Milk is primarily filtered using a process called microfiltration, which utilizes membranes to remove impurities.
Microfiltration in Milk Processing
Microfiltration is the key filtration method employed in milk processing. This process employs membranes with relatively large pores to separate unwanted components from the milk.
- Mechanism: Milk is passed through a membrane filter. The size of the pores in the membrane determines which particles are retained and which pass through.
- Target Impurities: Microfiltration effectively removes:
- Spores
- Bacteria
- Fat globules
- Additional Use: It's also used for the fractionation of skim milk, separating different protein components.
On-Farm Milk Filtration
Some dairy farms also implement filtration processes directly on the farm.
- Mechanical Filters: These filters are used to remove larger, solid particles from the raw milk, such as:
- Sediment
- Hair
- Other debris
Summary
In summary, milk filtration involves microfiltration to remove bacteria, spores, and fat globules, and may also include mechanical filtration on farms to remove larger solid particles.
