การลดความเสี่ยงด้านจุลินทรีย์ระหว่างกระบวนการขนส่งและการเก็บรักษานมพาสเจอร์ไรส์ / สุดหทัย วิไลรัตน์ = Reduction of microbial risk during transportation and storage of pasteurized milk / Sudhathai Wilairat
Since 1992, Thai government has established the School Milk Program to give free milk to the students in order to promote their good health. Most of the school milk is pasteurized milk packed in small plastic bag which need to be kept at temperature below 8oC to inhibit the growth of residual microorganism that may caused food poisoning. This study observed routes of distributors in Nakornpathom Province delivering the milk to different schools and checked the temperature of pasteurized milk during transportation and storage at the schools and also developed the appropriate models of packing the pasteurized milk during delivery to the school. There are 18 milk distributors in Nakornpathom Province delivering the milk to 215 schools. Most of them delivered pasteurized milk from Production Factory to the schools by packing small plastic bags of milk and flake ice in a big plastic box and 55.56 % of the distributors kept the milk overnight before delivered to the school. The temperature of the milk during delivery to the schools was found to be over 8oC in 8 of 18 distributors. The highest potential risk of microbial growth distributor was selected to be investigated 2 study models of packing the pasteurized milk and flake ice in order to keep the milk temperature below 8oC and microbial count within the standard. The first model, 50 small plastic bags of milk were packed in a big plastic bag and stacked big plastic bags between the layers of flake ice in an insulated plastic box. The second model, 50 small plastic bags of milk were packed in a big plastic bag with flake ice was put on top, then big plastic bags were stacked in an insulated plastic box. The temperature and milk samples were taken along the way of delivery the milk to various schools. It was found that the microbial count of milk in only the first model were within the standard requirement of Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Therefore, first model is practicable which should be informed the distributors to follow in order to keep the quality of milk until it reaches the hands of the consumers.
