The quality of dairy products is of the utmost importance to today’s consumers, and achieving high quality dairy products requires a systematic approach that encompasses key testing criteria for raw, processing environment, in-process, and pasteurized dairy products.
In order to have safe and high-quality products, dairies must start with high-quality raw milk and cream. Tests must be selected and run on each batch/tanker before you decide whether or not to accept the load.
Researchers at Cornell University offer a perspective on producer premium programs. They find that premiums for raw milk quality may deliver financial benefits to dairy processors.
A number of tests have been used traditionally to evaluate the quality of raw milk, including, but not limited to, somatic cell counts (SCC), different types of bacterial counts including the standard plate count (SPC) and tests for the presence of drug residues and added water.