Cleaner Production Assessment in Dairy Processing

This document is a guide to the application of Cleaner Production in the dairy industry, with a focus on the processing of milk and milk products at dairy processing plants. Its purpose is to raise awareness of the environmental impacts of dairy processing, and to highlight approaches that industry and government can take to avoid or minimise these impacts by adopting a Cleaner Production approach. The life cycle of milk and milk products commences with the production of fresh cow’s milk on dairy farms. Milk is then processed to produce pasteurised and homogenised market milk, butter, cheese, yogurt, custard and dairy desserts etc. It may also be preserved for a longer shelf life in the form of long-life (UHT), condensed, evaporated or powdered milk products. The various products are packaged into consumer portions and distributed to retail outlets. For fresh dairy products, refrigerated storage is required throughout the life of the products to maintain eating appeal and prevent microbiological spoilage. Following use by the consumer, packaging is either discarded or recycled.