WEMBEE, Victoria, Australia, 18 Feb 2009 -- A set of guidelines into water reuse at dairy manufacturing plants has been prepared by Dairy Innovation Australia Ltd (DIAL), reported Food Magazine. The guidelines identify water sources and quality within dairy factories, and matches these with possible uses. It covers various levels of water treatment, taking into account microbial risks and HACCP analysis. DIAL's senior process engineer, Dr Nohemí Quispe-Chávez said that "this guideline will consolidate and build on existing information and be available to share across the industry."
Dairy manufacturing generates non-potable water as a by-product of equipment rinsing, evaporation and membrane processes. While much of this water is recycled on or off site, there is potential to increase the amount recycled on site and curb potable water use. Initiatives already underway within the industry include improved measurement, installation of water-saving equipment, optimising clean-in-place (CIP) processes and employee education.
Recovered water is typically available from several areas of dairy processing operations such as evaporator condensate, CIP final rinse, intermediate product flush water, reverse osmosis permeate, and crate washing, Quispe-Chávez said.
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