The Real Lab Cost Savings in Dairy Processing with CEM

Introduction

Undeniable in the dairy industry is the importance of proper product testing, with a need for strong accuracy, consistency, and confidence in laboratory analyses. Milk and its derivative processed products make up one of the biggest sectors of food globally, especially as developing regions are growing and becoming more industrious. Any market share that is lost to plant-based products is made up for in the growing global appetite and resultant increase in demand for processed and cultured dairy. As popularity grows, options for differentiation follow. Yogurt, cheese, ice cream, cream cheese, sour cream, and more are becoming a crowded and competitive marketplace, and cost and variety will always be key drivers in consumer decision making.

Shipping, distribution, and marketing costs will always have drastic impacts on bottom lines, however, one of the biggest costs to any company is the actual production. Of those production costs, the control of manufacturing from the raw ingredients to the finished product is becoming more and more critical. What many companies struggle to realize is that laboratory testing of these products should not be seen as a money pit, but as a tool for improving process control and leading to cost SAVINGS for the entire facility, if used properly.

Most QA/QC lab teams analyze hundreds of samples in order to ensure samples are in spec. However, that spec may not always match the spec that production is trying to achieve. Lab specs are often set by the limitations of the equipment being used, to ensure that inherent error and reproducibility are accounted for, so product is not erroneously thrown out, or accidentally released with less-than-ideal quality.