Pienvalmistus

Pienvalmistus refers to the industrial production of dairy products. This process involves transforming raw milk into a variety of items such as cheese, yogurt, butter, and milk powder. The initial stages typically include milk reception, where raw milk is tested for quality and purity. Following this, pasteurization is a crucial step, involving heating the milk to a specific temperature for a set duration to eliminate harmful bacteria, thus increasing its shelf life and safety.

After pasteurization, the milk may undergo homogenization, a process that breaks down fat globules to ensure a uniform consistency and prevent cream separation. For products like cheese, starter cultures and rennet are added to coagulate the milk proteins, forming curds. These curds are then processed further through cutting, draining, and pressing to achieve the desired texture and moisture content for different cheese varieties.

Yogurt production involves fermenting milk with specific bacterial cultures, which convert lactose into lactic acid, resulting in the characteristic tangy flavor and thickened texture. Butter is made by churning cream, which separates the fat from the buttermilk. Milk powder is produced by removing water from pasteurized milk, often through spray drying or roller drying, creating a shelf-stable product. Throughout the entire process, strict hygiene standards and quality control measures are maintained to ensure the safety and quality of the final dairy products.