at the following places and procedures viz. animal shed and environment, the animal, milker or milking routine, milking equipment or utensils and storage & transport.
Teats, udder and adjacent parts must be clean before cluster attachment.
Education plays an important role in the adoption of innovations/new technologies.
The milk value addition decision and level of addition are assumed to be positively influenced by the number of milking cows owned.
The volume production of dairy is expected to have positive relation to milk value addition.
