Handling the collected milk!

The collected milk should be filtered, cooled and stored in a separate, clean milk room
The milk can be filtered using an in-line filter as the milk is pumped out of the machine or by passing the milk collected in a milking bucket through a filter manually .

If the filter is disposable, it should be used only once. Alternatively, a cloth filter may be used, washed and disinfected after each milking. The filter retains milk clots and other large particles, and after usage its inspection helps to evaluate the overall hygiene of milking-in particular .

Prompt refrigeration of the milk after collecting is vital to prevent multiplication of bacteria and loss of quality. If refrigeration facilities are not available, milk should be cooled to within 2C of the temperature of the local water supply.

Cooled milk should be stored ideally at 4C until transported to the processing plant. Note that even good quality milk containing less than 10,000 bacteria/ml cannot be stored more than two days at 4C without risk of quality deterioration. Milk not stored at 4C should be transported to a milk processing plant as soon as possible.