What is Dairy Processing?

Dairy processing includes enterprises engaged in packaging, processing, cutting, or manufacturing dairy products, as well as packaging and storing these products at processing sites.

Dairy products include colostrum, milk, and any food containing at least 50% milk or any substance made from milk (by weight). These include (but are not limited to):

Liquid dairy products, casein, concentrated casein

Dairy product mixture

Cream, thick cream

Butter, concentrated butter, butter, anhydrous cream (butter)

Cheese

Yogurt, fermented milk

Ice cream, ice cream mixture

Casein, caseinate, whey, whey cream, concentrated whey cream

Defatted milk powder, lactose powder, lactose, milk powder, skimmed milk powder, whey powder, milk protein powder

Other milk and concentrates.

 

Why is the Humidity High in Dairy Factories?

Dairy factories have very strict requirements for temperature and humidity control during the production process. Excessive humidity not only affects product safety but also leads to equipment failure and unstable quality. Therefore, industrial-grade dehumidification systems are almost standard for dairy processing. A large amount of water vapor is generated in dairy production, and humidity is prone to accumulate in the following areas:

Process/Area	Source of humidity	Typical issues
Raw milk receiving area	Washing cans and cleaning water vapor	Condensation droplets falling and groundwater accumulation
Homogenization, sterilization, and liquid processing area	Steam, hot water	Surface condensation on equipment
Canned area	Disinfect, CIP	Label detachment and easy bacterial growth
Milk powder drying and packaging area	Hot and humid air emissions, infiltration of external humid air	Finished product moisture absorption and agglomeration
Cold storage, refrigerated area	Large temperature difference	Top water droplets and even dripping pollution
Bottle washing and mold washing area	Hot water operation	Long-term damp and moldy environment

 

Main Role of Dehumidifiers in Dairy Factories

(1) Prevent product moisture absorption and clumping (especially milk powder)

Milk powder is highly hygroscopic, and excessive humidity can lead to:

Agglomeration and plate formation

The flowability of the powder deteriorates, affecting the filling process

Elevated water activity → Risk of bacterial growth

Typical requirement: The humidity in the milk powder packaging workshop should be controlled at 30% -45% RH.

This usually requires a low-humidity desiccant dehumidifier.

 

(2) Prevent secondary pollution caused by condensation droplets

Condensation is prone to occur on cold storage, air coolers, and metal pipes:

Water droplets falling onto food → Non-compliant, may result in the entire batch being scrapped

Drip corrosion equipment

Increased slip risk

Using a dehumidifier for dairy processing to lower the dew point of the air can effectively prevent condensation.

 

(3) Improve air cleanliness and reduce microbial risks

Excessive humidity is a condition for the rapid growth of mold, yeast, and bacteria.

Dehumidifiers combined with HEPA filtration and positive pressure systems can:

Reduce the pollutants carried by the air

Stable air cleanliness level (such as Class 100K, Class 10K)

Meet the production environment requirements of HACCP, FSMA, and FDA

 

(4) Protecting equipment and extending its service life

Dairy factories extensively use stainless steel and electronic control systems, and excessive humidity can lead to:

Short circuit or malfunction of electronic components

Rust (especially outside the welding seam rules)

Evaporator condensation affects efficiency

Keeping the environment dry with a dehumidifier can significantly reduce downtime for maintenance.

 

(5) Improving the working environment for employees

High humidity brings:

Operating clothes are damp, cold, and uncomfortable

The ground is wet and slippery

The air is stuffy and hot

The environment after dehumidification is safer and more comfortable, improving production efficiency.

 

Recommended Dehumidifier Types for Different Regions

 

Compliance and Standard Requirements

Dairy processing plants must ensure that their fixtures, accessories, equipment, and transport vehicles are designed and constructed to be easy to clean and disinfected when necessary. Enterprises must also ensure that the premises have necessary services such as water supply, waste disposal, lighting, ventilation, cleaning and personal hygiene facilities, storage space, and toilets. “Food premises must have sufficient natural or mechanical ventilation to effectively remove fumes, smoke, steam, and vapours from the food premises.” (Standard 3.2.3 Food Premises And Equipment)

 

Typical Difficulties in Installing Dehumidifiers in Dairy Factories

High humidity load in the area (frequent cleaning)

A large temperature difference leads to easy condensation

Milk powder factories require continuous low humidity and high energy consumption

Traditional air conditioning cannot independently control humidity

The factory layout is complex and requires customized air duct systems

Usually, a combination of air conditioning, rotary dehumidification, and piping systems is necessary to achieve optimal results.

Preair is a professional industrial dehumidifier manufacturer. We currently have two types of ceiling-mounted refrigerant dehumidifiers, the PRO series and the ZETA series. Certainly, suppose you want to obtain customized products. In that case, we also have a dedicated R&D team to serve you, providing a one-stop service of design, sample development, performance testing, and mass production. The PRO dehumidifiers support ceiling installation (requiring connection of air inlet, outlet, and drainage pipe), and can be connected to several stand-alone temperature and humidity meters, third-party controllers. They are equipped with a MERV filter, which can be upgraded according to practical needs. We can provide installation guidance and after-sales maintenance to help you improve the ventilation system in your dairy processing factory. If you are interested in our products and services, please feel free to contact us at any time.