Smart tips for treating raw milk

Raw milk is untreated milk straight from the animal. Here are some tips to help you treat your milk before consumption.

It is most important that raw milk for dairy products comes only from cows or goats that are milked under hygienic conditions and are free of disease.

• All raw milk contains bacteria, some of which cause disease and food poisoning, and pasteurization eliminates these. While this process also kills many harmless bacteria needed for making cheese and other cultured milk products, these can be reintroduced in a starter containing specially selected bacteria.
• Pasteurization ensures a more uniform bacterial level, and a starter will give more consistent results to dairy products.
• When you milk your own animals, dairy hygiene should aim at preventing contamination of milk by disease-causing bacteria, such as those found in cow manure and dust, and inhibiting the growth of all bacteria.

Take milk to your dairy room as soon as it is collected and strain it through a cheesecloth-lined colander immediately to remove dust or other material that could contain harmful bacteria.

• The milk should then be cooled quickly to about 4°C (39°F) and refrigerated at that temperature until it is used.

Always maintain strict standards of cleanliness for the milk buckets, the milker's hands and all equipment.

• A dairy room should be dust-free, well ventilated, well lit and cool.
• All equipment must be cleaned meticulously and should be free of cracks, nicks and other areas where dirt can collect. Immediately after use, rinse the equipment in cold water (otherwise a film will form) and then wash it in warm water with a dairy detergent (standard detergents may leave a residual flavour that will spoil the taste of the milk).
• Next, scald the equipment by pouring boiling water over it and leave it to air-dry.
• Every few weeks, sterilize all equipment by washing it in a chlorine solution; use cold water to make up the sanitizing solution, as hot water will destroy the sanitizing properties.

• Keep milk away from strong farmyard, household and food smells; fresh milk, particularly goat's milk, absorbs such odours very easily.
• Never use milk that seems abnormal; an unusual flavour can indicate contamination. If fresh milk tastes off, check dairy hygiene, the health of your animals and their diet.

Follow these tips and you'll be enjoying your delicious (and safe!) milk in no time.