Thanks to a highly-trained team and the collaboration with veterinarians, White Lab offers a comprehensive range of services, consultancy and testing to ensure the safety and quality of milk and products thereof.
In addition to a comprehensive testing service, our offer also includes the regulatory, consultancy, and training framework.
Milk is regarded as a complete food as it is chemically composed of water, fats, vitamins, sugar, proteins, mineral salts, enzymes, and nitrogenous substances.
These nutritional characteristics make it an excellent breeding ground for microorganisms, which can alter the products throughout the whole dairy chain both organoleptically and as regards their shelf life. Besides, they pose a threat to the safety of the final consumer.
In terms of legislation, dairy products must comply with the requirements of EC Regulation No 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs in general but also with the requirements of Regulation No 2073/2005 on the microbiological criteria applicable to foodstuffs. In addition, they must comply with the maximum levels set out in EC Regulation No 853/2004 on animal matrices.
As regards the microbiological profile, the most frequent contamination of milk is related to psychrotrophic bacteria such as Pseudomonas spp. Many pathogens are destroyed by thermal processes such as pasteurisation, but some enzyme complexes derived from them are resistant to heat.
Milk contamination may take place in any stage of production and may depend on different factors: hygiene of the animal, stable environment, how it was obtained, etc. In addition, the next chain steps for the production of derivatives such as yoghurt and cheese alter the chemical-physical properties of the product, making it more or less subject to contamination.
The health status of the animal and its proper nutrition are a fundamental point to ensure the quality and safety of all dairy products. Indeed, milk must come from:
Healthy animals that do not show symptoms of diseases that may contaminate milk or zoonoses that may affect human beings
Animals that do not show laceration to the udders and mastitis, as they cause an increase in the somatic cell count in milk thus worsening the cheese-making process
Farms where there are no cases of brucellosis and/or tuberculosis
Chemically, it is necessary to check that milk and the products thereof comply with the legal maximum levels set out in UE Regulation No 2023/915 as regards the presence of Aflatoxin M1, Lead, PAH, PCB, and Dioxins.
In addition, testing milk and the products thereof also aims at protecting the consumer from possible alterations, fraud, and adulteration such as souring, dilution, addition of preservatives, presence of antibiotics, veterinary drugs and pesticides.
Thanks to the collaboration with specialised veterinarians and a highly-trained team, our laboratories can support the customer with product management from the stable to the fridge at home.
With White Lab Laboratories, you can ensure the safety and quality of your dairy matrices in compliance with applicable regulations.
Identification of alteration and fraud (cryoscopic index, specific weight, identification of the species)
Quality indicators (pH, acidity)
Specific weight measurement of milk and whey
Measurement of fat/dry/non-fat dry content (skimming level)
Self-control HACCP systems
Obtaining and maintaining the EC health mark
Labelling
Sampling
Regulatory consultancy
Training
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