Getting to grips with hygiene practices in dairy processing facilities

Food safety and quality dairy products go hand in hand. During processing, milk products can be contaminated in many ways, which is why the South African dairy industry adheres to strict regulations to protect both the industry and dairy consumers.

- Claudi Nortje

Personal hygiene, employee training, protective clothing, medical fitness checks and other management protocols are put in place to help regulate processing standards. According to Jompie Burger, managing director at the Dairy Standard Agency (DSA), this is done to ensure that criteria are met so that substandard products do not reach consumers.

Various regulations are in place to ensure the safety of both the industry and consumers. These regulations include the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act, 1972 (Act 54 of 1972), the Animal Diseases Act, 1984 (Act 35 of 1984), the Agricultural Product Standards Act, 1990 (Act 119 of 1990), the Trade Metrology Act, 1973 (Act 77 of 1973) and various industry codes of conduct that contain legal provisions aligned to the Consumer Protection Act, 2008 (Act 68 of 2008).

Personal hygiene

Food processors in the dairy industry come into contact with various products on a daily basis. As such, they play a crucial role in ensuring the quality and safety of each product. Pathogens such as Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, Campylobacter jejuni and Yersinia enterocolitica can harm consumers and cause serious health complications in the elderly, children, immunocompromised people and pregnant women.

Since food safety is a growing global concern, various hygiene and manufacturing practices, hazard analyses, and critical points of control throughout the dairy industry can significantly reduce any risk of microbial contamination. Therefore, strict hygiene measures must be put in place for every stage of dairy processing.