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Summary: The growing global population has increased the protein needs and the combination of animal with plant proteins can be an effective strategy to meet future protein demand. This study aimed to investigate the impact of pH between 6.2 and 7.0 on the thermal stability of a 1:1 mixture of chickpea protein concentrate (CPC) and whey protein isolate (WPI), and their respective control. After heat treatment, CPC:WPI mixture showed an increase in viscosity (from 20.5 mPa.s at pH 7.0 to 110.8 mPa.s at pH 6.2, respectively), and particle size (from 5.7 to 56.5 μm at pH 7.0 and 6.2, respectively). The physical stability of the heat‐treated CPC:WPI mixture decreased, as the sediment increased from 3.3 mm at pH 7.0 to 7.8 mm at pH 6.2. This study highlighted the enhanced thermal stability of CPC:WPI at pHs closer to neutrality and offers valuable insights for the formulation of innovative plant protein‐enriched food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the thermal and exergy characteristics of a dairy plant that produces yoghurt. This study aims to perform a comprehensive analysis of the thermal and exergy aspects of a dairy facility that produces yoghurt. This study also seeks to improve the accuracy of the results by evaluating the reliability of the energy and production data. A comprehensive analysis of energy and exergy is utilized to enhance the yoghurt production process. Moreover, the Grassmann-Sankey diagram is employed to produce a map of energy density. The process's energy and exergy efficiencies were assessed by taking into account the enhancements and alterations made in addition to the existing implementations. Analysis of the yoghurt production process revealed that the total energy input was 113.9 [kW], the total energy output was 72.05 kW as well and the energy efficiency was 63.3%. The exergy input and output for the yoghurt production process were calculated to be 48.95 [kW] and 29.77 [kW], and the exergy efficiency was determined to be 60.8%. This study is expected to promote the growth of livestock and agriculture in the energy sector, and is forecasted to act as a catalyst for future research. This study, which is the first of its kind in the region and is expected to stimulate further research, reveals that improving energy efficiency and conservation in the production of yoghurt products enhances the factory's overall energy efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whey, a large by-product of cheese manufacturing, is nutritionally valuable, mainly because of its whey proteins. Beetroot juice, purple–red in colour, has numerous benefits for human health; if used as an ingredient in a whey-based RTD beverage, it could mask whey's less pleasant organoleptic characteristics. This research aimed to develop such a beverage by mixing whey with beetroot juice in a ratio that would yield a nutritionally valuable product with acceptable sensory characteristics. To this end, three RTD beverage formulations, prepared with beetroot juice and whey in different ratios (10:90, 15:85, and 20:80 v/v), were subjected to sensory analysis. The one with a 20:80 v/v ratio of beetroot juice and whey was found to be preferred by consumers, registering the highest overall score (7.8). Next, this formula was prepared with (RTD20:80a) and without citric acid (RTD20:80a) and analysed physiochemically and microbiologically. RTD20:80a was also sensory tested and proved to be the optimum one (with an overall score of 8.1); it showed a content of 1.18 g/100 mL fat, 1.07 g/100 mL protein, 0.56 g/100 mL ash, 9.90 g/100 mL carbohydrate, total soluble solids of 11.69 °Brix, an energy value of 54.44 kcal/100 mL, titratable acidity of 0.77% lactic acid, pH of 3.75, content of 1.16 mg/mL betacyanins, 0.86 mg/mL betaxanthins, and 0.36 mg GAE/mL total phenolics. Based on the microbiological results, RTD20:80a revealed a shelf-life of 14 days. By producing this beverage, a dairy plant could reduce its whey-related losses while increasing its profitability through selling it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Late blowing defects in semi-hard and hard cheeses caused by spore-forming clostridia (e.g., Clostridium tyrobutyricum, Clostridium butyricum, Clostridium sporogenes) pose a major issue for the dairy industry. With this study, we applied a multiplex PCR for the rapid and simultaneous detection of clostridia in raw milk for cheese production. Spore detection in milk usually relies on culture-dependent methods, among which the most probable number (MPN) technique is sensitive but time-consuming and nonspecific. We tested two PCR-based protocols: the one entailed direct milk analysis with results obtained within 24 h; the other included an enrichment step and gave results within 72 h. The second protocol was found to be more sensitive; it detected concentrations as low as 100 cells/L for C. sporogenes and C. butyricum and 800 cells/L for C. tyrobutyricum. Both protocols were applied to field samples (211 samples underwent protocol no. 1; 117 samples underwent protocol no. 2) collected from four dairy processing plants in Piedmont. The prevalence of C. butyricum (protocol no. 1: 9.5%; protocol no. 2: 23%) was higher than either C. sporogenes (0%; 9.4%) or C. tyrobutyricum (0%; 6.8%). Protocol no. 2 detected multiple targets in eight samples, indicating that more than one microorganism was present. Our findings underscore the importance of implementing preventive measures and early detection strategies to mitigate the risk of cheese spoilage due to clostridial contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The list of standard abbreviations for JDS is available at adsa.org/jds-abbreviations-24. Nonstandard abbreviations are available in the Notes. The microbiota of a cheese play a critical role in influencing its sensory and physicochemical properties. In this study, traditional Apulian Caciocavallo cheeses coming from 4 different dairies in the same area and produced following standardized procedures were examined, as well as the different bulk milks and natural whey starter (NWS) cultures used. Moreover, considering the cheese wheels as the blocks of Caciocavallo cheeses as whole, these were characterized at different layers (i.e., core, under-rind, and rind) of the block using a multi-omics approach. In addition to physical-chemical characterization, culturomics, quantitative PCR, metagenomics, and metabolomics analysis were carried out after salting and throughout the ripening time (2 mo) to investigate major shifts in the succession of the microbiota and flavor development. Culture-dependent and 16S rRNA metataxonomics results clearly clustered samples based on microbiota biodiversity related to the production dairy plant as a result of the use of different NWS or the intrinsic conditions of each production site. At the beginning of the ripening, cheeses were dominated by Lactobacillus , and in 2 dairies (Art and SdC), Streptococcus genera were associated with the NWS. The analysis allowed us to show that although the diversity of identified genera did not change significantly between the rind, under-rind, and core fractions of the same samples, there was an evolution in the relative abundance and absolute quantification, modifying and differentiating profiles during ripening. The real-time PCR, also known as quantitative or qPCR, mainly differentiated the temporal adaptation of those species originating from bulk milks and those provided by NWS. The primary starters detected in NWS and cheeses contributed to the high relative concentration of 1-butanol, 2-butanol, 2-heptanol, 2-butanone, acetoin, delta-dodecalactone, hexanoic acid ethyl ester, octanoic acid ethyl ester, and volatile free fatty acids during ripening, whereas cheeses displaying low abundances of Streptococcus and Lactococcus (dairy Del) had a lower total concentration of acetoin compared with Art and SdC. However, the subdominant strains and nonstarter lactic acid bacteria present in cheeses are responsible for the production of secondary metabolites belonging to the chemical classes of ketones, alcohols, and organic acids, reaffirming the importance and relevance of autochthonous strains of each dairy plant although only considering a delimited production area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this study was to analyze hygiene practices in small-scale dairy plants (SSDPs) in Serbia. A total of 60 plants were included in the research. A survey questionnaire used for SSDPs was designed to obtain the main information about hygiene practices they perform, as well as the data about the SSDPs, their production portfolio, and improvement plans. For the purpose of this study, a good hygiene practice score (GHPS) was calculated showing that the average score is 75%, spanning from 71.4% to 80.3% depending on the type of dairy plant. This study showed that the biggest challenges for small-scale dairy plants are associated with adequate labeling and external analysis of their dairy products, followed by record keeping and use of appropriate food contact materials. As expected, registered and approved SSDPs had higher GHPS scores and more information on their labels than those still in the approval or registration process. This study confirms the need for supporting this type of dairy producer to improve two main pillars of their business—the infrastructure for where they produce dairy products and awareness/knowledge of food safety legislative requirements. At the same time, approved processors are significantly underutilizing their processing capacity, which implies the need for both policy change consideration and educational initiatives. The policy changes should aim to align regulations with small-scale dairy processing realities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enterococci are a group of microorganisms that have a controversial position from some scientific points of view. The species of the greatest clinical importance are E. faecalis and E. faecium, which are common agents of nosocomial infections. However, enterococci also have important applications in the dairy industry, as they are used as non-starter lactic acid bacteria (NSLAB) in a variety of cheeses, especially artisanal cheeses. The aim of this study was to determine the presence of representatives from the Enterococcus genus using PCR and MALDI-TOF MS methods on samples of raw milk, processing environment swabs, and cheese from four different artisanal dairy plants in Slovakia. Among the 136 isolates of enterococci, 9 species of genus Enterococci (E. faecalis, E. faecium, E. durans, E. devriesi, E. hirae, E. italicus, E. casseliflavus, E. malodoratus, and E. gallinarum) were identified and were tested for their antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to 8 antibiotics (amoxicillin, penicillin, ampicillin, erythromycin, levofloxacin, vancomycin, rifampicin, and tetracycline); most of them were resistant to rifampicin (35.3%), ampicillin (22.8%), and tetracycline (19.9%). A PCR analysis of vanA (4.41%) and tetM (14.71%) revealed that antimicrobial resistance genes were present in not only phenotypic resistant isolates of enterococci but also susceptible isolates. The investigation of antimicrobial resistance in enterococci during the cheesemaking process can be a source of valuable information for public health in the concept of "One Health". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Livestock viscera is rich in protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals, and it has excellent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging effects. Moreover, it has attracted the attention of many researchers around the world, although the utilization rate of livestock viscera resources is extremely low in China, which has caused a great waste of resources. Using livestock by-products to produce high-value-added products can reduce environmental pollution caused by improper disposal of waste and improve the comprehensive utilization value of by-products, which is beneficial to the sustainable utilization of livestock and poultry resources in China. Bioactive peptides are mainly derived from plants, animals, and microbiology, and they have many functions, such as lowering blood pressure and enhancing immunity, with antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. Bioactive peptides have broad application prospects in food, medicine, and health products. Currently, bioactive peptides are mainly obtained from dairy products and plant proteins; however, there are few reports on the study of poultry viscera as the raw material for bioactive peptide preparation, although a few researchers have studied the structure-activity relationship. In this paper, the methods of preparing bioactive peptides from livestock viscera are summarized. The activities and structure-activity relationships of antihypotensive peptides, antioxidant peptides, anti-inflammatory peptides, and antimicrobial peptides from livestock viscera were discussed. This study provides new ideas and methods for further research of bioactive peptides from livestock viscera, looks forward to existing technical problems, and showcases future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the principles behind the radio-frequency (RF) sensing of bacterial biofilms in pipes and heat exchangers in a dairy processing plant using an electromagnetic simulation. Biofilm formation in dairy processing plants is a common issue where the absence of timely detection and subsequent cleaning can cause serious illness. Biofilms are known for causing health issues and cleaning requires a large volume of water and harsh chemicals. In this work, milk transportation pipes are considered circular waveguides, and pasteurizers/heat exchangers are considered resonant cavities. Simulations were carried out using the CST studio suite high-frequency solver to determine the effectiveness of the real-time RF sensing. The respective dielectric constants and loss tangents were applied to milk and biofilm. In our simulation, it was observed that a 1 µm thick layer of biofilm in a milk-filled pipe shifted the reflection coefficient of a 10.16 cm diameter stainless steel circular waveguide from 0.229 GHz to 0.19 GHz. Further sensitivity analysis revealed a shift in frequency from 0.8 GHz to 1.2 GHz for a film thickness of 5 µm to 10 µm with the highest wave reflection (S11) peak of ≈−120 dB for a 6 µm thick biofilm. A dielectric patch antenna to launch the waves into the waveguide through a dielectric window was also designed and simulated. Simulation using the antenna demonstrated a similar S11 response, where a shift in reflection coefficient from 0.229 GHz to 0.19 GHz was observed for a 1 µm thick biofilm. For the case of the resonant cavity, the same antenna approach was used to excite the modes in a 0.751 m × 0.321 m × 170 m rectangular cavity with heat exchange fins and filled with milk and biofilm. The simulated resonance frequency shifted from 1.52 GHz to 1.54 GHz, for a film thickness varying from 1 µm to 10 µm. This result demonstrated the sensitivity of the microwave detection method. Overall, these results suggest that microwave sensing has promise in the rapid, non-invasive, and real-time detection of biofilm formation in dairy processing plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The correlations between two groups of factors and energy consumption were analysed in four types of dairy plants with different production profiles. Groups of dairy plants with a similar production profile, as well as individual plants, were compared. Energy consumption was most strongly correlated with technical equipment (r = 0.88 – 0.99); this observation can be used by designers to promote better energy conservation measures during plant operation. Energy consumption was highest in plants producing milk powder. Plants specializing in milk powder may also produce up to 8 other dairy products; however, engineering and production factors can significantly contribute to reducing energy consumption, which suggests that energy is being consumed for non-production purposes at these plants.

The green vehicle routing problem advised by the global sustainability conscience is a seminal work on the contemporary green research in supply chain management. Inspired by the replete, pollution routing literature, the present work acknowledges the significance of redesigning the logistic networks in a low emission perspective. The present research proposes three logistic models to address the vehicle routing problem of a dairy plant for collecting milk from chilling centres. The first model generates classical, distance centric and economically viable milk pickup plans. In the second model, the environmental friendly routes are generated. The third model is slated to bring a tradeoff between the first two models. The three models are formulated as integer linear programming models and are solved with branch-and-bound based exact algorithm. Owing to the complexity of the NP-hard problem for generating time-bound results, an ant colony optimisation algorithm is designed to solve the models. The performance of the algorithm is further enhanced by introducing a powerful variable neighbourhood search. The computational study on hybrid algorithm reports an average 0.25% improvement from a time interrupted solution of the exact algorithm. The study recommends decisive managerial insights for implementing green principles to the dairy industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A robust assessment of water used in agriculture, including livestock production systems and supply chains, is critical to inform diversification and the development of productivity and sustainable food production systems. This paper presents a detailed analysis of water used and consumed in nine dairy milk processing plants spread across Punjab, India's leading dairy milk-producing state. Over the five years (2015–2019), the direct water use (DWU) was quantified at 3.31 L of groundwater per kg of milk processed. Only about 26% of the direct water used was consumed, including evaporative losses in various milk processing operations, while the remaining 74% was returned as effluent discharges. The average total water footprint (TWF), accounting for both direct and indirect water consumption, was quantified at 9.0 L of water per kg of milk processed. The majority share (~89%) of the total water footprint was contributed by the indirect water footprint associated with the consumption of electricity (energy) in dairy milk processing activities. The plant's milk processing capacity and processing products mix also affected significant seasonal and annual variations in the direct and indirect water footprints of dairy milk processing. The analysis also found an inverse relationship between the average total water footprint and the average monthly amount of milk processed in the study plants. Therefore, efforts to reduce the indirect water footprint (associated with energy consumption), the treatment and recycling of effluent discharges, and the optimization of milk processing capacity, the dairy processing product mix, and the locations of dairy processing plants are expected to help reduce the water footprint of dairy processing in the state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering that the ingestion of cat feces containing Toxoplasma gondii oocysts is a major transmission route for toxoplasmosis, this work is aimed to assess the presence of T. gondii in cats dwelling in dairy production facilities at the Tizayuca Agro-Industrial Complex (CAIT, by its acronym in Spanish) in Hidalgo, Mexico. Blood samples from stray and owned cats were assayed by indirect ELISA, and samples from various tissues were collected at post-mortem examination of positive cats for DNA extraction, PCR, histopathologic studies, and immunohistochemistry. A questionnaire was applied in each dairy production unit to estimate cat ownership. From 70 animals studied (22 stray and 48 owned), 12 (17.1 %) were seropositive (7 stray and 5 owned). No differences were found for age or sex according to the questionnaires, but ingesting raw food was a risk factor (P < 0.01). Of the 12 positive cats, 5 were euthanized; of these, five tissue samples from 4 cats were positive for the B1 and 529 bp repetitive sequences by qPCR and conventional PCR. No macro- or microscopic lesions suggestive of T. gondii infection were found in cats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Purpose: This study aims to identify the environmental impact of dairy plants in Poland, considering their social, economic, legal and managerial aspects. Design/methodology/approach: The data was collected using CAWI and IDI. Findings: Factors influencing the studied organisations' environmental performance were defined. Research limitations/implications: It can be extended to the food industry or manufacturing companies. Practical implications: As a result of the research, the article contains recommendations for further actions to improve the EPE of organizations, not only in the dairy industry. Social implications: Research results and recommendations may impact CSR because the information in the article can be used to improve activities in the field of the organization's environmental impact. Originality/value: The article contains original research results, their interpretation and recommendations for enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starter culture lysis by Lactococcus lactis bacteriophages is one of the leading causes of the fermentation failure in dairy industry. In the present work we performed a PCR grouping of lactophages identified in 73 samples of milk whey obtained from industrial facilities located in Russia. From these samples we isolated 10 novel L. lactis bacteriophages associated with the fermentation failure in different regions of the Russian Federation. The genomes of these bacteriophage isolates are closely related and similar to the known c2-like phages (Ceduovirus genus). However, the allelic variants of the receptor recognition proteins found in these genomes were different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The correlations between two groups of factors and energy consumption were analysed in four types of dairy plants with different production profiles. Groups of dairy plants with a similar production profile, as well as individual plants, were compared. Energy consumption was most strongly correlated with technical equipment (r = 0.88 – 0.99); this observation can be used by designers to promote better energy conservation measures during plant operation. Energy consumption was highest in plants producing milk powder. Plants specializing in milk powder may also produce up to 8 other dairy products; however, engineering and production factors can significantly contribute to reducing energy consumption, which suggests that energy is being consumed for non-production purposes at these plants. The variation in energy consumption per unit of end-product was best-explained in small dairy plants producing up to 4 products. In analyses of individual plants, energy consumption per unit of end-product was strongly correlated with both the milk-processing output and the production profile. The equations developed in this study, in particular the regression coefficients, can be used to generate additional information for detailed analyses. The structure and level of detail of the independent variables also means that the presented equations can be applied to reducing power consumption of the operated equipment, and for optimizing overall production profiles. The results of the study can be used to model energy consumption in different types of dairy plants and to evaluate their environmental performance. The international literature was reviewed, and the results of research studies analysing the correlations between energy consumption in dairy plants and their environmental impact were cited in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacillus cereus is a ubiquitous spore-forming bacterium causing food spoilage. In this study, seventeen B. cereus were isolated from dairy processing equipment in Algeria and characterized. The pathogenic potential genes encoding hemolysin, nonhaemolytic enterotoxin, cytotoxin K and emetic toxin were investigated by PCR. Phylogeny and genetic markers for antimicrobial resistance and virulence were analyzed using whole-genome sequencing data using the Illumina MiSeq® technology. The identity of the isolated strains was confirmed as B. cereus sensu lato and the sequencing of the panC gene clustered 64.7% of them in phylogenetic group III and 35.3% in group IV. The results of PFGE showed that 8 (47.1%), 4 (23.5%), 3 (17.6%) and 2 (11.8%) were differentiated into four groups A, B, C and D, respectively. Each of the two panC phylogenetic groups contains two different types of isolates corresponding to PFGE group (A and C) and (B and D) for phylogenetic groups III and IV, respectively. None of the 14 isolates carried the emetic toxin (ces) gene, whereas other toxin genes were variably detected. Genotyping assigned all isolates to three different sequence types (ST 2226, ST1018 and ST1431) while one clonal complex (CC-142) was identified in three isolates. Hierarchical clustering with a threshold of 500 core genome single nucleotide polymorphism (cgSNPs) differences grouped the strains into three clusters while two strains were less than 20 SNPs different. Three B. cereus (25%) contained three enterotoxic HBL complex-encoding genes hblA/C/D. Enterotoxic NHE complex-encoding genes (nheA/B/C) and the ctyK1 gene were detected in all isolates. The overall results highlight the risk due to toxins produced by the B. cereus group in the food safety and dairy industries in Algeria. This study emphasized the potential of whole-genome sequencing for genotyping and predicting the virulence-associated genes and antimicrobial resistance. The present study will help to better assess the health and spoilage risk associated with B. cereus in dairy processing plants and to incorporate adequate preventive measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Listeriosis, an invasive illness with a fatality rate between 20% and 30%, is caused by the ubiquitous bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. Human listeriosis has long been associated with foods. This is because the ubiquitous nature of the bacteria renders it a common food contaminant, posing a significant risk to the food processing sector. Although several sophisticated stress coping mechanisms have been identified as significant contributing factors toward the pathogen's persistence, a complete understanding of the mechanisms underlying persistence across various strains remains limited. Moreover, aside from genetic aspects that promote the ability to cope with stress, various environmental factors that exist in food manufacturing plants could also contribute to the persistence of the pathogen. The objective of this review is to provide insight into the challenges faced by the dairy industry because of the pathogens' environmental persistence. Additionally, it also aims to emphasize the diverse adaptation and response mechanisms utilized by L. monocytogenes in food manufacturing plants to evade environmental stressors. The persistence of L. monocytogenes in the food processing environment poses a serious threat to food safety and public health. The emergence of areas with high levels of L. monocytogenes contamination could facilitate Listeria transmission through aerosols, potentially leading to the recontamination of food, particularly from floors and drains, when sanitation is implemented alongside product manufacturing. Hence, to produce safe dairy products and reduce the frequency of outbreaks of listeriosis, it is crucial to understand the factors that contribute to the persistence of this pathogen and to implement efficient control strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cooling applied during the firming and brining processes represents an important production step in mozzarella cheese-making. The temperature fluctuations of the cooling water can negatively affect the hygiene, composition, and quality of mozzarella. Some sustainable cooling systems can minimize this problem by using hot process fluids as heat sources to generate refrigerated energy. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a new cooling system equipped with a water-ammonia absorption chiller (MA) on the characteristics of buffalo mozzarella through a comparative study with products cooled with a traditional ice water chiller (MT). The buffalo mozzarella cheese manufacture was monitored, and the samples were analyzed for chemical, nutritional, microbiological, and sensory characteristics. The MT samples showed an overall weight loss of 7.4% compared to an average of 2.8% for the MA samples. The MT samples were characterized by greater sapidity than the MA ones, which instead showed a higher moisture content that increased juiciness. The microbiological analysis showed a lower concentration of mesophilic bacterial load in the MA samples than in the MT ones [difference of 1 Log (CFU/g)], which is probably due to the low and constant temperatures that reduced the permanence time of the mozzarella in the vats (firming and brining). This study represents a preliminary positive evaluation of the use of this sustainable cooling system for mozzarella cheese, which is useful for dairy plants with an annual cheese production volume sufficient to justify the operating cost of the plant and the annual energy cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The Delphi technique is an indispensable instrument for technology forecasting. The method is, however, limited by ambiguity aversion, uncertainty, and statistical optimism/pessimism bias. To address the aforementioned limitations, we have proposed a fuzzy Delphi technique based on Z-numbers in this paper, as Z-numbers offer an effective framework to simulate human thinking. We generated basic probability assignments (BPAs) from the experts’ responses, considered statistical dispersion using Grey Clustering, and then developed Z-numbers. The proposed method is flexible and can be applied to forecast technological aspects based on subjective judgments. We consulted with 11 experts to forecast water-saving technology for dairy plants. Entropy was used to compare the proposed method to other fuzzy Delphi approaches. Compared to other fuzzy Delphi methods, we discovered that the proposed approach registers the lowest uncertainty. The proposed study suggests that fuzzy Delphi with reduced uncertainty can be highly impactful in critical fields like sustainable production. In the end, we have discussed the future research directions of the proposed study.

Of late, "A2 milk" has gained prominence in the dairy sector due to its potential implications in human health. Consequently, the frequency of A2 homozygous animals has considerably increased in many countries. To elucidate the potential implications that beta casein (β-CN) A1 and A2 may have on cheese-making traits, it is fundamental to investigate the relationships between the genetic polymorphisms and cheese-making traits at the dairy plant level. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the relevance of the β-CN A1/A2 polymorphism on detailed protein profile and cheese-making process in bulk milk. Based on the β-CN genotype of individual cows, 5 milk pools diverging for presence of the 2 β-CN variants were obtained: (1) 100% A1; (2) 75% A1 and 25% A2; (3) 50% A1 and 50% A2; (4) 25% A1 and 75% A2; and (5) 100% A2. For each cheese-making day (n = 6), 25 L of milk (divided into 5 pools, 5 L each) were processed, for a total of 30 cheese-making processes. Cheese yield, curd nutrient recovery, whey composition, and cheese composition were assessed. For every cheese-making process, detailed milk protein fractions were determined through reversed-phase HPLC. Data were analyzed by fitting a mixed model, which included the fixed effects of the 5 different pools, the protein and fat content as a covariate, and the random effect of the cheese-making sessions. Results showed that the percentage of κ-CN significantly decreased up to 2% when the proportion of β-CN A2 in the pool was ≥25%. An increase in the relative content of β-CN A2 (≥50% of total milk processed) was also associated with a significantly lower cheese yield both 1 and 48 h after cheese production, whereas no effects were observed after 7 d of ripening. Concordantly, recovery of nutrients reflected a more efficient process when the inclusion of β-CN A2 was ≤75%. Finally, no differences in the final cheese composition obtained by the different β-CN pools were observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increased awareness about the economic and environmental impact of food waste, many interventions along food supply chains have been proposed to mitigate food waste. Even though interventions used to target food waste usually revolve around logistics and operations management, we highlight a unique solution to address this issue, specifically for fluid milk. We target the intrinsic quality of fluid milk by evaluating interventions that will extend the product shelf life. We used data from a previous fluid milk spoilage simulation model, collected price and product information from retail stores, conducted an expert elicitation, and used hedonic price regressions to determine the private and social gains to the dairy processing plant when implementing 5 different interventions to extend shelf life. Our data suggest that the value of each additional day of shelf life is approximately $0.03 and indicate that increasing periodic equipment cleaning is the most cost-effective strategy for processing plants to achieve fluid milk shelf-life improvements, both from a firm's economic standpoint and from an environmental standpoint. Importantly, the approaches reported here will be valuable to help individual firms to generate customized facility and firm specific assessments that identify the most appropriate strategies for extending the shelf life of different dairy products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is common in a number of disciplines such as economics, sociology, psychology and clinical trials that researchers are interested to test treatment effects among several of the outcomes in the same direction. Such tests can be performed by using equi-directional test statistics for multivariate data. If on the other hand, treatment effects with respect to one or more of the outcomes differ in direction, the power of equi-directional tests is compromised. Thus, we interchanged the signs of different outcomes by multiplying the values with - 1 and made the anticipated direction similar. Following this, we employed a recently proposed test statistic which handles equi-directional alternatives since the direction of treatment effects is made uniform through interchanging the signs. Once monotonic trend, that is, monotonic increasing for some of the outcomes and monotonic decreasing for others is demonstrated through the global test statistic, an investigator may be further interested in which specific outcomes or sets of outcomes actually these trends are observed. To address this issue, we adapted a closed testing principle. The whole procedure is illustrated by data sets from a toxicology study carried out by the National Toxicology Program, and a cost of transporting milk from farms to dairy plants per mile by different trucks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present investigation aims to reuse the heat rejected in the condenser unit of an NH3-based dairy plant to preheat the groundwater used for pasteurization of milk. A detailed thermodynamic analysis (both energetic and exergetic) of the refrigeration unit of an existing dairy plant and the boiler unit used for pasteurization is carried out in the current work. The chemical exergy of the air–water vapour mixture and the standard Indian coal is considered while analysing the evaporative condenser and the boiler unit. Cascading of the existing system with a transcritical vapour compression cycle is proposed to effectively use the heat rejected by the combined system to preheat the boiler feed water. A comparative study for different modifications, such as the inclusion of an expander and an ejector in place of the throttle valve in the top cycle of the proposed cascade system, is carried out. Additionally, the cascade systems are being analysed for two different refrigerants, i.e., CO2 and N2O. The study demonstrates that the cascade system with an expander employing N2O as the refrigerant gives the maximum benefit in terms of saving of $16.5 to $21.5 per day, 1.5 to 2% reduction in total CO2 emission, and a 2.5% reduction in total exergy destruction, as compared to the existing NH3 system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Milk (MP) and whey (WP) ultrafiltration permeates were obtained from different dairy processing plants. The effects of pH (4 or 6) and heat treatments (63 °C, 30 min; or 110 °C, 6 min) on permeate stability were measured by the increase of turbidity, and precipitation of nitrogen and calcium. The antioxidant activity and the production of volatiles compounds, as affected by heat treatments, was also evaluated. WP showed a higher sensitivity to heat treatments than MP. Increasing heating temperature reduced the stability of permeates, with an intensified effect at pH 6. Calcium precipitation was the main factor responsible for the increase in turbidity. Lowering the pH to 4 prior to heating strongly limited the development of turbidity. Sterilisation improved antioxidant activity of both permeates, with a greater effect on WP. Sterilisation had no effect on the concentration of volatile aldehydes but promoted the formation of volatile sulfur compounds, and more significantly in WP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, there has been growing interest in the fortification of dairy products with antioxidants and phenolics derived from plant byproducts and herbs. The present study focused on the analysis of dairy products, including kefir, cream cheese, yogurt, and vegan yogurt, enhanced with aqueous extracts of plant byproducts (Citrus aurantium peel, Citrus limon peel and Rosa canina seed) and herbs (Sideritis spp., Hypericum perforatum, Origanum dictamnus, Mentha pulegium L., Melissa oficinallis, Mentha spicata L. and Lavandula angustifolia) to characterize their antioxidant content, phenolic profile, and organoleptic characteristics. Antioxidant and phenolic content were determined by Folin–Ciocalteu and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays and presented values up to 46.61 ± 7.22 mmol Fe2+/L and 82.97 ± 4.29 mg gallic acid (GAE)/g, respectively for the aqueous extracts, as well as up to 0.68 ± 0.06 mmol Fe2+/L and 2.82 ± 0.36 mg GAE/g for the fortified dairy products. The bioavailability of antioxidants and phenolics in fortified foods was determined after in vitro digestion and ranged between 4 and 68%. The phytochemical profile of the aqueous extracts was determined by mass spectrometry, and 162 phytochemicals were determined, from which 128 belong to the polyphenol family including flavonoids and phenolic acids. Furthermore, most of the identified compounds have been recorded to possess enhanced antioxidant capacity in correlation to the in vitro findings. Finally, organoleptic evaluation showed an overall acceptability around 3.0 ± 1.0 on a 5-point scale. In conclusion, the studied plants and herbal extracts can be used for the fortification of a variety of dairy products with potential positive effects on human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the possibilities of improving the quality of existing maintenance task of the atomizer of milk powder manufacturing unit of a dairy plant. Looking to the past business volume and expected growth, the milk powder manufacturing unit forms a noticeable sector of processing plant. The lack of quality in maintenance standards leads to reliability losses of about 20–25% with low productivity and profit. Such facts and challenges of keeping the system in ready-state motivate a definite maintenance plan to be modeled based on a live failure analysis to be executed during shutdown or scheduled period. Design/methodology/approach: The deliverables are achieved by collecting the historical failure data i.e. downtime and failure frequencies; from January 2020 to July 2020 at Dudhsagar dairy, Gujarat, India. Reliability modeling is done in a view to understand the failure pattern behavior of the milk powder manufacturing unit. The atomizer is discriminated as a critical component based on these data and their functional failures, failure causes, effects and repercussions of failures with existing control and maintenance practices has been modeled based on live shop-floor study. Scores are assigned on 1 to 10 levels by analyzing attributes effects from lowest to highest concern respectively for every modes of failure through realistic brain-storming among maintenance team by incorporating some advanced attributes like maintainability, economic safety, economic cost and spares with basic criteria in this study. The maintainability criticality index (MCI) is narrated by these score values through multi-attribute decision-making (MADM) based failure analysis models like Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). Findings: The primary findings of this research work are to propose improvements in the quality of the maintenance plan of critical component like; atomizer of a milk powder manufacturing unit which is commonly representing critical component in a major range of industrial processes. The case study recommended four silent maintenance strategies i.e. scheduled maintenance scheduled discard, scheduled failure finding and redesign as a qualified maintenance plan for the atomizer based on MCI and rankings of its potential failure causes. The results are helpful in upgrading quality standards for the maintenance activities of a process industry of alike or of dissimilar kinds in accordance with the failure analysis. Originality/value: Originality mainly consists of investigating the scope of enhancing the existing maintenance practices through actual failure analysis with the help of TOPSIS. The criteria employed in this study are probability of chances of failure, degree of detectability and degree of severity as basic criteria along with some advanced criteria like; maintainability, spare parts, economic cost, economic safety are selected based on the outcome of shop-floor study and reliability modeling. The notable past failure statistics (downtime, frequency of failures) of a milk powder manufacturing unit were recorded and these data are analyzed based on reliability to extract an explicative component i.e. atomizer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The dairy industry is considered one of the main industries not only in Iraq in particular but throughout the world. Different treatment methods have been used over time and in different countries. Here, membrane distillation has been used to treat wastewater generated by this industry to reduce the burden on the environment. In this paper, direct membrane distillation was used to remove nitrates from wastewater discharged from dairy plants. This method is easy to operate, easy to manage and has many economic benefits. This article has been using the HACH instrument with all kits needed to achieve the tests. For determination of nitrates in samples by the Calmagite Colorimetric method. HACH Method 8030. 100 mL Marked Dropping Bottle. All other instruments have been achieved according to APHA, AWWA, and WEF. On the other hand, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has been used to watch the formation of nitrate on membrane surfaces. The results obtained in treating the samples that were synthesized and prepared according to the characteristics of dairy wastewater showed the ability of this method to remove nitrates by up to 80-85%, on the other hand temperature affects the value of MD and is directly relative to flux. The temperature of the treated water plays an important role in determining the percentage of nitrate removal through the membrane, as well as the latter's enjoying chemical and physical features that give them positive points in its removal of wastewater when the liquid temperature had been raised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: The plant has been demonstrated to have a low energy requirement and extreme compactness, thus making it very attractive for the adoption in a small dairy factory. The paper investigates an alternative treatment plant for the typical wastewater effluent of a cheese-making industry, mainly composed of acid or sweet whey mixed with washing-water. Two variable parameters have been considered during the tests: four treatment temperatures (39, 46, 53 and 60 °C) and three solid content values (30%, 50% and 70%) of the concentrated product. The minimum and maximum values of the removal efficiency (pollutant amount into concentrate related to raw whey) range from 94.6% to 97.7% for conductivity, from 98.3% to 99.5% for BOD5, from 98.7% to 99.6% for COD and from 98.2% to 99.3% for Total Nitrogen. The plant capacity ranges from about 2 L/h (at 39 °C) to 6 L/h (at 60 °C) of processed whey. On the basis of the experimental findings, the proposed purification technology has demonstrated its suitability both to purify the effluent wastewater and to recover high-quality products (e.g., whey protein concentrate, lactose), thanks to its low thermal damage on the treated product and to its relatively low energy consumption from 0.4 kWh/L (at 60 °C) to 1.0 kWh/L (at 39 °C) of processed whey, with a Coefficient of Performance from approximately 0.6 up to 1.5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation of bacterial biofilm in dairy plant is the main source of milk and related dairy products contamination which is commonly related to improper Cleaning and Disinfection (C&D). Cleaning-In-Place (CIP) is the conventional process described to clean and remove on milk residues and bacterial contaminants from dairy processing lines. In this study, effectiveness of 3, 5 and 7 steps CIP protocols was evaluated against Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) mature biofilms formed on stainless steel (SS) coupons. The results revealed that the most effective treatment was the 7 step protocol based on 2% sodium hydroxide (NaOH) cleaning combined with 3% enzyme mixture at 50°C for 20 minutes followed by 1% nitric acid (HNO3) at 55°C for 20 minutes and completed by 0.5% quaternary ammonium at 25°C for 20 minutes showed a significant difference in the number of recovered cells between untreated and treated coupons with a value of 5.32 log cfu/cm2 which was a very satisfying reduction level followed by CIP 2 with 4 log reduction value and CIP 1 presented by 3.14 log reduction. Even with 5 log reduction, a complete E. faecalis biofilm removal was not reached, showing persistence of mature biofilm to C&D protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dairy cattle is an important sector in Brazilian economy and its sustainability may contribute towards the development of the production chain. There are few studies that investigate the effects of the use of environmentally correct technologies in the administration of dairy costs. The economic and financial feasibility for the implantation of a small photovoltaic plant and the profitability of a dairy in the northern region of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, are analyzed. Operational and total costs were employed to investigate its profitability. The installation of a small photovoltaic plant on the dairy premises was financially feasible due to the fact that positive net value (R$ 711.77) and return internal rate (2.68%) were slightly lower than minimum attractivity rate (2.75%). Payback time (8 years and 8 months) was lower to the plant's useful life. The photovoltaic plant reduced variable costs and was economically and financially feasible. It contributed towards an increase in crude and net profits and in the results (profit) of the dairy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research work was carried out to evaluate the kinetic constants for the biological treatment of dairy industry wastewater in a suspended growth batch reactor. The study was performed in a lab-scale batch reactor which is a prototype of an aeration tank unit of the activated sludge system. Samples of dairy wastewater were collected from a dairy plant near Kolkata on regular time interval and in different seasons of a year to establish mean values of the major wastewater parameters. A synthetic simulated sample was made on the basis of evaluated characteristics of dairy wastewater. Kinetics study in batch reactor was done to find kinetic coefficients (Y, Ks, kd and k). The value of the maximum substrate removal rate (k) at preliminary concentration of COD 700–720 mg/L was 4.42 day−1; half velocity constant (Ks) was 206.81 mg/L and k value at initial NH4+–N level of 48–54 mg/L was found 2.5 per day, Ks was 24.5 mg/L. Isolation and identification of the most potent strains for the carbon oxidation and nitrification was also done and by using those isolated strains kinetic coefficients for pure culture was determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to determine the physical, chemical, and textural properties of goatskin used in the production of Tulum cheese and the traditional and industrial ripening conditions. Natural ripening conditions (caves) and some parameters (temperature, humidity, oxygen, and CO2 values) of the cold storage of the dairy plants were examined between March and October. It was determined that the temperature and moisture content of the natural cave where cheese ripening was carried out was different from that of the dairy factory storage conditions. The oxygen and carbon dioxide ratios were similar in both ripening conditions. The effects of skin thickness, fat, and skin structure, especially tensile strength, elongation break, tear strength, air, water vapor, and oxygen permeability properties were statistically significant. The goatskins' tensile strength, elongation at break and tear strength values were 9.16-36.48 daN, 22.57-81.57 N, and 35.4- 150.28 N/mm, respectively. When used as a casing material for the ripening of Tulum cheese, the effect of the skin's properties such as Oxygen, water vapor, and air permeability on the product was found to be significant. The present study determined that goatskin's outward air permeability was 6.6-10.95 times higher than the inward air permeability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spore-forming Bacillus cereus is a common contaminant of dairy products. As the microorganism is widespread in the environment, it can contaminate milk at the time of milking, but it can also reach the dairy products in each phase of production, storage and ripening. Milk pasteurization treatment is not effective in reducing contamination and can instead act as an activator of spore germination, and a potential associated risk still exists with the consumption of some processed foods. Prevalences and concentrations of B. cereus in milk and dairy products are extremely variable worldwide: in pasteurized milk, prevalences from 2% to 65.3% were reported, with concentrations of up to 3 × 105 cfu/g, whereas prevalences in cheeses ranged from 0 to 95%, with concentrations of up to 4.2 × 106 cfu/g. Bacillus cereus is also well known to produce biofilms, a serious concern for the dairy industry, with up to 90% of spores that are resistant to cleaning and are easily transferred. As the contamination of raw materials is not completely avoidable, and the application of decontamination treatments is only possible for some ingredients and is limited by both commercial and regulatory reasons, it is clear that the correct application of hygienic procedures is extremely important in order to avoid and manage the circulation of B. cereus along the dairy supply chain. Future developments in interventions must consider the synergic application of different mild technologies to prevent biofilm formation and to remove or inactivate the microorganism on the equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The available energy monitoring information in the dairy industry reveals significant gaps regarding the impact of operational factors on performance indicators and the generation of typical days from load profiles. This paper presents a method for predicting performance indicators and load profiles in the dairy industry based on multiple regression and clustering. The method is applied to a cheese dairy plant located in Tuscany, Italy, providing actionable insights for energy efficiency and renewable integration. With regard to performance indicators, predictions using multiple regression achieved accuracies within 8 % for electricity consumption and within 20 % for steam generation, mainly due to limited data availability. The combination of k-means clustering with multiple regression yielded an overall accuracy within approximately 10 % for electricity load profiles, enabling the labelling of clusters based on production and meteorological variables. The analysis of improved production planning and the compatibility of energy demand with solar resources showed potential reductions in the electrical performance indicator by 27 % and self-consumption rates between 14 % and 42 %, respectively. Validation with data from other dairy contexts confirms the accuracy of the method and the considerable potential for improvement, suggesting further implementation towards effective energy management in the dairy industry. [Display omitted] • The performance indicators and load profiles of a cheese dairy plant are predicted. • The method captures the influence of production and meteorological variables. • Regularisation of production volumes can yield up to 27 % electricity savings. • The potential for electricity self-consumption from solar energy is 14 %–42 %. • Application to other dairy contexts confirms the general validity of the method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research aimed to identify the costs and revenues of dairy products manufacturing projects, as well as calculating the financial evaluation indicators for these projects through a simple random sample of dairy products manufacturing projects in Qalyubia governorate. The sample included about 24 projects. The most important results of the study: The average total revenue of dairy products manufacturing projects amounted to about 2.25 million pounds. It was found that the producers of this production mode achieve a positive net profit, and cover all types of costs, even implicit, and it turns out that there is field for expansion in this production activity with a profit, as the annual net profit of the dairy production plant amounted to about 492.67 thousand pounds, While the net profit per ton of raw milk amounted to about 4105.57 pounds. The internal rate of return reached about 44.45%, which is a high rate that far exceeds the interest rate in commercial banks (return on investment in commercial banks), which indicates the high economic feasibility of investing in dairy production activity . The ratio of benefits to costs amounted to about 1.33 pounds, which indicates that each pound spent in the production of dairy products generates total benefits estimated at about 1.33 pounds, that is, it generates net benefits estimated at about 0.33 pounds, and this indicates the feasibility High economic investment in the production of dairy products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Treatment of dairy white wastewater (WW) by reverse osmosis (RO) is usually performed to generate process water and to reclaim dairy components for their valorization. For this study, a mixture of pasteurized milk and WW from a dairy plant was concentrated by RO to achieve a protein concentration similar to that of skimmed milk. Retentates, which are concentrated WW, were used in the preparation of cheese milk. The effect of using model concentrated WW was evaluated on (1) the soluble–colloidal equilibrium between protein and salt, (2) the milk-coagulation kinetics, and (3) the cheese composition and yield. An economic assessment was also carried out to support the decision-making process for implementing a new RO system in a dairy plant for the valorization of dairy WW. The results showed that substituting more than 50% of the amount of cheese milk with model pasteurized WW concentrates decreased the moisture-adjusted cheese yield and impaired the coagulation kinetics. Excessive cheese moisture was observed in cheeses that were made from 50% and 100% model WW concentrates, correlating with a change in the soluble–colloidal equilibrium of salts, especially in calcium. To achieve sustainable and economic benefits, the ratio of added WW concentrates to cheese milk must be less than 50%. However, for such an investment to be profitable to a dairy plant within 0.54 years, a large-size plant must generate 200 m3 of WW per day with at least 0.5% of total solids, as the economic analysis specific to our case suggests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]