Raw milk quality is important to the
processor for many reasons, this quality can
be assessed by several different tests. Quality
tests are used to ensure that the raw milk
meets legal USDA standards as well as some
of the individual requirements of the processor.
Although some quality tests can be done
in a matter of minutes, others require up to
several days to complete. Because milk
quality deteriorates relatively quickly, it is
important to concentrate on those tests that
provide the greatest amount of information
in the shortest time. This information then is
extrapolated to assess the “actual raw milk
quality”. After all, the quality of milk does
not improve with time; thus, if the starting
materials are substandard, the final products
will be less than substandard. Generally, raw
milk quality is assessed by type and number
of microbes, milk composition, presence of
contaminants, and current (and perhaps
previous) temperature.
