Detergent Properties of Alkaline Dairy Washing Compounds

Abstract

TO quote that modern classic Fundamentals of Dairy Science:' While dairy utensils are in no sense a natural habitat of bacteria, a great many organisms grow on the surfaces of such equipment so that the utensils form an important source of bacteria in milk. As a general rule, in fact, under ordinary farm conditions where steam is not available for sterilizing purposes, more bacteria gain access to milk through utensils than from any other sources. These conclusions can truthfully be supplemented with the observation that the farmer is not the only offender in this matter. Some of the present methods of dairy sanitation fail to give cleanliness consistent with quality standards. Cleanliness is the exception and not the rule. The presence of oily films in pipe lines, utensils, pasteurizers, holding and mixing tanks, valves and the like, can readily be detected by the finger. Wherever intense heat (particularly steam) is applied to any surface in contact with milk for an appreciable period of time, a calcareous deposit known as milk stone forms, which continued applications of some washing compounds fail to remove. Such surfaces are not clean and can be the sources of trouble because they provide culture medium for bacteria which may gain access between the washing and sterilizing and the passage of fresh milk. When such conditions become troublesome, it is sometimes the practice to apply copious amounts of some chlorine disinfectant, which may be antiseptic for short periods but never germicidal, since their disinfecting properties are destroyed through chemical combination with the adhering milk solids, and the condition remains to cause future trouble. These statements, however, must not be interpreted as a condemnation of the use of chlorine disinfectants, but rather as a warning for their intelligent application. These failures to obtain cleanliness certainly are not due to dairy