Tests to Ensure Quality of Dairy Products

Abstract

Now-a-days the use of chemicals in the dairy industry is growing at a rapid rate. The dairy industry uses a number of chemicals to compete with their competitors to ensure quality of manufactured milk and milk products. Thus, a number of chemical compounds enter the milk and related products either intentionally or unintentionally. Such contamination can occur during milk production, processing or packaging and can pose health-related issues when consumed. Contaminants like veterinary drugs, aflatoxin M1, pesticides, heavy metals get introduced into milk due to feeding poor quality feed, irresponsible use of veterinary drugs (or failure to observe withdrawal period for antibiotics) and due to poor farm management or practices. Such chemicals get excreted into milk as residues and may give rise to food safety problems. Apart from contamination occurring at production stage, chemical residues may enter milk during processing also. These residues are generally the leftover chemical/sanitizer used for cleaning or sterilization, mixing of CIP chemicals/water accidentally into milk storage tanks or by use of hard water during processing or water contaminated with heavy metals like arsenic, mercury, etc. Contaminants like bisphenol A, tin, lead, antimony, benzophenone, and perfluoroctanoic acid can also enter during packaging stage through packaging materials or by packaging machines (lubricants). The quality assurance personnel should ensure that the entry of such contaminants in milk should be prevented or if present should be below an acceptable limit. Considering the above-mentioned points, this chapter will cover various tests which will help in determining the presence of such contaminants to prevent the occurrence of any food safety hazard.