The design of milk, cheese, ice cream and cultured-product facilities presents challenges unique to the dairy industry. Consumers desire products that are produced in environmentally friendly ways. Regulatory considerations require minimum food safety standards. And dairy producers are facing price pressure and need productive facilities.
The sanitation requirements of these plants typically encompass both internal surfaces and external surfaces. Most piping, pumps, valves, and equipment also need to be capable of clean-in-place (CIP) sanitation. Moreover, the USDA also requires specific types of dairy equipment to meet the 3-A Sanitary Standards. The rooms in which process takes place must also be able to withstand the rigors of heavy sanitation. Cultured-product plants and cheese plants have acidic byproducts that piping, floors, and drains must be able to tolerate. Highly filtered air is needed in critical rooms for bacteriophage control.
