Disinfection in the dairy parlour

The dairy farmer has the responsibility of producing milk under clean and hygienic conditions, employing appropriate techniques to clean and disinfect the milking equipment and the milking parlour. The ability of raw milk to retain its quality under storage, and the safety of the product for the consumer, can both be directly related to the bacterial content of the milk. In most countries, bacterial content is one of the factors considered in determining the level of payment for milk. Cleaning and disinfection are complementary processes: neither process alone will achieve the desired end result. Milk with low bacterial and somatic cell counts cannot be produced unless milking equipment is effectively cleaned and disinfected between milkings and the cows are kept healthy. The author considers the various sources of bacterial contamination and increased somatic cell counts in raw milk, and describes the cleaning and disinfection practices recommended for the production of milk of good microbiological quality.