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DAIRY INDUSTRY
NO MORE CRYING OVER WASTED MILK
Fortress Technology analyses the dairy industry’s role in
enhancing global food security through sustainable production
n a new whitepaper recently published by Fortress Technology [
https://fortresstechnology.co.uk/milk- powder-quality-control-and-sustainability/] the company, which has manufacturing hubs in the UK/Europe, North and South America, and now New Zealand, reviews the environmental benefits of sharing best practice in the expanding global Whole and Skimmed Milk Powder market. Sales Director Phil Brown specifically underscores the importance of implementing consistent quality control and contaminant inspection standards internationally to protect consumers and reduce processing emissions. According to the Sustainable Food Trust, the UK wastes approximately 490 million pints of milk per year. Putting this into context, in liquid form this amount of milk would fill more than 122 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Making milk among the top 5 most wasted food products in the UK.
I
forced to dump 40,000 litres of milk after no drivers turned up to collect it.
Research has also suggested that half of UK dairy farms are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit staff, with a 12.2% vacancy rate. When production continues to outstrip demand, it leads to a surplus of perishable agricultural goods. It is clear that today’s industrial agricultural and food production methods are severely damaging the environment and are not sustainable with the growing global population. Whole Milk Powder and Skimmed Milk Powder, along with other dairy by-product commodities could provide a more sustainable solution.
Aside from good product loss, milk waste dramatically impacts the environment as one of the biggest producers of greenhouse gases. With a carbon footprint of around 1.1kg CO2 per litre, the amount of milk the UK produces and subsequently wastes in a year equates to 3.3 million tonnes of CO2. When it comes to excessive waste, consumers are not the only ones responsible. Dairy cows require daily milking. Any oversupply often leads to dairy farmers disposing of milk before it is even processed. With the UK and Europe lifting defined milk quotas on 31 March 2015, milk lakes and butter mountains are a thing of the past. It means that there are now no production limits. Unfortunately, many of the leading causes of food waste are beyond the control of farmers. Climatic events, supply chain unfairness and labour shortages, all contribute to food waste and surplus. With milking accounting for between 31% and 57% of labour time spent on dairy farms, plus the slim margin on milk and its short shelf-life, any small hit to the labour market can have detrimental effects on dairy production. In 2021, Sky News reported British dairy farmers having to pour tens of thousands of litres of milk away due to a shortage of HGV and milk tanker drivers. One dairy farmer was
36 SEPTEMBER 2024 | PROCESS & CONTROL
With an escalating demand in pre-prepared foods, baby foods and infant formula, as well as new vitamin-fortified milk powders entering the market for direct use in beverages, yoghurts, coffee and tea whitener, milk powders have seen a significant rise in popularity worldwide.
The global market outlook is strong, with milk powder valued at 34.6 billion US$ in 2023 and predicted to grow annually by 5.6 percent, reaching 57.2 US$ billion by 2032. Sustainable production, processing, transportation and consumption of dairy products is essential to protecting the planet and achieving sustainability goals. It is also exported widely to developing economies where fresh milk is in limited supply. Aside from decreasing milk dumping, the longer shelf life of milk powders means that less milk is wasted, helping reduce food waste and conserve resources. One of the most significant environmental benefits of milk powders for food manufacturers is its compactness and reduced weight. Around 225 litres of fresh milk is needed to produce 3.75 litres of non-fat milk powder, meaning about 60 times less space is required to transport the same amount of milk solids in powder form. Additionally, utilising milk powders in place of fresh milk eradicates the
requirement for cold storage. By transporting milk product more efficiently, using less fuel and producing fewer emissions, food manufacturers can reduce their carbon footprint and help to mitigate climate change. In New Zealand, new technology has been employed to reuse water from the condensation process involved in the production of milk powder. The ‘reclaimed’ water system is expected to save half a million litres of groundwater daily.
Additionally, one of the most sustainable methods of reducing waste is implementing inspection technology into milk powder production lines. Metal detection, X-ray and checkweighing systems help dairy processors address critical waste, sourcing and sustainability challenges by targeting operational inefficiencies, including upstream product giveaway, non-conforming food packs and contamination issues. The world’s largest producer of Whole Milk Powder located in New Zealand recently updated 56 of their Fortress metal detectors to Stealth technology. By adding data logging capabilities and new software algorithms, this processor increased the stainless steel detection sensitivity to 2mm.
“The cycle of parts breaking down, being thrown away and then having to be replaced is not just wasteful, it’s also unsustainable long term,” said Brown. The ability to upgrade existing inspection equipment, designed with modularity and scalability in mind, contributes to a more sustainable industry. With their dairy farming predominantly pasture-based, New Zealand provides a strong model of sustainable, safe food processing. Fortress aims to leverage this localised processing knowledge and best practices to respond to evolving food trends and the overarching need for sustainable production processes.
Fortress Technology
www.fortresstechnology.co.uk
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