The fight against chlorine residues in milk continues. Residues such as TCM and chlorate in dairy products can be traced back to the machine-washing regime used on dairy farms.
Some milk processors have banned the use of chlorine in dairy wash routines altogether, while others have just focused on the replacement of chlorine in bulk tank wash routines.
Bulk tanks are under more scrutiny than milking machines because they are bigger contributors to residues than milking machines alone.
This is because a lot of bulk tanks do not use enough rinse water to rinse out chlorine residues.
There is also an increased risk with bulk tanks as the milk is in contact with the steel for longer while in a bulk tank.
Teagasc milk quality expert David Gleeson has recently released a new booklet on cleaning the milking parlour and bulk tank without using chlorine products or using minimum chlorine. The traditional powder-based cleaning routines add chlorine on just one wash occasion per week.
This routine has been adapted for automatic washers by replacing the powder with liquid detergent.
Additional rinsing is recommended when chlorine is added.
The first thing advised when switching away from chlorine-based products is to calibrate all automatic dosing systems on both milking machines and bulk tanks.
Liquid detergent products that do not contain chlorine may have lower uptake rates than products containing chlorine so the automatic dosing will need to be calibrated accordingly.
To check if the correct quantity of product is being used, David has this advice:
Determine the quantity of water being used in the wash trough for the main wash cycle (this may require that water is measured into the trough manually until the normal level used in the trough is reached). The recommended water usage rate is nine litres per milking unit.Calculate the quantity of detergent required based on drum label; recommendations normally indicate a rate (eg 400ml) per 45 litres of water depending on hot or cold water. Higher levels of detergent are necessary when cold water is used.Fill a clean container with a fixed quantity of detergent (level above what your calculations suggest) and place the automatic dosing tubes in the container prior to the next cleaning occasion. Subtract the remaining quantity of detergent from the original amount to establish the amount used for the wash. Should the levels be lower or higher than recommended by the manufacturer (as determined on the label), then the automatic system needs adjustment (probably by the milking machine or bulk tank fitter). The exercise must be repeated until the required level is achieved.Chlorine-free products
David has evaluated different methods of parlour and bulk tank cleaning using chlorine-free products.
The Biocel and LIR Agri regimes involve using an additional product in the weekly wash routine; peracetic acid or hydrogen peroxide. Grassland Agro, Kilco, Ark Farm solutions and Evans have cleaning regimes that use two products (sodium hydroxide and acid-based cleaner), while Diversey has a wash routine with just one acid-based product.
An additional advantage of the Diversey and Grassland Agro acid products is that they are also specified as chlorate-free.
Using more than two products can create complications, particularly on automatic wash machines that have only two liquid suction points. In such cases, where a product is being added to the final rinse solution it may have to be done manually.
So keep this in mind when choosing which product to use, price is important, but so too is usability.
When it comes to washing bulk tanks, what products to use depends on the type of bulk tank cleaning system.
Most bulk tanks with automated wash functions only have two automatic dosing points, so using additional products is not very feasible.
Therefore, alternating between sodium hydroxide and acid-based products is the best policy.
An acid descale wash should be used at every second or third wash, or peracetic acid may be used in an additional rinse at each wash occasion.
If an acid-based one-for-all product is used, then only one automatic dosing point is needed.
In brief
Most milk processors are requesting dairy farmers to move away from chlorine-based cleaning products for milking machines and bulk tanks.Chlorine-free alternatives exist that Teagasc have successfully trialled. Calibrate dosing equipment carefully when switching cleaning products.A booklet outlining both minimum and chlorine-free wash routines is available from your milk processor or Teagasc milk quality website.
The fight against chlorine residues in milk continues. Residues such as TCM and chlorate in dairy products can be traced back to the machine-washing regime used on dairy farms.
Some milk processors have banned the use of chlorine in dairy wash routines altogether, while others have just focused on the replacement of chlorine in bulk tank wash routines.
Bulk tanks are under more scrutiny than milking machines because they are bigger contributors to residues than milking machines alone.
This is because a lot of bulk tanks do not use enough rinse water to rinse out chlorine residues.
There is also an increased risk with bulk tanks as the milk is in contact with the steel for longer while in a bulk tank.
Teagasc milk quality expert David Gleeson has recently released a new booklet on cleaning the milking parlour and bulk tank without using chlorine products or using minimum chlorine. The traditional powder-based cleaning routines add chlorine on just one wash occasion per week.
This routine has been adapted for automatic washers by replacing the powder with liquid detergent.
Additional rinsing is recommended when chlorine is added.
The first thing advised when switching away from chlorine-based products is to calibrate all automatic dosing systems on both milking machines and bulk tanks.
Liquid detergent products that do not contain chlorine may have lower uptake rates than products containing chlorine so the automatic dosing will need to be calibrated accordingly.
To check if the correct quantity of product is being used, David has this advice:
Determine the quantity of water being used in the wash trough for the main wash cycle (this may require that water is measured into the trough manually until the normal level used in the trough is reached). The recommended water usage rate is nine litres per milking unit.Calculate the quantity of detergent required based on drum label; recommendations normally indicate a rate (eg 400ml) per 45 litres of water depending on hot or cold water. Higher levels of detergent are necessary when cold water is used.Fill a clean container with a fixed quantity of detergent (level above what your calculations suggest) and place the automatic dosing tubes in the container prior to the next cleaning occasion. Subtract the remaining quantity of detergent from the original amount to establish the amount used for the wash. Should the levels be lower or higher than recommended by the manufacturer (as determined on the label), then the automatic system needs adjustment (probably by the milking machine or bulk tank fitter). The exercise must be repeated until the required level is achieved.Chlorine-free products
David has evaluated different methods of parlour and bulk tank cleaning using chlorine-free products.
The Biocel and LIR Agri regimes involve using an additional product in the weekly wash routine; peracetic acid or hydrogen peroxide. Grassland Agro, Kilco, Ark Farm solutions and Evans have cleaning regimes that use two products (sodium hydroxide and acid-based cleaner), while Diversey has a wash routine with just one acid-based product.
An additional advantage of the Diversey and Grassland Agro acid products is that they are also specified as chlorate-free.
Using more than two products can create complications, particularly on automatic wash machines that have only two liquid suction points. In such cases, where a product is being added to the final rinse solution it may have to be done manually.
So keep this in mind when choosing which product to use, price is important, but so too is usability.
When it comes to washing bulk tanks, what products to use depends on the type of bulk tank cleaning system.
Most bulk tanks with automated wash functions only have two automatic dosing points, so using additional products is not very feasible.
Therefore, alternating between sodium hydroxide and acid-based products is the best policy.
An acid descale wash should be used at every second or third wash, or peracetic acid may be used in an additional rinse at each wash occasion.
If an acid-based one-for-all product is used, then only one automatic dosing point is needed.
In brief
Most milk processors are requesting dairy farmers to move away from chlorine-based cleaning products for milking machines and bulk tanks.Chlorine-free alternatives exist that Teagasc have successfully trialled. Calibrate dosing equipment carefully when switching cleaning products.A booklet outlining both minimum and chlorine-free wash routines is available from your milk processor or Teagasc milk quality website. 
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