A California company, Tamarack Biotics, is working to elevate milk safety, but they are not using traditional sources, like heat. Instead, they are using ultraviolet light.
“It’s kind of difficult to pasteurize milk with ultraviolet light because it doesn’t penetrate into the milk, so you have to do it in very thin films and with very high turbulence to renew the surface frequently, and that enables you to kill all the bad bugs and milk very effectively. In fact, we are more effective than heat at killing all the bad bugs,” said Tamarack Biotics CEO Bob Comstock.
The company has secured initial FDA acceptance for their design.
Related Stories
Congress has just over a month of working days left for the year. Plan for uneven USDA service until funding is restored, and closely monitor Farm Bill talks, as avoiding Permanent Law before January 1 is the single biggest risk to markets and milk prices.
Alan Bjerga, with the National Milk Producers Federation, joined us on Tuesday from Wisconsin with his Dairy Industry Outlook.
The USDA’s August Cold Storage report shows shifting stock levels across major dairy, meat, and poultry products.
A booming butterfat market is good for some dairy products but threatens efficiency and margins for cheesemakers unless protein levels catch up
Beal joined us on Friday’s Market Day Report to discuss her election to NASDA’s presidency, challenges facing American agriculture, and her background as a Mainer and dairy farmer.
Rising cow numbers and higher yields are boosting milk supplies, which may keep pressure on prices and farm margins into the fall.
Herd rebuilding looks slow, keeping cattle prices supported; beef-on-dairy crosses help fill feedlots, while imports temper—but don’t erase—tightness.
Dairy farmers are expected to face strong output and export gains, but lower prices and tighter margins will persist into next year.
