In 2016, food recalls surged 22% to 764, with many tied to the dairy industry. Contaminated dairy products can be linked to consumer illness, with the potential to permanently damage a dairy’s brand. How can milk and milk ingredient processors turn the tide, while complying with new and expanding regulations? Automatic sampling can help ensure that milk, cheese, yogurt and ice cream producers not only comply with the latest regulations, but also avoid harmful and expensive recalls that can lead to brand damage – or worse.

The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) of 2011 put a spotlight on improving safety in all food production, but it was especially relevant for the dairy industry, which led food recalls in 2015. Considering there was a 22% surge in recalls in 2016, this issue isn’t diminishing any time soon for dairy producers.

Helping Dairy Producers Comply With The Latest Regulations

Automatic sampling ensures representative dairy samples and makes it easier to document the sampling process. It also simplifies the auditing of systems and processes to complete the custody transfer chain.

Within a process line, a sampler can automate preventive verification of critical process controls. It also allows a composite sample to be easily and safely obtained with no direct involvement from an operator. This ensures the integrity of the sample and increases efficiency over manual sampling, since the production line can continue without downtime.

Rather than a hand scoop or shovel, an automatic sampler reduces bias and provides a highly representative sample for analysis. Because automated samplers provide a statistically representative sample, analysis data obtained from these samples offer a higher level of confidence from which important decisions about the process can be made.

Sample automation within a dairy process assures that processors can better meet the stringent requirements of FSMA and ensure quality and safety.

Automatic Sampling For Contamination, Physical Properties, Moisture, Fat Content, Hormones and More:

• During on-truck collection and receipt at dairy plant
• Processing milk for distribution or resale
• Producing secondary products like cheese, yogurt and ice cream
• Processing milk into powdered milk and extracting proteins, lactose and milk powders for use as ingredients in other foods
• Processing of by-products into whey protein concentrate, whey protein hydrolysates, whey protein isolate, Lactoferrin; edible, refined and ultra-refined lactose; and skim milk powders
• Powder sampling after drying

Automatic sampling can help dairy producers comply with federal, state and local regulations and guidelines, while ensuring food safety and potentially reducing the risk of food recalls.

Learn more about our food and beverage sampling solutions here.