Strap on your science goggles and whip out the lab coat, because we’re about to show you the science behind the milky way. No, not the galaxy. Or the chocolate. We’re answering the age-old question, how is milk made?
We know it magically appears on your doorstep in the morning, but a lot of hard work goes into delivering milk from the farmer’s field to your fridge. Take a sneak peek behind the curtains of one of our dairies and check out what goes on behind the scenes, and how our return and reuse system works in real life!
The best things in life are (plastic) free
At Modern Milkman, we like to keep our supply chains shorter than Mini-Me’s Mini-Me, ensuring only the freshest produce gets dropped on your doorstep.
There’s no tiresome transportation and frivolously futile food miles with our milk. Delivered in return and reuse glass bottles, it comes fresh from the farm, causing the planet no harm!
Grassroots: where does milk come from?
We put waste and cows out to pasture, ensuring both are firmly in the long grass. Because just like happy chickens lay fresher eggs, happy cows produce the best milk.
We only work with the UK’s finest independent farms and dairies, ensuring a level playing field by paying them what they deserve for producing delicious grub and treating their animals with kindness.
Each of our dairies and farms is audited every year to ensure the high standards of animal welfare are upheld, and that all animals are free from:
- • Thirst
- • Discomfort
- • Pain
- • Injury
- • Disease
- • Fear and distress
Wanna see our dairy cows having an absolute field day? Check out this video of the spring turnout!
A milky smooth operation: how milk is made
We’re taking you to Dales Dairies to show you how milk is made. They supply fresh milk for our milkrounds in Leeds, Wakefield, Halifax, Bradford, Harrogate and York – have around 250 cows, who each produce around 35L milk a day!
How cows are milked
Their cows are milked 2-3 times a day using vacuum cups, which are attached to their teats. The milk is then sent through stainless steel pipes to large, refrigerated vats and stored at 5°C or less, to preserve its freshness.
Within 48 hours, the milk is taken in tankers to a factory where it’s pasteurised and hom*ogenised. Speedy, ay?
Keep your eyes on the pasteurised
What is pasteurisation?
Pasteurisation is a fancy word for the sterilisation (another fancy word!) process of food and drink.
Why is milk pasteurised?
The Food Standards Agency advises that “unpasteurised milk and cream may contain harmful bacteria that can cause food poisoning”, but pasteurisation uses heat to ensure these are destroyed and that it’s safe for consumption.
What is the pasteurisation process?
Our dairies pasteurise milk by heating it to 72°C (for no less than 15 seconds) and cooling it immediately to destroy any harmful bacteria and microorganisms. This not only makes it safe for sipping, but also ensures it stays fresh in your fridge for longer.
Reducing food waste and keeping you safe, that’s pretty darn nifty in our book!
The cream of the crop
We know what you’re thinking: but what about the fat globules!? Not a day goes by where I don’t think about those bloomin’ globules. The question on everyone’s lips, right? And don’t worry, we’ll get to that part very soon.
How is milk made with hom*ogenisation??
To produce milk that’s the cream of the crop, you must stop the cream from rising to the top. This creates the most consistent texture and taste, and requires a process known as hom*ogenisation. Hey, don’t look at us, we warned you at the start things were gonna get scientific.
hom*ogenisation involves putting milk under pressure through fine nozzles, which evenly disperse fat globules (told you we’d get there eventually) to maximise smoothness.
It’s skimming time
The Power Rangers… Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles… The Powerpuff Girls… JLS… Many of life’s superheroes are colour-coordinated. Milk is no exception, with almost a full rainbow of different coloured lids.
These lids tell us whether it is skimmed, semi-skimmed and so on. But how is milk made that way? Well, once our milk has been pasteurised and hom*ogenised, its cream is then ready to be removed or reduced. This process – known as centrifugal separation – is how we get reduced-fat, low-fat and semi-skimmed milk.
Skimmed milk solids are sometimes re-added to improve the taste and texture, preserving precious nutrients like protein and calcium.
Yo, ho, ho and a bottle of milk
Once our milk is ready to go from grass to glass, we use a bottling line to sustainably package it in return and reuse glass bottles with foil lids, which have helped prevent almost 100,000 wheelie bins of plastic from entering landfills and the ocean!Whey to go!
This process moves pretty swiftly, with soap (that big yellow chunk you thought was butter) used to grease the line!
The bottling machines are around 50 years old as they’re not made anymore – hey if it ain’t broke don’t fix it!
A milkround that delivers on its promise
Now that the milk is signed and sealed, it needs to be delivered! Packed in crates, our fresh milk is sent to hubs and delivered to your doorstep by our hard-working milkies, all before that first glorious sip of your morning cuppa.
The clean, green machine
We think plastic is a load of bull, and that’s why our fresh cow’s milk arrives in glass bottles that you can rinse and leave on your doorstep for us to collect.
Every drink – from our milkshakes and soft drinks to our fresh spring water – is delivered in return and reuse glass bottles, giving your wheelie bin and the planet a much-needed breather. We think that glass bottled milk tastes better, and that’s the same for all our bottled drinks.
Once our milkies have collected your empties, they’re returned to the dairy for sterilisation. Steamed, cleaned and living the eco-friendly dream, these bottles are reused roughly 25 times!
Every day’s a school day
And there you have it, the genie (and milk) is finally out the bottle. Our top secrets have been revealed. How is milk made? Turns out it was cows all along, who’d have known? Curious about all the other magic that goes into our green milkround? Check out our other eye-opening blogs below!
- • Free range vs organic milk
- • Meet our independent suppliers
- • How to keep your milk deliveries cool
- • The influence behind our milkround
- • The Modern Milkman story
- • Reusing vs recycling
- • Our eco-friendly packaging
That article is packed with information about the journey of milk from farm to fridge! Here's a breakdown of the concepts and processes covered:
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Milk Production and Supply Chain:
- Emphasis on a shorter supply chain for fresher produce, avoiding excessive transportation.
- Using return and reuse glass bottles for milk delivery to minimize environmental impact.
-
Sourcing and Animal Welfare:
- Working with independent farms that prioritize animal welfare and sustainable practices.
- Regular audits to ensure high standards of animal welfare are maintained.
-
Milk Production Process:
- Milking cows multiple times a day using vacuum cups attached to their teats.
- Storing milk in refrigerated vats at temperatures below 5°C for freshness.
- Transporting milk to a factory within 48 hours for pasteurization and hom*ogenization.
-
Pasteurization:
- Heating milk to 72°C for at least 15 seconds to destroy harmful bacteria, ensuring safety and extended shelf life.
-
hom*ogenization:
- Process of evenly dispersing fat globules in milk to prevent cream from rising to the top, enhancing consistency and taste.
-
Different Milk Varieties:
- Explanation of skimmed, semi-skimmed, and other milk types produced through centrifugal separation and re-adding skimmed milk solids for taste and nutrient preservation.
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Packaging and Delivery:
- Sustainable packaging in return and reuse glass bottles with foil lids to minimize plastic waste.
- Bottling process and the reuse of bottles roughly 25 times after sterilization.
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Environmental Consciousness:
- Focus on eco-friendly practices to reduce plastic waste and promote sustainable delivery methods.
-
Educational Content:
- Articles covering various topics related to milk, supplier stories, packaging, and sustainability.
It's fascinating how much goes into the seemingly simple process of getting milk from the farm to the consumer's doorstep! If you have any specific questions about these processes or want more detailed information on any aspect, feel free to ask!
