FOOD SCIENCE: Chitralada field trip reflection

In this trip, we went to Chitralada to learn about the production of milk product. There are
five stations which are pasteurized milk, cheese, milk powder, milk tablet, and UHT milk. All
stations receive milk from cooperative which are Huay Sat Yai, Muaklek, Nong Pho, and
Chokchai. The first station is pasteurized milk. There are two types of milk that they produced
which are unflavored milk and flavored milk. Before beginning the process, they need to test
the quality of milk. Then load milk into homogenizer that will minimize fats particles. If they
do not use homogenizer, liquid part and fat will be separated, and this helps in term of milk
quality. After that, sterilize with not less than 70 Celsius for 16 seconds. Now in the factory,
they use about 80 Celsius, this process is called pasteurization which is a high-temperature
short time (HTST). Then reduce the milk temperature to 4 Celsius and keep in the tank,
waiting for packing. Now, unflavored milk can be packed and distributed. For flavored milk,
milk will be loaded to mixed with the flavor by lowest color to highest color, there are three
flavors which are vanilla, salak, and cocoa. After that milk will be loaded in the homogenizer
and then sterilize by the pasteurized process. Their shelf life will be about ten days. The
second station is about cheese. First, they will load milk to the milk tank and added the
enzyme that will silt protein out of whey. After that, they will drain whey out then compress
and incubate. They make two kinds of cheese which are Gondar cheese and cheddar cheese
to mix to have to the right texture, not too hard but not too soft. For the butter, the process is
quite similar. First, raw milk will be pasteurized and separate fat from the separator to get
non-fat milk and fat cream. Cream can be made into ice-cream and butter. For non-fat milk,
it can be sell as non-fat milk or go into the process of yogurt or sour milk. Another product is
condensed milk which tastes different from other condensed milk because they use butter oil,
but other companies use vegetable oil. The third station is milk powder. Two parts of the
machines is responsible for this process which are milk evaporator and sprays dry. First, milk
will go through the evaporator. When we heat the milk, water will evaporate out then milk
will condenser. The boiling point of milk is 70 Celsius. The next process is spray dry. There
will we hot air, 200-celsius blow in the tank and have two pressure nozzle. Then go through
the homogenizer and add pressure for spray. Spaying milk in the tank, milk will contact with
hot air then it will be powder. The fourth station is milk tablet which is relate to milk power
process. There are four processes which are mixing milk, tablet press machine, select tablet
for packing, and pack in box for selling. First, there will be milk powder that has powder and
lump mix together sent into the process. Then come though mixing process to filter the lump
and power. For lump, it will be mashed into power before go through the mixing process. The
mixture of milk tablet is composed of icing sugar, tapioca starch, and milk powder. This
mixture mixes for 30 minutes and goes to the process of the tablet press. After that, they will
select the tablet and the broken tablet will be reprocessed, only in the day. In the packing
process, each pack will have 20 tablets and print expiration date and production date. Packing
inbox is the last process. Each box will have 100 packages. Then send to keep in the
warehouse, waiting for sterilizing. Last station, UHT milk, there will be two packages which
are milk in yellow packaging and school milk, but same product. There will be five processes
which are milk reception, thermisation, UHT sterilization, aseptic filling, and packing in the
carton. Milk reception, after they receive milk from cooperative to the factory, milk will check
the quality. Then milk will reduce the temperature to not more than 4 Celsius by go through
cold plate and loaded into the storage tank. In the thermisation process, milk will be sent
thermistor that have not less than 65 Celsius not less than 15 seconds to reducing the primary
microorganism. Then milk will be sent in blending tank before sent into UHT sterilization.
Food science : Ms. Natamon Rittilertnapa By Natcha Leeungkul (Unn) 1001
UHT sterilization process is done by tubular exchanger that will be sterilized in 137 Celsius
for 4 seconds and reduce milk temperature to 25 celsius before sent to aseptic filling. The
aseptic filling will separate into two kinds of packaging which are paper carton and film bags;
both have 200 ml. The packaging will be sterilized by hydrogen peroxide and packed in sterile
conditions. In the packing process, UHT milk will be packed in the paper box. Both milk
package will be packed in the box, waiting for distributing, but for the milk carton, will be
seal with plastic and added straw before packed. All these five stations help me to understand
how milk goes through each process and especially how factory system work. Moreover, how
they value the cleanliness. For example in milk tablet station, they run the machine day by
day that means if there is powder left for reprocess, it will be throw away or even in UHT
milk production, they need to wait for checking bacteria before send for distributing. If there
any bacteria, that lot will be rejected. I also understand why they have a different process, this
is for the factory to have the most effective ways of selling milk and to meets the need of the
customer. I think going for field trip make me understand more than learning in the classroom
because I see what going on in each process which helps me understand the production easier
and memorize it better.

Food science : Ms. Natamon Rittilertnapa By Natcha Leeungkul (Unn) 1001