High temperature/short time pasteurization is the industry standard practice for now. Other technologies will gain acceptance, especially if they can add value to milk.
Dairies typically apply heat to raw milk. They use high-temperature/short time, higher-heat/shorter time or ultra-high temperature pasteurization. There are alternatives to heat-based pasteurization, such as applying high pressure or using UV light. Columnist Allen Sayler wrote about seven of these in his January 2015 column.
We asked equipment suppliers about the likelihood of nontraditional processing technologies catching on in the United States. We also asked them for tips on how to care for equipment and their predictions about the future of dairy processing. Following are their replies, edited for space and clarity.