2. Quality management system of the dairy production chain

#### 2.1. General consideration of the self-control and quality management systems (QMSs)

The self-control systems are based on the Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Point System (HACCP). This is a systematic procedure focused to identify microbiological, chemical, and physical hazards as early as food manufacturing and to eliminate these hazards by taking the suitable measures [7, 8]. Correct practices and conditions described on the Codex Alimentarius [9] and Regulation (EC) 853/2004 define prerequisites to be deemed before the development of HACCP.

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) created the international standards which give specifications for products, services, and systems, to ensure quality, safety, and efficiency. They comprise standards for the development of a quality system of any type of organization and any part of the world. They were directed for the assurance of the process quality and the establishing of an international normative frame for the management and quality control [2, 10]. The requirements applied by the food industry can be tougher than the compliance of legal rules. The ISO certification has become a very important strategy for the companies because it provides the confidence to customers and other stakeholders to control food safety hazards. In addition, international standards enhance transparency in the development of food quality and safety procedures, thus helping to improve and update food safety systems [11]. The implementation of these standards is fixed with the ISO 9000:2000—Quality management systems—fundamentals and vocabulary, which takes part of others onto NMX ISO 9000:2000 with guidance, technical reports, and specifications [2, 10].

#### 2.2. QMS applied in farms and transport

the time [1]. The food production chain connects different actors and stages. In the case of dairy production, the chain includes some steps as milking, milk collection, milk reception, industrial treatment and dairy transformation, packaging, storage, distribution, and consumption [1, 2]. Each stage should offer added value to the product with minimal cost [3] and apply the European Union legislation such as: Regulation (EC) 178/2002, laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety, Regulation (EC) 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs, Regulation (EC) 853/2004 laying down specific hygiene rules for on the hygiene of foodstuffs, and Regulation (EC) 854/2004 on the organization of official checks on products

Milk is a nutritious food, which allows the growth of microorganisms. Its composition includes proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and essential amino acids, which provide an adequate environment for the microorganisms' proliferation because of a neutral pH and a high-water activity on milk. Some microorganisms use these nutrients directly, and others unleash the metabolism of them. Their proliferation is determined by temperature, time, and nutrient availability [3, 4]. For this reason, good manufacturing and good hygiene practices

QMSs are focused in the control of the main hazard sources that can occur in the food industry. The dairy chain implies several limitation and potential hazard that can reduce the quality and safety of milk. The intrinsic characteristic of milk, as an ideal environment for microorganisms, [4] combined with its direct contact with equipment and facilities during the different stages of milk production make the implementation of QMS in the dairy production chain a challenge [5]. Two types of hazards have been considered the most relevant: chemical hazards are more associated to feed and farm and microbiological hazards more related with farm and dairy processing [6]. Application of validated predictive models is recognized as a valuable tool able to estimate behavior of potential microbiological hazards or spoilage microorganisms on raw milk during production chain. The obtained outcome can provide an estimation of the impact of relevant factors within the milk production chain and corrective measures to be applied.

(GMP and GHP) applied at all the stages of the chain must to be adopted.

2. Quality management system of the dairy production chain

HACCP.

2.1. General consideration of the self-control and quality management systems (QMSs)

The self-control systems are based on the Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Point System (HACCP). This is a systematic procedure focused to identify microbiological, chemical, and physical hazards as early as food manufacturing and to eliminate these hazards by taking the suitable measures [7, 8]. Correct practices and conditions described on the Codex Alimentarius [9] and Regulation (EC) 853/2004 define prerequisites to be deemed before the development of

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) created the international standards which give specifications for products, services, and systems, to ensure quality, safety, and

of animal origin intended for human consumption.

150 Technological Approaches for Novel Applications in Dairy Processing

Although HACCP are systems implemented in the industries, the primary production has no duty of developing them. On this case guidance and advices for the correct management are followed in relation with animal health, food, traceability, hygiene, and cleaning [12].

The milk collection by the trucks in farms must to be done in hygienic conditions to prevent microbial contamination. For the correct handling of raw milk, the truck driver must be trained to use suitable clothes and to avoid the entrance to stables. Milk samples will be collected for quality control, verifying the temperature of storage (8C for daily collection and 6C for each 48 h collection), and trucks must maintain the milk temperature on tanks below 10C according to EC Regulation 853/2004 [13].

Current transportation unit designing must have an efficient cleaning and drainage system to prevent corrosion and the transference of foreign substances to milk [14]. Complete cleaning and disinfection of truck are made after use and for 48 h. Trucks must have available the Agreement on the International Carriage of Perishable Foodstuffs and on the Special Equipment to be Used for such Carriage (ATP), which is a treaty of United Nations laying down rules about international transport of perishable food like milk between states members of the treaty [15].

Finally, the round-trip sheet of the truck must include information of the address industry, of the driver, of the suppliers of milk or farms, and of the date, hour, deposit, or liters collected.

#### 2.3. QMS applied to the dairy industry

There are seven principles on the development of the HACCP on a dairy industry [16]. They are conducting a hazard analysis, identifying the critical points in the process, establishing critical limits, critical control point monitoring requirements, corrective actions verification, as well as record-keeping procedures and documentation of the system. The principles of HACCP are mainly oriented to achieve the following objectives—identifying, assessing, and controlling health hazards—to increase the level of product quality and safety and to low product liability risks and to enhance consumers' protection and confidence [9, 17].

The process and product description lead to describe the different production stages, and it helps to detect and define the hazard and critical points in the industry. Onto the different stages of the dairy industry, there are some where milk is not heat-treated (so it is raw) and others where milk receives a heat treatment. Regarding raw milk, time and temperature conditions are some of the main factors affecting milk quality. Bacterial counts can be highly influenced by the time since the milk is collected in tanks until it is thermally treated in the industry [18, 19]. Despite that the most spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms are inactivated by the thermal treatment, the previous stages in which milk remains untreated are very important from the assurance of quality point of view, to minimize undesirable effect of microbiology in the treated and packaged product [7]. These stages are tank truck reception and storage on silos. Truck's reception involves the stage in which milk go from tank of truck to silo of industry. Silo is a big container for the storage of milk in isothermal conditions. The temperature of milk must to be below 6C until its transformation except when milk will be transformed immediately after or over the next 4 h. The truck reception is an important quality control point where quality control technicians collect milk samples for analyses before content passes to silo. Because raw milk is stored on tanker trucks and silos under isothermal conditions, if refrigeration temperature of tanks is not working properly, initial microorganisms could grow until reaching unacceptable levels. Thus, cooling and storage temperature of milk in farms should be controlled to prevent microbial contamination.

involve tissue damages on udder or proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms related to mastitis process. Incidences by chemical hazard can occur because the presence of disinfectant waste associated to milk blended with water cleaning. Incidences by physical hazard can be caused by the presence of foreign material when the maintenance of tank, truck, or silo does not

Food Quality Management Systems in the Dairy Industry: A Case Study on the Application of Predictive…

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.73309

153

The optimization of the milk production chain to reduce spoilage before the heat treatments at industry greatly relies on the knowledge of storage temperature and times at the different

The temperature of milk below 7C for a long storage period is associated with the proliferation of certain psychrotrophic bacterial species. The glycolytic, proteolytic, and lipolytic activity of these types of bacteria can produce deterioration of milk quality after heat treatment [22]. The most common species of psychrotrophic bacteria are Pseudomonas spp., Alcaligenes spp., Bacillus cereus, Lactobacillus, Micrococcus, Streptococcus, and Enterobacteriaceae family [4]. B. cereus, Streptococcus, and Pseudomonas spp. are known as the most persistent bacteria able to survive forming biofilms on equipment in dairy industries [23]. The main concern of these psychrotrophic species is related to the survival capacity of their enzymes and spores to typical heat treatments applied to milk. Species as Pseudomonas fluorescens produce extracellular enzymes when bacterial population reaches or exceeds 10<sup>6</sup> CFU/ml in food [21]. They can contribute to casein and lipid degradation, causing product alteration during distribution and home storage [24]. In addition, an increase in the number of milking times from two milking per collection and truck (only 1-day milking) to four milking per collection and truck (2-day milking) can result in a larger hydrolysis of fat globules and higher production of oxidation

and browning phenomena because of temperature rises during different milkings [25].

Predictive microbiology is a scientist branch within food microbiology aimed at predicting microbial behavior in foods at different processing and storage conditions. Predictive microbiology is gaining relevance in the establishment of HACCP systems in food industries as tool to identify microbial hazards, set control limits, and/or define corrective measures to be implemented. One of the most relevant applications is focused on the study of the bacterial behavior on foods under different environmental conditions. The kinetic parameters (i.e., maximum growth rate, lag time, inactivation rate, etc.) are estimated by means of mathematical equations. The use of predictive microbiology is very interesting in order to optimize food processes and to provide assistance in decision-making in a short time frame to food industries. To this sense, the use of mathematical models by the food industry will depend on the development of appropriate and easy-to-use software tools, which encompass predictive models and allow different users to retrieve information from them in a rapid and convenient

3. Case study on the application of predictive microbiology tools to determine the effect of production chain conditions on the microbial

have been verified consistently [8].

steps in the primary production chain [21].

quality of milk

way.

For safety assurance, antibiotic waste, mycotoxins, somatic cells, and bacterial counts in milk of trucks before discharging from cisterns to silos should be analyzed. Besides, from a quality point of view, additional physicochemical parameters of milk such as color, odor, appearance, acidity, alcohol stability, cryoscopic point, and milk temperature at arrival to industry are usually monitored. Likewise, chemical composition (mainly fat, proteins, and dry matter) is also analyzed [20].

Hazards must be identified to be eliminated or reduced to acceptable safety levels. The hazard occurrence probability and importance (i.e., severity of foodborne illness) allow to define different tolerance levels for hazard (Table 1). The source of hazards can be produced by biological, chemical, or physical agents. The incidences can be determined by the presence of any of these agents or favorable conditions for the effect of them on the human health. Incidences by biological agents can be caused by the reception of milk with higher somatic cells or bacteria than legal limits accepted. Biological agents can be originated by mastitis cows, poor management practices during the milking, cooling, and storage or through damaged equipment. All these factors


Table 1. Classification of hazards according to their level of tolerance based on their occurrence probability and importance.

involve tissue damages on udder or proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms related to mastitis process. Incidences by chemical hazard can occur because the presence of disinfectant waste associated to milk blended with water cleaning. Incidences by physical hazard can be caused by the presence of foreign material when the maintenance of tank, truck, or silo does not have been verified consistently [8].

The process and product description lead to describe the different production stages, and it helps to detect and define the hazard and critical points in the industry. Onto the different stages of the dairy industry, there are some where milk is not heat-treated (so it is raw) and others where milk receives a heat treatment. Regarding raw milk, time and temperature conditions are some of the main factors affecting milk quality. Bacterial counts can be highly influenced by the time since the milk is collected in tanks until it is thermally treated in the industry [18, 19]. Despite that the most spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms are inactivated by the thermal treatment, the previous stages in which milk remains untreated are very important from the assurance of quality point of view, to minimize undesirable effect of microbiology in the treated and packaged product [7]. These stages are tank truck reception and storage on silos. Truck's reception involves the stage in which milk go from tank of truck to silo of industry. Silo is a big container for the storage of milk in isothermal conditions. The temperature of milk must to be below 6C until its transformation except when milk will be transformed immediately after or over the next 4 h. The truck reception is an important quality control point where quality control technicians collect milk samples for analyses before content passes to silo. Because raw milk is stored on tanker trucks and silos under isothermal conditions, if refrigeration temperature of tanks is not working properly, initial microorganisms could grow until reaching unacceptable levels. Thus, cooling and storage temperature of milk in farms should be controlled to prevent microbial

152 Technological Approaches for Novel Applications in Dairy Processing

For safety assurance, antibiotic waste, mycotoxins, somatic cells, and bacterial counts in milk of trucks before discharging from cisterns to silos should be analyzed. Besides, from a quality point of view, additional physicochemical parameters of milk such as color, odor, appearance, acidity, alcohol stability, cryoscopic point, and milk temperature at arrival to industry are usually monitored. Likewise, chemical composition (mainly fat, proteins, and dry matter) is also analyzed [20]. Hazards must be identified to be eliminated or reduced to acceptable safety levels. The hazard occurrence probability and importance (i.e., severity of foodborne illness) allow to define different tolerance levels for hazard (Table 1). The source of hazards can be produced by biological, chemical, or physical agents. The incidences can be determined by the presence of any of these agents or favorable conditions for the effect of them on the human health. Incidences by biological agents can be caused by the reception of milk with higher somatic cells or bacteria than legal limits accepted. Biological agents can be originated by mastitis cows, poor management practices during the milking, cooling, and storage or through damaged equipment. All these factors

Low Medium High

Unlikely Tolerable Tolerable Medium Temporary Tolerable Medium Not admitted Likely Medium Not admitted Not admitted

Table 1. Classification of hazards according to their level of tolerance based on their occurrence probability and

contamination.

Probability Importance

importance.
