Dairy foods are subject to stringent food production safety regulations. Dairy food processors must comply with the latest certifications and requirements. Taking a chance with what appears to be cost-saving equipment is risky. If that equipment doesn’t meet regulatory and/or inspector requirements, or doesn’t arrive in time to meet critical project deadlines, it may end up costing much more in the end.
The Council Directive EC/99/2002 forms the general health rules for trade or introduction into the European Union of milk and milk products for human consumption. At the heart of compliance is a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan or Hazard Analysis and Risk-based Preventive Controls (HARPC) plan for your facility. Filtration air, steam, and liquids that touch product or contact surfaces is central to HACCP and HARPC.
Each dairy processing facility will have unique needs, but in general, there are more than a dozen locations that require attention to filtration. Here are just some examples:
Working with a filtration partner can help you design a filtration system that meets sanitary standards and is also cost-efficient.
To provide a starting point, Donaldson offers these complimentary resources:
Regulatory and Best Practice Overview:
A summary of applicable filtration and sanitary design standards for liquids,
steam, and sterile air use in food and beverage processing.
Filtration Map for Yogurt:
A diagram illustrating common control points in yogurt processing facilities,
along with filtration solutions to consider at each point.
Filtration Map for Cheese:
A diagram illustrating common control points in cheese processing facilities,
along with filtration solutions to consider at each point.
Filter Maintenance Schedule:
A recommended filter replacement schedule for steam, compressed air, and
liquid filters in a process line, to optimize both safety and cost efficiency.