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You probably already know that Pure Food Co-op LLC
recommends all milk products be kept between 33 and
40° F.
Why is the temperature so important? Proper temperature
control extends the shelf life of raw milk products,
preserves
the taste of the product, increases the quality of yogurt,
cheese, or other foods made from raw milk products,
and
reduces the risk of bacterial illness related with raw
milk products.
SPC/ml, or Standard Plate Count, is obtained by culturing
the milk to determine the presence of bacteria (good,
bad, and neutral) in the sample. The SPC/ml of milk
products is monitored by the State of Idaho for all
permitted producers, usually on a monthly basis.
*Pennsylvania State University collected this data
relating to the temperature of milk storage and the
resulting SPC/ml count:
Milk Storage
Temp. |
Fresh Milk
(SPC/ml) |
24 hours (SPC/ml) |
48 ours
(SPC/ml) |
| 40° F |
4,300 |
4,100 |
4,600 |
| 50° F |
4,300 |
14,000 |
1,600,000 |
| 60° F |
4,300 |
130,000 |
33,000,000 |
This data illustrates how much the temperature at which
milk products are kept greatly influences its bacteria
count.
After all, raising the temperature of a product and
introducing a certain bacteria is what transforms milk
into yogurt or
cheese. Temperature can preserve or transform milk in
both good and bad ways. Because raw milk is full of
beneficial
bacteria, also contains neutral bacteria, and may contain
pathogenic bacteria, all these strains of bacteria will
multiply if
given the opportunity. In all cases, bacteria are inhibited
from growth by proper temperature control.
When raw milk is collected from the animal, the temperature
of the milk is about 100° F. Pure Food Co-op LLC’s
producers cool it to a minimum of 40° F as quickly
as possible and maintain it at or below that temperature.
Idaho’s
State Raw Milk Rules indicate that proper temperature
should be obtained within 2 hours of milking time.
At Pure Food Co-op, we carefully monitor temperature
of raw milk products both with State testing and during
the
pick-up and delivery process to preserve its freshness
and quality. We urge you to do the same by always leaving
adequate ice in your coolers, transferring the milk
products to the refrigerator as quickly as possible,
and monitoring
your fridge temperature to ensure that it is kept below
40° F.
Thank you! |
