How is milk produced?

Milk must go through a variety of processes before it can be sold to customers in shops. The cows used to be milked in the early hours of the morning and then again in the evening. These days it can be more frequent and is generally done by a machine. These machines can milk more than 20 cows at a time.


The milk is kept it vats at about 39 degrees Fahrenheit for about 48 hours. It is collected and the vats are cleaned out and ready for the next milk batch. It is important that the milk remains cold while being transported to its next location after the farm, the factory.


The milk is tested before collection and when it gets to the factory too. If it doesn't pass the quality standard checks it gets rejected. It is tested for milk fat, protein, cell count, temperature and antibiotics.




Whole milk is then pasteurized, homogenised, separated and undergoes further processes.


Homogenisation: This is where the fat is dispersed evenly through the milk to avoid separation of a fat layer on the surface of the milk.


Pasteurization: This is where is milk is heated to 71.7 degrees Celsius for 15 seconds and then cooled quickly. This eliminates certain bacteria.


Evaporation: The milk is spun through a centrifuge to separate the milk from the cream. This means they can be mixed with different quantities to give the right fat levels needed for the type of milk being produced.


Further processes: Heat treatment which gives the milk a longer shelf life (UHT, common in warm countries), microfiltration, culturing milk.


The milk is then put into the cartons through big pipes and sealed. They are stamped with an expiry date. It is now ready to be sold and is kept refrigerated until it is delivered to shops for selling.