Milk transport by tankers and containers: guarantees and advantages

Quality and safety, guarantees and advantages, regulations and requirements: the transport of raw milk has precise rules and guidelines that form a strict framework in terms of food safety and transport by road and tank container.

The right temperature, suitable containers and ease of loading/unloading are key traits for transport through tank containers, which has all the necessary guarantees and numerous advantages. First and foremost, maintaining the quality and integrity of the product, thus avoiding the dispersion or deterioration of the best properties, and protecting the farms that produce raw milk.

After milking, the milk must be cooled and brought from a temperature of around +38°C at the time of milking to a temperature of +6°C/+8°C using coolers in the stalls. During transport, on the other hand, the temperature of the milk must not exceed +10°C. This is only possible if transport takes place in vehicles equipped with an ATP-certified tanker.

ATP is the regulation for temperature-controlled transport of perishable foodstuffs destined for human consumption. ATP is an acronym that stands for “Accord Transport Perissable”, an abbreviation for “Agreements on the international transport of perishable foodstuffs and the special means to be used for such transport”. This regulation is the result of a European agreement signed in 1970 by a number of states, including Italy, to establish rules for the construction of isothermal equipment for refrigerated transport intended for perishable foodstuffs at controlled temperatures, and certain requirements for users.

Tank containers in ATP regime with ground control: Rubino solutions for milk transport

Rubino Rs has 120 tank containers single-compartment tank containers with 28,000, 32,000, 34,500 and 35,000 litre capacity that can transport all liquid foodstuffs, including milk, in ATP regime, which can be heated and pressurised, and also include ground control (loading-unloading from below). Careful shipping, punctuality and speed, innovation and constant technological improvement thus become central in the transport of milk from farms to the processing industry.

In a market segment that is always strongly poised between production verging on self-sufficiency (milk production exceeded 12.65 million tonnes in Italy in 2020, with 4.4% growth over 2019 and accelerated production rates in 2021 as well), with a reduction in raw material imports from abroad but with an increase in production costs. Amid growing global demand for dairy products (China above all with an increase of 23% between December 2020 and February 2021), logistics and transport costs play a decisive role. Having a reliable and safe tank container solution for milk transport, together with the general relaunch of the Horeca and Food Service sector, becomes even decisive, along with the need not to waste the high quality of Italian production.

Tracking, time and cost optimisation, compliance with regulations: guarantees and advantages

The permanent tracking of Rubino Rs tank containers, the ability to speed up and optimise transport times, the guarantee in the cleaning and sanitising of tanks and tank containers, the customised insurance coverage of the goods transported according to the customer’s requirements: these are all elements that make the choice of the farm or the processing industry lean towards the Rubino Rs solutions. Solutions that, unlike proprietary transport, therefore guarantee quality, compliance with regulations and optimisation of time and costs.

Moreover, Rubino Rs solutions protect hygiene. In general, the transport of any foodstuff must be carried out in a hygienically suitable manner and in such a way as to ensure adequate protection in relation to the type of substances transported, avoiding any cause of soiling or other damage that may be caused to the transported foodstuffs by atmospheric agents or other environmental factors. The tanks used to transport liquid foodstuffs in bulk must meet specific requirements and, in particular, those used to transport milk in tanks must also comply with the temperature parameter (not exceeding 10° C).

Checks and controls of the milk temperature upon loading and unloading are essential to ensure the safety of the product from a hygienic point of view. However, monitoring can also easily take place during transport, and in the case of our tank containers, the temperature can be monitored and recorded continuously.

This quality and specialisation enable our milk transport service to provide guarantees and benefits. To protect our customer, to protect the end consumer.

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