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The Dairy industry is one of the largest and most integrated farming/food production and distribution systems, employing over 114,000 people. Milk is highly perishable and needs fast and efficient collection, treatment and distribution. It also has a high nutritional value and is a good source of minerals and vitamins.

100 years ago... Cows had to be kept just outside large towns in order that fresh milk - which was brought in by hand or horse drawn carts - could be delivered and sold quickly. But around 100 years ago, more people began to live in towns, and the building of more factories and houses meant that milk had to be transported longer and longer distances. There were also concerns about the quality of milk produced at this time – much of it was wasted because it went sour and was often contaminated with harmful micro-organisms carrying diseases such as tuberculosis. Then... The ability to preserve milk through scientific developments such as pasteurisation (where milk is heated to at least 71.7 ºC for 15 seconds and then quickly cooled to less than 10 ºC, thus killing harmful bacteria) and the more widespread availability of refrigeration technology to slow down the growth of bacteria and prevent spoilage, were contributing factors in the increase in good quality supply, and therefore consumption, of milk. By the 1920s, the government had embarked on a campaign to improve the population’s health and diet, and decided to encourage people to drink more milk because of its nutritional value. For example, in 1921 subsidised milk for children at school was introduced. It is estimated that by 1989, people in the UK were drinking four times as much milk as their predecessors had in 1889.

When the UK joined the European Community in 1973, restrictions were placed on importing goods from outside the EC countries. So the government encouraged increases in milk output and more diversification in milk products, so that the UK would become self-sufficient in this area. Today... Each year in the UK, 14.3 billion litres of milk are produced at farm gate prices; this represents a market worth £3½ billion. The UK population consumes about four pints of milk per person per week, as well as a wide variety of milk products, including: cream, cheese, butter and yoghurt. The UK market for these four milk products, and liquid milk itself, is estimated at £6 billion at retail prices. Refrigeration has been used to make dairy products last longer so that they can be stored safely for longer periods of time. The use of refrigeration starts on the farm. Most dairy cows are milked in milking parlours by pulsating vacuum machines which transfer the liquid to refrigerated vats. It is then collected by insulated road tankers holding up to 9,000 litres. These tankers will keep the milk at no more than 4.5ºC. When the tankers reach the Dairy, the milk is checked to ensure it is free from bacteria, then pasteurised and packaged. It is then dispatched to cold store depots and will end up either being sold in shops or delivered direct to your doorstep. Some of the milk however goes on to creameries where it is made into dairy products such as cheese, yoghurt, ice cream etc. The complete farming and food production process includes the Agriculture, Food Processing, and Dairy Product Retailing industries (to name but a few). To find out more about these industries click below: Agriculture Food and Drink Processing Dairy Product Retailing

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