Principles and Practice of Milk Hygiene - Report Example

MILK HYGIENE Name: Institution: Date: Course: Raw milk is in simple terms referred to as untreated milk direct from the cow. Whole raw milk has a composition that varies slightly from one cow to the other. The species of the cow matters, type of feeds for the cow and other conditions. However a general breakdown is given as Water 87.3% Milk Fats 3.9% Non-fat Solids (Protein, Milk Sugar, Immune Factors, etc.) 8.8% Raw Milk Fats: Milks fats are not necessarily fats as referred in the common world. In the food world, these fats may also be called lipids. In raw milk out of the whole fats available 95% of it form globules that are spherically shaped with up to 15 microns in diameter. This means they are not visible to our naked eyes. The lipids also include glycerol molecules with three fatty acids. There are several fatty acids in milk which vary with degree and size. Milk contains cholesterol in low amounts though. This is a controversial element in milk as it is said to be harmful to the human body. However, cholesterol in low amounts is essential to the body and helps people with their health. Raw Milk Proteins: Proteins are known to be the biggest part of food in milk. They are complex molecules that are comprised of several amino acids. Raw milk has a high amount of protein though still depends on the species of the cow and more so the feeds that the cow feeds on. Proteins are the most important factors in the DNA, and the protein amino acids are also very important and hence cannot be overlooked in research. Proteins in the body are enzymes, gene activators, replicators and ion transporters. The muscles of animals are mostly constituted by a large part by the proteins. There are several experiments that test and explain the relationship between the raw milk and the pasteurized milk. Several experiments have been done to check if the heating of the milk destroys the proteins found in the milk. These analyzes are done by SDS-PAGE process. This is a technique in which there is a separation of proteins based on their size of the molecular mass. The proteins are highly digestible in the body, and more specifically are heat stable. It is crucial to understand that proteins stand the heat of pasteurization of up to 160 degrees. However when the milk is pasteurized under ultra heat, the fate of the protein is uncertain. Milk Sugar: The sugar in milk is widely known as lactose. It is the first carbohydrate that is given to the baby mammals. It is made up of glucose and galactose two sugars that make it a disaccharide. Raw milk in a cow has up to 5% lactose. It is crucial to realize that lactose is tolerated by diabetics and hence not harmful. Raw milk contains some amounts of lactase an enzyme that is required to digest and breakdown lactose in the body. Lack of this enzyme causes some bloat and some gasses in the stomach after consumption of milk. This means that pasteurized milk kills lactase and hence has an effect on some people and especially the aged who lack lactase. However, raw milk contains lactobacilli that produce lactase hence has no effect (Belcher, 1909). Milk contains several vitamins and some water soluble vitamins though in small amounts. Enzymes are also other important elements in the milk that must be properly guarded. This means that overheating of milk is not recommended. Vitamins that are present in the milk and especially those in high levels include riboflavin, B6 and B12, which reasonably heat stable. This means that even after the high heat treatment the vitamins are not destroyed. It is also true that folate utilization after pasteurization of milk is not reduced. After the process of pasteurization, a 10% loss of vitamin C is expected. However it is not very important since milk is not the source of the vitamin that is significantly considered (Ernst, Mohler & Eichhorn, 1914). Effects of raw milk Raw milk is not known to have major effects on a human being. However, the milk may contain some bacteria from the animal that may be transmitted to people. In addition, there are some disease-causing organisms that are present in the raw milk. This is especially is in the in the milk that is factory produced. It has been tested that in case the animal producing the milk may have a disease, the same or a different disease is passed on to the consumer of the milk. Therefore, this means that cleaning of the milk using different methods is necessary. At some points, the veterinary doctors advise the consumers of the milk not to consume it after a treatment of the animal. This rubber stamp the fact that milk passes on bacteria to the milk and it is necessary to have it purified (Kay, 1953). Raw milk is not known to be a cause of many diseases in the world. However, it is documented that there is a type of pneumonia that can be passed on from a sick cow. Legionnaires' disease is a form of the disease that affects the lungs. It is very severe and is a type of pneumonia. This disease causes lung inflammation and may lead to death if not properly treated. The disease is known to be caused by bacteria called Legionella. It is next to impossible contracting the disease from contact with a patient. This means it is not a person to person contacted disease. Most of the people who contact it are through ingestion of unclean food products and especially milk from an infected animal, inhalation of the bacteria is also another way of contracting the disease. The riskiest people are the old adults, small children and those who have an immune system that is weakened by other diseases. Pasteurization is a process of milk treatment. It was invented some years back when the milk hygiene was necessary. This is because before the invention scientists had a problem to clean milk for consumption. It was discovered by a French Scientist known as Louis Pasteur. The invention was during the nineteenth century. In addition Pasteur discovered that after heating milk to a very high temperature, followed by an instant and quickly cooling is a good way of making the milk pure for drinking. This is done before bottling and packaging it. It also keeps the milk longer still fresh (www.milkfacts.info). Today in the modern world, this process of pasteurization has been widely accepted and is used by the food industry. This is the most common method of heat treatment of milk that is used worldwide and especially in the UK. This is because this method kills the bacteria in the milk to make it safe for drinking. It also helps in increasing the shelf life of the milk. This process of pasteurization is simple as it involves the heating of milk to 72°C for approximately 15 seconds. However, it must be noted that these are the standards required and set. Therefore, this means that the heating of the milk must not be more than 25 seconds. This is because of the nature of milk. This method is commonly known as the ‘High-Temperature Short Time’ (HTST) process. The equipments that are used in the heating and sudden cooling of the milk are called the heat exchangers (www.dairycouncil.co.uk). Pasteurization has been recorded to have minimal effect on the composition of milk and especially milk fat and its protein. It is said that the process, even though, is under very high temperature does not affect the mineral stability in the milk, milk mineral content and the bioavailability of the minerals (Hall & Trout, 1968). Dairy milk Dairy milk is considered as whole milk. It can provide the essential proteins that are necessary for body health. It also contains some extra calories from fats, vitamins and minerals that are necessary for infants and especially the elderly people. It is also crucial to realize that Lactose-free versions of milk are made available to the people who are intolerant of lactose. The advantage of this milk is that it is available in the grocery stores, supermarkets, and other convenience stores. However, the dairy milk is not fat-free and especially has high levels of saturated fat and calories. This may be bad for the people with heart problems, and especially the high cholesterol levels found in the dairy milk. It is also not good for the people trying to lose weight (Giblin, 1986). Almond milk This is the milk that is made from species of ground almonds. It has lower levels of calories when compared to other types of milks when it is in its pure form and unsweetened. The milk is recommended since it is free of cholesterol; it lacks saturated fat and has no lactose in its composition. It is crucial to know that even though almonds are known to be a good source of protein it milk does not have the much protein. It is also not known to be a good source of calcium though it is supplemented depending on the brand being sold. It is known to be a good source of vitamin D. (Jensen, & Pearson, 1909). The milk is advantageous when compared to the dairy milk as it has low levels of calories and does not contain saturated fat or any amount of cholesterol. It is also a good source of vitamins A and D and is naturally lactose-free. However, as discussed it is not a good source of protein as the dairy milk, and unless it is supplemented with calcium, the levels are insignificant. It is also not good for the people allergic to nuts and especially almonds (Babcock & United States, 1949). Soy milk This is the type of milk that is made from soya beans. This is a very popular type of milk as it is an alternative for vegans and especially for people who are intolerant of lactose. This milk having come from plants is an assurance of being naturally free of cholesterol, it is low in saturated fat, and has no lactose. Soybeans are a good source of protein. Hence the soy milk it also contains calcium and potassium. It’s a good source vitamin A, B12, as well as vitamin D. when the milk is compared to cow milk it contains almost similar amounts of protein as cow's milk, however its calories are lower than whole milk and can be comparable to skim milk. This milk is healthy for people with heart conditions. On the contrary, people with thyroid disease cannot consume this milk in high quantities as it has some negative effects on them. It is also crucial to note that too much consumption of this milk is said to lead to low fertility and low sperm count in men. However, this was a study at Harvard University but the report is still unconfirmed. There is also rice milk that is rich in calcium and is the least allergenic of all other milk alternatives. In addition, it can be used comfortably by vegetarians. Of all the above types of milk, UK consumers prefer dairy milk and more specifically the milk from cows. This may be attributed to the advantages that it carries as well as the availability of the milk; it is sold all across the country in almost all the supermarkets. Another factor that may lead to consumption of more dairy milk as compared to other types of milk is the simplicity of production. The other types of milk may require processing from the plant produce into milk. However, dairy milk just requires milking. Soy milk is also consumed a lot in UK as it is said to have many advantages when compared to the alternatives of cow milk. It is closely followed by almond milk and then rice milk is least preferred in UK (World Health Organization, Abdussalam & Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 1962). An alternative to pasteurization which may take up some of the elements in the milk as discussed above, hygiene is necessary. Hygiene of milk is necessary and starts right from the preparation of milking, during milking, the storage of milk, collection, and transportation. The milking items should always be cleaned and disinfected as necessary. The milking equipments require hot water for cleaning, as well as proper drying, and if possible put in direct sunlight for a few hours to kill the bacteria (Joint FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission., World Health Organization., & Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2011). Milking should be carried out hygienically to avoid any foreign particles from falling into the milk. Before milking begins, the udder and the teats must properly clean using warm water. This includes even the adjacent areas. The milkman also has to maintain high levels of cleanliness and hygiene. The milk then is checked for physicochemical or organoleptic abnormalities by the milkman to ensure the milk is good for consumption. If the milk is found to have such elements, then it is declared unfit for human consumption. It is also checked for the signs of any udder diseases which if found the milk is also considered unfit for human consumption or in accordance with the advice given by the veterinarian. A good identification system to identify the sick animals should be put in place to ensure that contaminated milk does not get its way to consumption. Withdrawal period should be given to the sick and animals under treatment to help reduce the contamination of milk. Spraying and teat dips should also be regularly done in accordance with directive 98/8/EC, and the procedures lay down by the by different regulators. It is also good to consider that colostrums should be milked separately with raw milk and should never be mixed (Kay, 1953). In conclusion, therefore, due to the contrasting ideas about the process of pasteurization, milk can also undergo other processes to clean it. The other processes may include infiltration and evaporation. In addition to the markets, milk should be labeled accordingly. This is because there are people who prefer raw milk while others prefer pasteurized milk. From the discussion above there is no effect of raw milk that is so severe and hence it is safe for consumption. Therefore, there is no reason to lock out raw milk from the market however it is necessary to label it for people to have their choice (Klein, 1917). References http://www.dairycouncil.co.uk/consumers/industry/what-is-pasteurisation http://www.milkfacts.info/Milk%20Processing/Heat%20Treatments%20and%20Pasteurization.htm Kay, H. D. (1953). Milk pasteurization; planning, plant, operation, and control. Geneva: World Health Organization. Kay, H. D. (1953). The pasteurization of milk. London: E. Arnold Hall, C. W., & Trout, G. M. (1968). Milk pasteurization: By Carl W. Hall and G. Malcolm Trout. Westport, Conn: AVI Pub. Co. Babcock, C. J., & United States. (1949). The pasteurization of milk. Washington, D.C: U.S. Govt. Print. Off. World Health Organization., Abdussalam, M., & Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (1962). Milk hygiene; hygiene in milk production, processing and distribution. Geneva. Ernst, W., Mohler, J. R., & Eichhorn, A. (1914). Text book of milk hygiene. Chicago: A. Eger. Klein, L. A. (1917). Principles and practice of milk hygiene. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Co. Jensen, C. O., & Pearson, L. (1909). Essentials of milk hygiene: A practical treatise on dairy and milk inspection and on the hygienic production and handling of milk, for students of dairying and sanitarians. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Company. Joint FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission., World Health Organization., & Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2011). Milk and milk products. Rome: World Health Organization. Giblin, J. (1986). Milk: The fight for purity. New York: Crowell. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (1989). Milking, milk production hygiene, and udder health. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Belcher, S. D. (1909). Clean milk. New York: Orange Judd. Read More