The dairy industry in Croatia is a recognizable segment of domestic production. Today in Croatia, there are about 400 thousand heads of bovine animals, unfortunately with a tendency to decrease, as noticed over the last decade. But, in the Croatian imaginarium, the image of the cow as the foundation of domestic agriculture and peasant identity is firmly present. Despite everything, about 600 million litres of milk are produced in Croatia every year, and Croats are happy to buy milk, they like buying dairy products, and Croatian customers will always look for cow's milk.
There are numerous barns and dairy farms across Croatia that serve the needs of Croatian customers. The Hyperbaric technology is here, at the service of Croatian dairies, in order to help them process their own milk in a more affordable manner. The Hyperbaric technology that uses high-pressure (HPP) product processing is synonymous with lower production costs. But, lower production costs are not its only advantage, as the milk treated with HPP technology is preservative-free and additive-free, a very healthy food product that is recognized by producers and customers all around the world.
The Hyperbaric technology can be used in the production of milk and dairy products; yogurt, cheese, cream, etc.). Milk intended for the production of yoghurt is processed at 250 MPa C.
The use of high hydrostatic pressure in the dairy industry has the effect of inactivating microorganisms and native enzymes. This process makes it possible to extend the shelf life of the cheese, also shortening the cheese maturation process to only three days. The technology also prevents excessive acidification of yogurt, and its processing at the high pressure of 250 MPa for 15 min at 4 ° C.24 extends the shelf life of yogurt to more than two weeks.
As research has shown, the application of high pressure from 400 to 600 MPa is actually a process that destroys pathogenic microorganisms which negatively affect the microbiological quality of milk. Such application of high pressure is comparable to the effects of pasteurization at 72 ° C for 15 s.
The benefits offered by this technology are that high pressure causes an increase in the pH value of milk and shortens the clotting time. The process itself enables a higher rate of efficiency, which in the long run makes it a great potential force in cheese production. The microbiological quality of cheese produced from high-pressured milk (500 MPa, 15 minutes at 20 ° C) is equal to that of cheese produced from pasteurized milk (72 ° C in 15 s).
The dairy industry in Croatia consists of production facilities of different sizes. The Hyperbaric machines do not require a multitude of workers during the production process. The Hyperbaric 55 and Hyperbaric 135 require only one worker, the Hyperbaric 300 requires two, the Hyperbaric 420 requires three, while the Hyperbaric 525 requires three to four workers.
Due to the lower processing temperatures and the machines adapted to different dairies and production sizes, the Hyperbaric technology is much better in comparison to older technologies and is certainly more competitive.