Maintaining a safe milk supply

Dairy Field, Mar 1999 by Boor, Kathryn

New York State Milk Quality Improvement Program serves as model for a national program.

MilkPEP and Dairy Management Inc. support generic advertisement campaigns atthe national level to increase fluid milk sales and consumption.These campaigns are based on the concept that a positive generic image for fluid milk and dairy products will profit the entire dairy industry. While this strategy has paid off, generic images also carry some risk.

Dairy farmers in NewYork State (NYS) recognized the link between processed product quality and market development more than 25 years ago. Since 1972, in addition to funding statewide generic dairy product ad campaigns, the NewYork State Dairy Promotion Advisory Board has funded a Cornell university research and educational program aimed at improving the quality, safety and shelf-life of fluid milk products.The Milk Quality Improvement Program (MQIP) was initiated by Professor David Bandler, the program's director until 1996. MQIP, funded at approximately $300,000 per year, is currently directed by the author.

Initially, this program was designed to examine school milk quality. A 1974 MQIP survey found a direct correlation between milk flavor and school-age children's consumption levels.This survey revealed that children in districts receiving off-flavored products consumed 30 percent less milk than children in school districts that regularly received goodtasting milk.This clear link between milk quality and product consumption provided the initial impetus for further development of MQIP MQIP is funded in a partnership between NYS dairy farmers and Cornell University, in cooperation with the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets.This investment by NYS farmers is driven by a visionary mindset recognizing the connection between product quality and safety, generic advertisement and dairy product image and consumption.The guiding principle is to help maintain and increase the sales of fluid milk products and to support advertising campaigns aimed at increasing milk consumption by assuring the production of safe, high-quality milk products.

The cornerstone of MQIP is the "Voluntary" Shelf-Life (VSL) Program, so called because all participating processors have consented to allow raw and finished product samples to be taken by Cornell University personnel at regular intervals. Under this program, each processing plant in the state of NewYork is visited and samples are collected at least two times annually. Fluid milk products produced at each plant are subjected to shelf-life studies that involve holding products at 43deg for up to 21 days.

Milk products are analyzed upon receipt in the laboratory as well as throughout their shelf lives. Analyses include chemical (freezing point, acid degree value, vitamin concentration, fat determination and total solids), microbiological (standard plate count, coliform count and growth inhibitor determination) and sensory evaluation. Each plant receives timely reports summarizing the results of all analyses contributing to the shelflife studies as well as the findings of the plant visitations. Program personnel are also available to assist NYS fluid milk processors with trouble-shooting, specifically focusing on problems related to productquality and safety. In addition, MQIP personnel conduct workshops and training courses designed to enhance dairy industry employees' abilities to contribute to the production of safe, high-quality products.The program accomplishes these tasks with a current staff of four microbiologists and two chemists.

The VSL program contributes to maintaining and increasing the sales of fluid milk products in the state of New York in three important ways. First, through these efforts, all plants, regardless of size and financial situation, have access to expert technical advice for improving the quality of their fluid milk products. Secondly, the regular plant visits and audits conducted as part of the VSL program provide an innovative non-regulatory mechanism for assisting processors with product compliance with nutritional labels and with maintaining product quality and safety. Third, MQIP personnel work closely with researchers at the DMI-funded Northeast Dairy Foods Research Center to support technology transfer of research findings. Application of new technologies such as the addition of COZ to extend cottage cheese shelf-life are assisted by professional field support, providing the linkage between research scientists and processing plant personnel.

Emerging technologies for product shelf-life extension have the potential to improve the quality of fluid milk products. However, improper application could lead to unpredicted problems that could negatively affect product sales. By providing processor support for production of safe, high-quality products, MQIP helps assure the highest possible value of advertisement dollars aimed toward increasing milk consumption.

To expand market share in today's highly competitive beverage market, the fluid milk industry should look toward development of industry-wide partnerships to assure consistent product quality and safety. Low quality fluid milk products from any plant, small or large, can negatively affect lifelong consumer attitudes toward fluid milk products. Worse, foodborne illness outbreaks associated with fluid milk will not only impact the individual processor, but the entire fluid milk industry. An industry-wide quality assurance strategy will help improve product shelf-life and quality. It is the hope of the NYS MQIP to provide a model system for the development of a national "Milk Quality Improvement Program" to help develop the necessary partnerships to assure a stable market for fluid milk products. df