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HELPING DAIRY PRODUCERS
STAY COOL UNDER PRESSURE
By Roy Naidoo , sales director : Danfoss Climate Solutions , Danfoss South Africa
Food safety is a shared responsibility between governments , producers , and consumers . Everyone has a role to play from farm to table to ensure the food we consume is safe and healthy . Food safety is everyone ' s business .
This was a statement made by the World Health Organisation ( WHO ) at this year ’ s World Food Safety Day ( WFSD ), celebrated in June with the theme of ‘ Safe food today for a healthy tomorrow ’.
This year , it was heartening to see several African countries , including Ghana , Malawi , and South Africa , commemorate the day , highlighting the fact that food safety awareness across Africa is increasing . This is of particular significance considering that Africa is considered the most food-insecure continent globally , a predicament only exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic .
Furthermore , the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations ( FAO ) predicts that intra-African food demand is projected to increase by 178 % by 2050 , adding : “… it is crucial to create and implement effective food safety systems which guarantee that food producers and suppliers along the supply chain work responsibly and ensure the safety of the food .”
THE CRITICAL ROLE OF THE AFRICAN DAIRY SECTOR An important link in the food production supply chain is the dairy industry , with millions of people dependent on milk and milk products to supply energy , protein and several vitamins and minerals in a single product .
In addition , many Africans are also employed within the dairy sector . The Kenyan dairy industry , by way of illustration , contributes up to 3.5 % of the country ' s Gross National Product ( GNP ) and up to 14 % of the agricultural GDP .
According to a paper written by Eliud Abucheli Birachi called ' Determinants of Coordination and Supply Chain Performance : The Case of Fresh Milk Supplies Chains in Kenya ’, the local dairy industry is a source of livelihood for over 660 000 rural households , 365 000 direct farm wage jobs and 40 000 jobs in the processing activities . And as another example , the South African dairy sector is one of the largest agricultural industries in the country , also employing more than 40 000 people .
All photos by : Danfoss
Roy Naidoo , sales director : Danfoss Climate Solutions , Danfoss South Africa .
However , a combination of water , sugars , protein , and minerals makes milk at an ambient temperature the perfect medium for bacterial growth . This means that cooling plays a critical element in ensuring sustainability within the dairy supply chain . As a highly perishable food , fresh milk must be refrigerated as soon as the cow is milked to adhere to strict processing and handling requirements .
Further , according to Milk South Africa , milk leaves the cow ’ s udder at approximately 35 ° C , and if maintained at this
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The Danfoss Optyma Slim Pack condensing unit provides an ideal cooling solution in milk tanks .
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