Food Protection Trends - January/February 2022 - 61

TABLE 2. Pasteurization method, product types, and packaging type and size used by
dairy processing facilities (A through G) participating in the rework survey
Milk Processing Facility
A
Pasteurization Method
High temperature short time (HTST)
Ultrapasteurized (UP)
Product Types
Pasteurized milk
Half-and-half
Cream
Flavored milk beverages
Eggnog
Lactose-free milk products
Ice cream
Packaging Type and Size
Carton (waxed, paperboard)
½ pint
Pint
Quart
½ gallon
Jug or bottle (plastic)
16 oz. bottle
½ gallon
Gallon
Bag-in-box (2.3 kg [5 lb])
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
The majority of processors (five of seven) broadly defined
rework as a product that failed a quality standard such as low
butterfat content, cosmetic packaging defects, or approaching
the sell-by date. Some facilities used supplemental synonyms
to name specific types of rework. The lexicon introduced
by survey respondents for rework included reclaim (three
facilities), recovery (one facility), and rerun (one facility).
Two facilities utilized reclaim to describe packaged products
that were predetermined as rework and immediately removed
from the processing line. Conversely, one facility specifically
delineated reclaim as unpackaged product that had been
recovered directly from the fillers, whereas another facility
designated this product as recovery. One facility employed
rerun as a substitute term for rework. Two processors
distinguished rework as the commingling of separate lots.
These two facilities can recover product from the production
line and immediately add it back into the balance tank
during the same production run; thus, the collected and
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
B
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
C
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
D
X
X
X
X
E
X
X
X
F
X
X
X
X
X
X
G
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
commingled product would retain the same lot code and
was not considered to be reworked.
All surveyed processors indicated that reclaiming fluid
milk from butterfat standardizations for rework is the most
frequent (daily) rework strategy. Reclaim from butterfat
standardizations consists of the " diluted " product being
reclaimed when changing from a lower fat milk to a higher
fat milk. Other products that are held for rework include
lactose-free fluid milks (three facilities), whipping creams
(six facilities), half-and-half (three facilities), and blended
flavored products such as chocolate milk, coffee creamers,
and ice cream mixes (six facilities) (Fig. 1). However, not
all products are held for reworking. All four of the surveyed
facilities that manufacture strawberry-flavored milk reported
that this product is not typically retained for rework. One
processor stated that this decision was founded on quality
defects associated with their strawberry milk products,
including a noticeable premature degradation of the red color
January/February Food Protection Trends
61
Food Protection Trends - January/February 2022

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