Deosan’s tailored hygiene routines are designed to meet the specific needs of milk buyers and consumers, without additional cost or time to the producer.
Chlorine-free wash routines are required by some milk pools where there is a specific nutritional requirement of the end product. Farmers are increasingly turning to chlorine-free wash systems to reduce the chlorate levels in their milk, and Deosan is focusing on maintaining the same high cleaning standards and protein removal without the use of one of the cleaning market’s most trusted actives, chlorine.
Diversey benefits from world-leading experts in food production and processing, positioning the Deosan brand to offer trusted solutions in parlour hygiene. While chlorine-free cleaning is already used by many milk producers, Diversey’s expertise in the sector offers an advantage over competitors, and research and innovation are invested in new product formulation.
Trials have commenced on two dairy farms nestled in Galicia, Northwest Spain. Both farms are certified by Spanish entity Certicar and managed by Seragro, with whom Diversey have partnered in this project. Both farms operate under the highest standards of nutrition, health, and, of course, hygiene conditions. The trials are due to continue for at least 2 months on these initial farms, each milking approximately 80 Holstein Friesian cattle before implementation begins on additional selected farms.
The trials are based on Irish best practices but use product formulations which have been adapted to suit the local water hardness. The milk from the bulk tank from each farm is tested for chlorine residue levels at laboratories in Spain. The trials are expected to retain the hygiene levels of standard cleaning practices while improving the quality of the cleaning and eliminating chlorine in the milk.
Using Deosan chlorine-free products Spectak BPC (caustic formula) and Divosan BG (acidic formula), the trials are testing a trusted wash routine, without any additional cost or time to the producer, which is critical to help support a buoyant demand for milk products to support their value.
Residue Control is a key value driver for Deosan, with an aim of increasing the value of milk to the producer.
The project is being led by Bernadino Isabel, Agriculture Key Account Manager and Eva Perez, Account Manager for Northwest Spain. Bernadino provides advanced technical support and strengthens the link between the farmers and the wider industry. Eva will be on hand at the two trial farms to advise on cleaning processes and to monitor results. Eva works closely with the local product sales teams and distributors within this territory, which accounts for 60% of Spain’s dairy cows.
Commenting on the trials, Bernadino says,
“Chlorine-free washing is most likely to be a requirement for farms producing milk for baby powder and other similar baby food products, because processors have seen that excessive chlorine use can impact the quality of the finished product.
“In addition to Diversey’s work on chlorine-free parlour washing, Diversey has also insisted a 6 month shelf life on all chlorine-based products. This is to protect our user’s milk supply from the undesirable bi-product chlorate which increases as hypochlorite decomposes with age, and to therefore ensure that our products deliver efficiency across the shelf life.”
Eva Perez added,
“Chlorine free milk has been achieved on individual farms in Spain in the past, but never before as a large operation that involves several farms on this scale. It is expected that the trials in Spain will eliminate traces of chlorine in milk, using natural chemistry, without risking milk hygiene. These revolutionary products could be significant for all large scale commercial dairy farms, increasing the value of milk to producers, processes and consumers.”
Diversey’s involvement at every step of the food production process provides intelligence on requirements and specification further down the line. By ensuring the milk is suitable for a more open market with wider uses, the value of the milk increases, and all with little change to the producers’ wash routines.