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Home My WebLink AboutThe Times Advocate, 2008-06-04, Page 1010 Times -Advocate Wednesday, June 4, 2008 (MY THE JOURNEY FROM FARM TO FRIDGE From the farm to your table, the biggest challenge is to maintain dairy products at a constant tem- perature every step of the way in order to ensure the highest quality products. And, did you know that Canadian dairy products are made with our very own milk, pro- duced according to the highest standards? AT THE FARM At the farm, producers make sure their cows are in good health. Whenever a cow becomes sick, it is treated immediately, and if antibiotics are required its milk is rejected until no trace of the antibiotic remains in its system. Canadian milk producers must conform with Health Canada's decisions and with Canadian reg- ulations in order to ensure the puri- ty of Canadian milk products. MILKING Cows are usually milked twice a day, although in some cases they are milked three or four times a day. The milk is collected with a milking machine. It then passes through a piping system, the 411 milk -line, which conveys it to a stainless steel cooling tank. The milk is kept in this tank at 1 °C - 4°C, or just above the freez- ing point, until it is picked up. The temperature of the milk must be lowered as quickly as possible. Efficiently cooling milk at the farm involves lower- ing the temperature from 38°C, (the tempera- ture of milk just out of the cow's teat) to 4°C in less than 60 minutes. MILK TRANSPORTATION Milk is picked up at the farm every two days by an insulated transport tanker. The driver is responsible for determining whether a producer's milk is fit to be loaded into the tanker after checking its tempera- ture, appearance and smell. He then takes a sample of the milk to determine the protein, lactose and butterfat content. He may also take a second sample for quality control testing in laboratories. The capacity of the regular tankers varies between 10,000 and 35,000 litres. The transport tanker is insulat- ed to prevent the milk from getting hot in the summer or freezing in the winter. The reflecting surface of the trucks also provides protection against infrared rays and reduces the degree of heat on the tank. Likewise, insulated silos at the plants keep the milk below 4°C. AT THE PLANT Pasteurized Milk contains about 4% fat when it leaves the farm. At the plant, the milk is subjected to a standardization process to adjust the fat con- tent to the type of milk required. The next step is pas- teurization. The process involves heating the milk for a peri- od of time depending on the heating temperature. For example, if the milk is heat- ed at 72°C -75°C, the process will take only 16 seconds. The milk is then quickly cooled to under 4°C. Pasteurization destroys harmful micro-organisms and prolongs the storage period, while preserving the natural taste and nutritional value of milk. For obvious health reasons, all dairy products must be pasteurized before being sold, with the excep- tion of raw milk cheese. Regulations provide for a 60 -day ripening period, which makes it fit for consumption. The next step after pasteurization is homogenization. This process splits fat cells into fine particles that are distributed uniformly throughout the milk, thus preventing the fat from rising to the surface. IN YOUR FRIDGE Fluid milk - in Canada, fluid milk is pasteurized and homogenized before being sold. Vitamin D is added to fluid milk because it facilitates calcium absorption. 0711-16115 Milk contains about 4% fat when it leaves the farm. Part of the cream is removed at the plant to make the four types of milk on the market: homogenized milk con- taining 3.25% fat, partly skimmed milk with 2% and 1% fat, and skim milk. UHT milk - (ultra-high temperature) is milk that has been pasteurized at a very high temperature. This process considerably extends the shelf life of milk without altering its nutritional value. UHT milk can be kept up to three months after the treatment date. No refrigeration is needed before the container is opened. Microfiltered milk - is processed according to a microfiltration process that eliminates bacteria, making it possible to pasteurize milk at a lower temperature. This process gives a type of milk that is creamier and has a longer shelf life than traditional milk, i.e., 30 days compared to 18 days. a THIS MESSAGE WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY COMMUNITY -MINDED BUSINESSES LISTED BELOW Straight Line Collision Don Stuckless 274 Victoria St. CENTRALIA 519-228-6114 Jeffrey Bros. Ltd. 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A R LICCHClO ay nvonr Ontario SEAFORTFI 519-522-1737 888-522-1737 STRATFORD 519-271-7860 w 888-271-7860 N.C. JONES & SONS LTD. • Excavating • Trucking • Sand • Gravel • Topsoil CALL ANYTIME FOR A FREE, NO -OBLIGATION ESTIMATE 519-870-5546 519-878-3834 519-235-2489 TODD BOB SHOP HAY MUTUAL COMPANY 43 Main Street, Zurich, Ontario, NOM 2T0 Tel: (519) 236-4381 Fax: (519) 236-7681 FARMS • HOMES • COTTAGES teET P 11IGK GMC 640 Main St. S., Exeter (519) 235-0363 1-800-265-3476 Fax: (519) 235-1685 www.hmpexeter.com info@hmpexeter.com CHEVROLET GMC PONTIAC "WICK " Carol Mitchell MPP Huron -Bruce www. carolmitch ell. ca Clinton Office 49 Albert St. Monday - Friday - 8:30 - 4:30 519-482-5630 1-800-668-9320 Kincardine Office 322 Lambton St. Tues., Thurs. - 8:30 - 4:30 519-396-3007 1-866-396-3007