HYGIENIC MILK HANDLING AND PROCESSING

HYGIENIC MILK HANDLING AND PROCESSING

i. Introduction
What we expect in the module

ii. Objective of the module is :

1) To enable production of clean milk which is safe for
human consumption
2) To ensure that milk is collected, transported and
delivered under hygienic conditions that meet regal
requirements.
3) Ensure hygienic milk preservation during production,
transportation and processing.
4) Ensure that the milk meets required level of quality
before processing.

5) Ensure milk undergoes recommended hygienic handling

during processing.
6) Ensure that the quality of milk is assured during
production, handling and processing.
7) Enhance better incomes through proper record keeping of
hygienic practices.

iii. Production of clean milk

a) Characteristics of good quality milk.
a) Definition of milk: milk is a normal clean and fresh
secretion from the udder of a healthy dairy animal
properly fed and kept. Such milk excludes that which
is obtained during the first seven days after calving
(colostrum )
b) Essentials of good quality raw milk
free debris and sediment
free from off-flavors
low in bacterial count
normal composition and acidity
free of antibiotics and chemical residues
Whitish cream to yellowish in color.
b) Production of good quality milk at the farm.
i. NB- a healthy properly fed and kept animal will always secrete
clean and high quality milk. Thus any variation in milk
quality is mainly due to consequent contamination.
ii. Sources of Milk Contamination
i. The dairy animal
Udder and udder flanks
Unhealthy animal
Poorly housed and groomed
Poorly fed
ii. Personnel (Milker/milk handler)
Poor health
Poor knowledge on milking and handling
Personal hygiene
Negligence of hygienic practices.
iii. Milking environment
Dirty and smelly environment
Poorly lit and ventilated
Dusty and moist
Poorly drained
iv. Milking equipment
Poorly cleaned
Poorly designed and maintained
Poor knowledge in handling milking equipment
v. Vessels used for milk storage and transportation
Poorly designed and maintained
Poorly cleaned
Improper construction material
iii. Conditions for Clean Milk Production

In order to produce clean milk the points below are worth

observing:

1. Milking should be carried out in a well-ventilated and lighted

milk shed

2. The milk shed floor should be durable, easy to clean and

preferably concrete.

3. Clean and disinfect milking vessels and milking utensils

after.
 4. Milking and milk handlers must be healthy.

5. Only milk from healthy cows should be milked and marketed.

Cows suffering from mastitis should be milked last and their
milk discarded.

6. Colostrum should not be mixed with normal milk. It should be

used by calves.

7. Mastitic milk should be checked using a strip cup then

discarded.

8. Where possible raw milk should be cooled using simple methods.

iv. Milk handling personnel.

Milk handling personnel must be:

i. Healthy
No sore throats or upset stomachs
skin infections
colds or fever
not infected with contagious diseases
ii. use clean clothes/garments
iii. Hand washing practice
Wash hands and forearms by:
pre-rinsing to remove dirt
wash using soap and water
brush under the nails
rinse the hands dry
NB: routinely practice after visiting the toilet.

v. Milking Procedure

a) Hand milking
Assemble the milking utensils.
Restrain the animal.
Clean the udder, thigh, groin, teats and abdomen.
 Dry the udder
Use strip cup to test for mastitis
Use squeezing technique to avoid damage to tissue
of the udder.
Complete milking in 5 to 7 minutes.
Disinfect the teats using teat dip
Apply milking salve
Release the animal.
b) Machine milking
Provide a Clean, Low Stress Environment for Cows
Check Foremilk and Udder for Mastitis
Wash Teats with an Udder Wash Solution
Dry Teats Completely with an Individual Towel
Attach Milking Unit within Two Minutes After the
Start of Stimulation
Adjust Units as Necessary for Proper Alignment
Shut Off Vacuum Before Removing Unit
Dip Teats Immediately after Unit Removal with an
Effective teat dip.
NB: mastitic quarter should be milked by hand at
the end of milking.

c) Use of Appropriate Equipment

a. Use certified food grade containers
b. Do not use containers that previously contained
paints, herbicides or any other chemical as this
may contaminate milk with traces of the
substance.
c. The containers should be seamless to allow
effective cleaning.
d) Cleaning of milk handling dairy equipment.
a. procedure
o Cleaning and disinfection of utensils and
equipments should be done immediately after
use.
o The following are the basic steps that must be
followed:
Rinse with water to remove excess soil.
 Cold or warm water may be used, but use
hot water for equipment handling fat
rich products e.g. butter and cheese.
Wash with detergent/disinfectant
This is accompanied by manual scrubbing
or cleaning in place (CIP). Cleaning
will depend on the type of equipment.
Wash until the surfaces are clean.
Rinse with cold /warm portable water.
This should be done until the surface
is free of detergents.
Disinfection
Disinfection of dairy equipment may be
carried out using
Hot water
Disinfectant
Steam
b. Water hygiene

Sources of water supply

a) Surface water
o River, sea, dams etc.
b) Underground water
o Boreholes ,well,
c) Rain water
d) Municipal water
Quality characteristic of cleaning water
a) Be portable
b) Reasonably soft to ensure economy in
use of detergents
c) Non-corrosive to dairy equipments
d) Free from pathogenic organisms
e) Comply with the microbiological
limit, non-offensive taste, odorless.
General water uses in dairy
a) Washing and cleaning
b) Cooling processes
c) Used for heating /steam generation
d) Washing of product
 e) Production and maintenance of vacuum.
f) Used in formulation of product

e) Use of cleaning detergents and sanitizers

Qualities of a good detergent
o Non toxic
o Not impact taints to dairy products
o Should be non-irritant especially if
used for hand cleaning/washing
o Non corrosive to equipment
o Easy to rinse.
Examples of detergents
o Alkaline (sodium hydroxide ,sodium
carbonate, trisodium phosphate, and
sodium metasilicates)
o Acid detergents(nitric acid ,phosphoric
acid ,citric acid, tartaric acid and
gluconic acid)

Sanitizers
Used to destroy microorganisms from the
surface of equipments.
Properties
o Broad bactericidal spectrum
o Short Contact time
o Low concentration
o Should not be easily inactivated by
organic matter
o Stable on storage
o non corrosive
o No offensive odors
Examples of sanitizers
o Calcium hypochlorite
o Sodium hypochlorite
o Iodophores
 o Quaternary ammonium compounds
o Chlorine and iodine compounds
o Steam

f) mastitis and its control

Mastitis is an inflammation of the mammary gland
caused by microorganisms, usually bacteria, which
invade the udder, multiply and produce toxins that
are harmful to the mammary gland.
The common causes of mastitis
o Bruises on teats and udder
o Dirty environment
o Incomplete milking
o Poor milking techniques
o Prolonged/uneven milking interval
o Hereditary
o Poor sanitation
Control of mastitis
Effective washing of the udder before
milking
Disinfection after milking
Keep all the milking equipment and
milking shed cleaned, disinfected and
dry between milking intervals.
Apply correct milking techniques
Promptly treat any animal with
mastitis.
Check for mastitis infection in each
quarter before milking.
g) Chemical residues
These may be introduced in milk by secretion
along with the milk, or absorbed from
environment, or added by milk handler.
Examples

i. Chemical residues resulting from drugs

used in treatment
ii. Chemical residue from pest control
 iii. Chemicals present in the animal feed.(
aflatoxins, lead)
iv. Volatile chemicals that come in contact
with uncovered milk.( e.g. paraffin )
v. Detergents and sanitizers used in
cleaning of dairy equipment
vi. Substances added by unscrupulous milk
handlers (e.g. formalin ,Hydrogen
peroxide)

iv. Hygienic milk collection ,transportation and delivery

a) Hygiene during milk collection
1. Time
i. Collection time
Encourage farmers to make early deliveries
(especially for morning milk) and set a time limit
for collection.
ii. Delivery time.
Milk should be delivered 2-3 hours from the time
of milking to the milk cooling center.
Milk has a bacterial static effect of two hours
after which bacteria begin to multiply
The keeping quality of the raw milk will depend
on :
Level of hygiene observed during
milking and handling of milk
Temperature of the milk
Adherence to the schedule of
delivery.
In establishing milk collection centers ensure
that they are distributed such that small scale
farmers are able to deliver their milk using the
slowest means within 2 hours of milking(not more
than 5 kms)

2. Hygiene at Milk collection point and centers

i. Collection centers
 1. Location
Next to well maintained and accessible road
Near majority of the farmers
The area should well drained and not too
dusty.
sufficient space to construct a small
building or shaded area
2. Structure
Constructed to minimize entry of dust
Should provide shade
Easy to clean
Well ventilated
Adequate lighted
Well drained
Protection against vermin and rodents
Should have wash rooms

3. Amenities
Reliable supply of clean water
Power should be available
4. Activities
Grading of milk
Weighing
Bulking
cooling
dispatch of milk
cleaning of dairy equipment
advising of farmers
organizing milk collection route
ii. Milk collection points
1. Location
Next to well maintained and accessible road
Near majority of the farmers
The area should well drained and not too
dusty.
sufficient space to construct a small
building or shaded area
2. Structure
 Not dusty
Should provide shade
Easy to clean
Well ventilated
Adequate lighted
Well drained

3. Amenities
Reliable supply of clean water
4. Activities
Grading of milk
Weighing
Bulking
Dispatch of milk
3. Common tests during milk collection

a) Sight-and-smell (organoleptic) test

Uses sense organs to check generally on the

Appearance, Cleanliness, Colour, and Smell
of the milk.
Procedure for organoleptic test
o Open a can of milk.
o Immediately smell the milk.
o Observe the appearance of the milk.
o Stir checking for decanted material
o Smell again
o Look at the can lid and the milk can to
check cleanliness
Weaknesses:
o It is highly subjective
o Depends on the assessors level of
perception
o Values obtained cannot be expressed
in definite figures
Interpretation
 Abnormal appearance and smell that may cause
milk to be rejected could be due to:
Type of feed or atmospheric taint
Cows in late lactation
Bacterial taints
Chemical taints or discoloring
Advanced acidification or souring
Marked separation of fat may be caused by:
Milk previously chilled and subjected to
excessive shaking during transportation
Adulteration with other solids (may also show
as sediments or particles)
Boiling, if milk fat is hardened
b) Alcohol test

The test checks on stability of milk when mixed
with equal or double volumes of alcohol solution.
Procedure for Alcohol test:
Measure 1 or 2 ml of milk into a receptacle.
Add equal or double volume of 68% w/w or 72%
v/v ethyl alcohol.
Mix thoroughly for 1 minute.
Check whether the milk has precipitated.
Normal milk does not clot.
Interpretation
If the tested milk sample coagulates, clots
or precipitates, the milk will be rejected.

c) Lactometer test
It checks on wholesomeness of milk through density
determination. Normal milk has a specific density of
1.028 -1.032 at 200C. Upon any form of adulteration
(addition of substances or removal of cream) the density
changes
Procedure for Lactometer Test:
Put milk into a jar.
Note its temperature (MT).
Note the Lactometer Calibrated Temperature (LCT).
Lower the lactometer into the milk sample gently
and allow it to settle.
 Take the lactometer reading (0L) corresponding to
the meniscus of milk.
Interpretation
If the milk is normal, its lactometer reading
will be between 26 and 32. If the lactometer
reading is below 26 or above 32, the milk will be
rejected because it means that it has been
adulterated with added water or solids.
d) Resazulin test
10 minutes Resazurin test:
Is used to test hygiene/microbial activity and
potential keeping quality of raw milk. The test
uses Resazulin dye which when reduced changes
Colour from blue through pink to colorless. By the
activity of micro-organisms or somatic cells.
Procedure for 10 minutes Resazurin test:

Put 10 ml of milk sample into two sterile test

tubes using a sterile pipette.
Cork and put into a water bath at 370C for 5 minutes
Using a sterile pipette add 1 ml of the resazurin
solution in one of the test tubes.
Mix and return into the water bath for another 10
minutes
Remove the 2 tubes from the water bath and compare
the Colour using a lovibond comparator
 e) Somatic count
f) Compositional tests

b) Hygiene during transportation and Delivery

Mode of milk transportation
Milk transportation equipment
o Milk cans and utensils
Milk transportation vehicles and personnel
Hygiene of Milk testing equipment
c) Legal requirements
a) The Kenyan standard code of hygienic practice for production
,transportation and distribution of milk and milk products

v. Hygienic Milk Preservation during Production, Transportation

and Processing.
a) Methods of milk preservation
Is ensuring that milk quality does not deteriorate during
storage prior to the processing plant. Preservation maintains
freshness of milk. No matter how clean milk production are
some Microorganisms will still be present in milk.
Preservation help prevent microbial multiplication which
would otherwise lead to spoilage.
Methods of milk preservation
o Cooling
o Chemical preservation
o Heating
Note the only method of raw milk preservation allowed in Kenya
is cooling. Cooling does not destroy microorganisms but limits
their multiplication and activity. Milk should be cooled
within 2-4hrs if its not going to be processed immediately.
Milk Cooling methods
There 2 methods of cooling
o Natural and mechanical
Natural method of milk cooling
a. Air cooling
o Put milk in metal container
o Place in the coldest available position
 o Place a wet cloth on the surface of the
container to increase the effect of cooling
o This method can be used to reserve evening
milk.

b. Water cooling
o Immerse milk in metal container in a water
trough connected to a water tap or water spring.

Mechanical method of milk cooling

o Commercial refrigerators

o Bulk coolers/cooling tanks

o Refrigerated tankers/haulers

b) Milk cooling at the Farm, during transportation and at the milk

collection center.
Milk cooling method used:
a) Air cooling and water cooling
 b) Commercial refrigerators
c) Bulk coolers /cooling tanks
d) Refrigerated haulers
e) Insulated tankers
Hygienic aspect milk cooling
o Milk must be cooled quickly after each
milking.
o For insulated tankers the milk must be
precooled before they are filled.
o Milk containers , cooling Storage tanks
,milk tankers used must thoroughly cleaned
and sealed to prevent milk contamination
c) Milk preservation during processing
Chilling of raw milk
Heating of milk/pasteurization
Cooling of milk and milk products
Hygienic aspect milk preservation during processing
o Incoming milk
Incoming milk should be cooled and maintained at such
temperatures as necessary to minimize any increase of
microbial load.

o Temperature and time controls

Milk should be stored and heated at appropriate
temperatures and for appropriate times such that the
growth or development of a food safety hazard will be
minimized.

o Finished products
Milk and milk products must be kept at an appropriate
temperature in order to maintain their safety and
suitability from the time it is packaged until it is
consumed

vi. Quality assurance and Quality control tests during

production, transportation and delivery.
a) Quality assurance during production
General health of the herd
 Where there is evidence that an animal is not in
good health and especially where there is a
discharge from the genital tract, enteritis with
Diarrhoea and fever or an infection of the udder
the milk must not be used for human consumption.
Milk from cows failing a test for brucellosis or
for Tuberculosis, or that have three inconclusive
tests, must not be used for human consumption
Animal cleanliness management
In addition to good design and management of animal
housing, the farmer should take several measures
that can be implement and improve animal
cleanliness

b) Quality assurance during collection

Training in hygienic milk handling
o All personnel involved during milk collection
should trained in hygienic handling, storage,
collection and transport of milk.
Environmental contamination
o Milk collection operations should minimize the
introduction of food-borne pathogens and foreign
matter such as chemical residues from cleaning and
disinfection
Milk collection equipments and utensils
o Milk collection equipment, utensils and storage
tanks should be designed, constructed and
maintained in such a way that they can be
adequately cleaned and do not constitute a
significant source of contamination. The
equipments and utensils should only be used for
milk handling purpose.
o They should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected
before and after use.
Health and personnel hygiene
o Milk handlers should be in good health. Medical
examination of a milk handler should be carried
out regularly according to public health laws.
should not handle milk if suffering from the
following:
 o sore throats or diarrhea and/or
vomiting
o Skin infections (boils, septic pimples,
rashes, etc.)
o heavy colds or fever
o open wounds
o any contagious diseases
o Hands and forearms should be washed frequently
before milk handling and after visiting washrooms.
o Clean and suitable clothing should be worn during
milk handling.
o Milk handlers should be aware of bad or unconscious
body habits and avoid the following:
Scratching any part of the body, face, nose,
mouth, ears or hair.
coughing or sneezing directly onto milk
tasting milk or dairy products by using the
fingers
Do not smoke tobacco or any other substance
when handling milk
c) Quality assurance during transportation and delivery
o Transport equipment and utensils
Milk transport equipments should be cleaned and
disinfected regularly to minimize and prevent
contamination of milk.
Milk tanks and cans should not be used to store
or carry any other material except milk.
Milk transport tankers and cans should be
designed and constructed to ensure complete
drainage.
The design and material of milk transport
equipment and utensils should conform to
stipulated Kenya standards.
o Milk testing equipment
Milk testing equipment should be in good working
condition and should be periodically verified.
o Milk transport personnel
Milk transport personnel should receive adequate
training in hygienic handling of raw milk.
 The driver should not enter all animal handling
area or the processing areas of the dairy plant.
Medical examination of a milk transport personnel
should be carried out regularly according to
public health laws
Clean and suitable clothing should be worn during
milk transport handling.

o Milk transport vehicle

Lorries, trucks or other vehicles which carry the
tank or cans should be cleaned whenever necessary.
They must be duly licensed to carry milk only.
Should be adequately labeled it carries milk.
They should be covered to prevent direct sun rays.
Should not carry other goods together with milk.

vii. Hygienic handling during processing.

o Hygiene at the milk bar/cottage
a) Introduction to GMP concept
o GMP is a system to ensure that products meet food
safety, quality and legal requirement.
o The GMP as a regulatory requirement is implemented by
the following four categories of dairy business in
order to provide sanitary and hygienic foundation for
Kenya dairy industry
i. Milk collection centers/coolers
ii. Milk shop /milk bars/cottage industry
iii. Milk processing plants
iv. Distribution and sale of milk and milk
products.
o Benefits of implementing GMP
o Reduced risk of milk borne diseases hence improved
public health.
o Increased awareness of basic hygiene.
o Reduction in production costs (i.e. reduced
recall/wastage of milk and milk products.)
o Improved consistency of product quality.
 o Trade facilitation and increased consumer
confidence in milk and milk products.
o GMP in the dairy industry
Good quality milk
o Free from insoluble dirt ,free from off flavors
,low bacteria load ,of normal composition with no
added substances ,free from inhibitory substances
Location of dairy business
o Dairy establishments should be located away from
environmentally polluted areas, areas subject to
flooding unless sufficient safeguards are
provided, and areas prone to infestation of pests
and rodents and away from area near waste solid
or liquid that cannot be removed effectively.
Premises
o The design and layout should permit good hygiene
practices including protection against cross
contamination during processing operations
o Structures in premises should be easy to clean
and maintain and disinfect.
o Wall surfaces and floors should be easy to clean
and allow for adequate drainage
o Proper lighting and ventilation should also be
provided
Equipment and containers coming in contact with milk
and milk products.
o Should be designed and constructed to ensure that
they can be adequately cleaned disinfected and
maintained to avoid contamination of dairy
products.
o They should be made of food grade material
preferably stainless steel
o Should be durable and capable of being
disassembled where necessary to allow for
maintenance ,cleaning ,sanitization monitoring
and inspection
Quality assessment of
Milk
Audit of milk supplier
Audit of infrastructure
 Supply of portable Water
Drainage and waste disposal system
Cleaning facilities
Processing facilities
Lighting systems
Personnel hygiene facilities and
toilets.
Monitoring and verification
Processing conditions
o Products should be processed under known
technical requirements
o Monitoring and verification should be put in
place.
Packaging
o Design and material should provide adequate
protection to products through minimizing
contamination and preventing damage
Distribution of product
o Maintain recommended distribution conditions
On personnel
o Should have relevant competence ,medically fit
,maintain high degree of hygiene and be motivated
Documentation and records
o Appropriate record of all operation should be kept
and maintained for a period that exceeds the shelf
life of the product.
o These include raw material and ingredient quality,
processing conditions, quality of finished
products, non-conforming products, recalled
products and corrective action taken.
Milk safety training
This training is covered in 2 stages
Stage1 what employee shall be able to demonstrate
before they start handling milk.
Stage 2- what employee shall be able to demonstrate
within 2 months of working in the dairy premises.

o Hygiene at the processing plant.

a) Introduction to HACCP
HACCP is a management system in which food safety
is addressed through the analysis and control of
biological, chemical, and physical hazards from
raw material production, procurement and handling,
to manufacturing, distribution and consumption of
the finished product. For successful
implementation of a HACCP plan, management must be
strongly committed to the HACCP concept. A firm
commitment to HACCP by top management provides
company employees with a sense of the importance
of producing safe food.
o Benefits of implementing HCCP
Increase customer and consumer confidence
Provides market protection
reduce costs through reduction of product
losses
reduce risks of recalls and product
withdrawals thus reducing costs associated with
insurance and business liability protection
increase focus and ownership of food safety
simplify inspections primarily because of
record keeping and documentation
Provide consistent quality product
Demonstrates conformance to the product
requirements and regulations
o HACCP Principles

Conduct a hazard analysis

Determine the critical control points (CCP)
Establish critical limits (CL)
Establish a system to monitor control of
the CCP
Establish the corrective action to be taken
when monitoring indicates that a particular
CCP is not under control
Establish procedures for verification to
confirm that the HACCP system is under control

Establish documentation concerning all
procedures and records appropriate to these
principles and their application
o Key area of HCCP implementation
Premises
Transportation and storage
Equipment performance and maintenance
Personnel training programme
Sanitation and pest control
Health and safety recalls
o HACCP can be implemented in
Dairy processing establishments
Milk cottages and mini dairies
Milk bars

o Legal acts related to hygiene milk handling

Milk safety is enforced through food safety standards and
regulations, the main ones of which are the Dairy Industry
Act (CAP 336) and the Public Health Act (CAP 242).
The law requires one to have a license to operate a business
in whatever sector. In the Dairy Industry, types of licenses
will depend on the size of the enterprise. For the medium and
small- scale enterprises they should fulfill the following
conditions;

Type of Licensing requirements Licensing institution

licenses
Producer Hygiene and sanitary conditions as Kenya Dairy Board
license stipulated in the Code of Hygienic
Production, handling and distribution
of milk and milk products.
Milk bar -do- Kenya Dairy Board.
operator
license.
Milk Movement -do- Kenya Dairy Board
permit.
Medical Meet appropriate medical requirement Public Health
Certificate to handle milk and milk products. department
Public Health Meet appropriate premise and sanitary Public Health
Certificate hygiene requirements. department
Single Business Business located within local Local Authority
Permit. authority

a)Dairy industry act

b) The dairy industry is regulated by the Kenya Dairy
Board, established under Section 4 of the Dairy
Industry Act Cap. 336 enacted by Parliament in
1958. It is from this Act that the Board derives
its mandate.
c) KDB was established in 1958 under the Dairy
Industry Act (CAP 336), to organize, regulate and
develop the dairy industry in Kenya, mainly for
settler farmers. Its main role was to ensure
efficient production, marketing, distribution and
supply of milk and dairy products, including by
ensuring stable prices, improving the quality of
dairy produce, and promoting market research and
private enterprise in the production, processing
and marketing of dairy produce. It
d) It regulates the industry through:
regulating milk handling practices
to safeguard public health;
issuing licenses for domestic and
export trade;
advising government on the orderly
development of the sector;
and levying cess from dairy producers
and processors to finance its
operations.
e)Public health act
Provisions in the Public Health Act Cap 242,
1. Food must be prepared and stored in establishments
approved for the purpose using clean and pathogen
free equipment and containers
2. Potable water be used in preparation of food
3. Food products be processed or cooked to destroy
pathogenic microorganisms.
 4. Food products must be processed, handled, packed,
stored and transported or shipped hygienically and
all necessary precautions taken to prevent
recontamination.
5. Food stores must be free of vermin such as rodents,
flies and cockroaches
6. People should not sleep in food stores or food
preparation rooms
7. Food handlers must be free of communicable diseases
and must undergo regular medical check-ups.
8. Materials and articles in contact with foodstuffs
e.g. Packaging materials or containers must be non-
toxic and innocuous.
9. Food products must not contain any harmful
additives or foreign substances including
microbial toxins or chemical residues in
concentrations injurious to health.
10. Foodstuffs or food ingredients must be
transported and stored separately from poisonous
substances such as pesticides, fertilizer
viii. Quality assurance during processing.
a) Quality assurance of raw milk
o Filtration
o Standard plate count
o Separation and Standardization
b) Quality assurance of milk products
o Cream
o Butter
o Ghee
o Fermented milk
c) Quality assurance during milk pasteurization
o Phosphatase test
o Peroxidase test
o Turbidity test
d) Quality assurance of milk handling equipment
a) Equipment material and design

b) Cleaning
a. Hand cleaning
 b. Cleaning in place (CIP)

e) Quality assurance of water

Physical
Chemical
biological
ix. Record keeping of hygienic practices.
Importance of record keeping
Records should be kept, as necessary, to enhance the ability
to verify the effectiveness of the hygiene control systems.
o Hygiene records at the farm.
With respect to milk safety, records should be kept where
necessary on:
a) Identification and movement of animals;
b) Regular control of udder health;
c) Use of pest control chemicals;
d) Nature and source of feed;
e) Milk storage temperatures;
f) Use of agricultural chemicals;
g) Equipment cleaning.
h) the nature and origin of feed fed to the animals;
i) veterinary medicinal products or other treatments
administered to the animals, dates of
administration and withdrawal periods
o Hygienic record during collection, transportation and
delivery
o Milk supply records
Daily milk supply records should indicate the name of
supplier, volume of milk supplied, date and time the
milk was supplied and the price paid for the milk. Apart
from these basic records, it is in the interest of both
transporters and suppliers to record the quality of the
raw milk transported.
The following measurements and basic quality tests may
be carried out and the results recorded by the milk
transporter:
a) Temperature of milk
b) Density of the milk
 c) Organoleptic test
d) Alcohol test
o Delivery Record
Upon delivery of milk to the point of sale or
processing factory the following should be
recorded:
Name of customer
Date and time of delivery
Price of milk delivered
Temperature of milk
Density of milk
Organoleptic quality
Results of alcohol test

o Hygienic records during processing

a) Training records
b) A milk processor should maintain records of the
hygiene training completed by each employee while
that employee is employed at the milk processing
plant.
o Temperature records

a) A milk processing plant should maintain a complete

and accurate record of the temperature used in
pasteurization for each lot of pasteurized
product.
b) Milk processors should ensure that temperature
records are retained at the milk processing plant
for not less than twelve months and contain the
following information
a) the name of the milk processing plant;
b) the date;
c) the serial numbers of both pasteurizer and
recorder;
d) the temperature of pasteurization as shown
by the indicating thermometer during the
holding period
e) the name and signature of the pasteurizer
operator;
f) the products processed;