Milk and dairy products are essential for proper nutrition of Ukraine’s population. The industry aims to meet consumer needs for highly nutritious, healthy, and safe products that serve as sources of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals.
In this article, we will examine in detail the key aspects of milk production technology and dairy product range in Ukraine, analyze the current state of the industry, and outline its development prospects.
Drinking Milk Production Technology
Milk production in Ukraine is a complex technological process that includes a series of sequential operations to obtain a safe, high-quality, and nutritious product. It begins with receiving raw milk and thorough quality control according to DSTU 3662:2015 requirements.
Milk undergoes primary processing: purification through centrifugal separators or filters, cooling to 4-6°C, and storage. Then normalization of fat content occurs by mixing with cream or skimmed milk.
Milk processing technology includes pasteurization, which eliminates pathogens and increases product thermal stability. Modes:
- long-term at 63-65°C for 30 minutes;
- short-term at 76°C with 15-20 seconds holding time;
- instant at 85-95°C without holding time.
To improve consistency and prevent fat separation, milk is homogenized, breaking down fat globules to less than 1 micron under high pressure (10-25 MPa).
The finished milk is bottled (bottles, bags, aseptic packaging), labeled, cooled, and stored at 4±2°C. The range includes pasteurized, baked, ultra-pasteurized, and sterilized milk with fat content from 1% to 6%.
Dairy Products Production Technology
Ukraine has strong potential in producing various dairy products – there is high demand both in domestic and foreign markets. Let’s examine the technological features of manufacturing key dairy product groups.
Powdered Milk Production Technology
Powdered milk is a highly concentrated powder product with long shelf life, obtained by condensing and drying pasteurized milk. Depending on fat mass fraction, there is whole milk powder (20-25% fat) and skimmed milk powder (no more than 1.5% fat).
The technology for producing powdered milk is similar to regular drinking milk. Let’s review the main points:
- Pasteurization of milk mixture at 90-95°C without holding time or in two stages at 85-87°C with 5-10 minutes holding time and at 120-130°C without holding time.
- Condensation in film-type vacuum evaporators to 42-52% dry matter content.
- Homogenization at 55-60°C and 10-15 MPa pressure to prevent free fat formation in the finished product.
- Drying in spray or roller drying units with hot air (150-180°C at inlet and 65-95°C at outlet from drying tower) to final moisture content of 2-7%.
Then cooling to temperature not exceeding 20°C. The product is then sieved and packed in 4-5-layer paper bags with polyethylene liners weighing 20-30 kg. Storage is allowed at temperature not exceeding 10°C and relative humidity not more than 85% for 8 months.
Condensed Milk Production Technology
Condensed milk is a concentrated dairy product obtained by partially removing water from whole milk and adding sugar (sucrose) to increase osmotic pressure and extend shelf life. The mass fraction of dry matter in condensed milk is 73.5-74.2%, of which about 44% is sucrose.
After pasteurization of the normalized mixture, the following stages follow:
- Adding sugar in the form of sugar syrup (60-70% dry matter). It is prepared by dissolving granulated sugar in pasteurized milk, heating the resulting syrup to 95-99°C and filtering.
- Condensing the milk-sugar mixture in vacuum evaporators at 50-60°C to dry matter content of 73.5-74.2%.
- Cooling condensed milk to 20°C in crystallizers for 20-25 minutes under vacuum and continuous stirring for uniform distribution of lactose crystals and prevention of their enlargement.
- Packaging the finished product in tin cans with storage terms up to 12 months. In polymer cups, condensed milk can be stored for no more than 3 months.
In 2023, product exports from Ukraine amounted to 2.64 thousand tons, which is 14% less compared to July of the same year. The main markets for condensed milk were EU countries and Moldova. Domestic demand also remains stable.
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Fermented Dairy Products Production Technology
The general technology for producing fermented dairy products is based on milk fermentation with pure bacterial cultures that ferment lactose to form acid and other compounds that create specific taste, aroma, and consistency. Let’s examine the production technology features of the most popular types of fermented dairy products.
Kefir
Kefir is a mixed lactic acid and alcoholic fermentation drink produced by fermenting milk with symbiotic kefir starter culture based on grains. Kefir production technology includes:
- cooling milk to fermentation temperature 20-25°C and adding 1-3% kefir starter or grains;
- fermentation for 10-12 hours until forming a curd with acidity of 85-100°T;
- mixing, cooling to 10-12°C and ripening for 10-12 hours with periodic stirring;
- bottling finished kefir in consumer packaging, labeling and storage at 4-6°C for no longer than 36 hours.
Sour Cream
Sour cream is produced by fermenting pasteurized cream with 10-30% fat mass fraction using pure cultures of lactic acid bacteria starter. The sour cream production method includes these stages:
- Homogenization at 55-60°C and 10-15 MPa pressure to prevent fat separation.
- Cooling to fermentation temperature 20-25°C and adding 0.5-5% mesophilic lactic acid streptococci starter.
- Fermentation for 10-12 hours until forming a curd with acidity of 60-75°T.
- Mixing, cooling to 5-8°C and ripening for 6-12 hours to form firm consistency.
Yogurt
Yogurt is obtained by fermenting pasteurized normalized milk with thermophilic cultures of lactic acid bacteria Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus. The yogurt production process consists of these stages:
- adding 1-5% bacterial starter and incubating for 4-6 hours until forming a firm curd with acidity of 75-140°T;
- mixing the curd, cooling to 20°C, adding flavor ingredients (fruits, berries, syrups).
Cottage Cheese
Cottage cheese is made by acid or acid-rennet coagulation of proteins in pasteurized normalized or skimmed milk, followed by whey removal and curd pressing. The cottage cheese production algorithm:
- fermenting milk with bacterial starter of mesophilic lactic acid streptococci or their mixture with acidophilus bacillus at 28-32°C for 6-8 hours until forming a curd with acidity of 58-65°T for non-fat and 65-75°T for fat cottage cheese;
- cutting the curd into cubes, heating to 36-55°C to accelerate whey separation, self-pressing and pressing;
- cooling the cottage cheese to temperature not exceeding 8°C.
Hard Cheese Production Technology
Hard cheese production in Ukraine in 2023 amounted to about 89 thousand tons, which is less compared to the previous year (106.5 thousand tons). Hard cheese exports increased by 22%, reaching 984 tons, with Kazakhstan and Moldova being the main markets.
Cheddar, Yaroslavsky, Dutch belong to hard varieties. Cheese production technology involves low second heating temperature. It includes these operations:
- Milk preparation for coagulation: adding bacterial starter of mesophilic lactic acid streptococci (0.7-1.2% for Yaroslavsky, 1.5-2.0% for Cheddar), calcium chloride solution (40% aqueous solution in amount of 10-40 g per 100 kg milk) to restore salt balance, milk-clotting enzyme.
- Curd formation at 32-34°C for 30-40 minutes, cutting the cheese curd, grain formation and partial whey removal (30%).
- Second heating of cheese mass at 39-41°C for 15-30 minutes to regulate lactic acid process development and grain dehydration to required moisture level.
- Forming and pressing for 1.5-4 hours for final whey removal and obtaining cheese of certain shape and size.
- Salting in brine with 18-22% concentration at 8-12°C for 2-5 days, depending on cheese head size.
- Ripening under specific temperature regimes (10-12°C – first stage, 14-16°C – second) and relative humidity (80-90%) from 30 to 60 days, depending on cheese type.
- Paraffining or packaging cheese in polymer materials, labeling and storage at temperature from 1 to 8°C and relative humidity 80-85%.
Hard cheeses must meet safety requirements for content of toxic elements, mycotoxins, pesticides, antibiotics, radionuclides.
Ice Cream Production Technology
In 2023, ice cream exports from Ukraine amounted to 1.43 thousand tons, which is 62.78% more compared to April of the same year. The main markets for ice cream were EU countries and Moldova. Domestic demand also remains high.
Ice cream is a whipped frozen sweet dessert made from dairy products and fillings. The technological process of ice cream production in Ukraine consists of these operations:
- Mixing according to recipe to obtain product with required chemical composition and properties. Preparing dairy base of necessary fat content, dissolving dry components, adding flavor and aromatic fillings.
- Filtering to remove undissolved particles and foreign impurities.
- Pasteurization at 85-90°C with 50-60 days holding time to ensure microbiological safety and increase whipping ability.
- Homogenization at 75-80°C and 12.5-15 MPa pressure to obtain uniform consistency.
- Cooling and ripening mixture at 4-6°C for 4-12 hours to form structure, saturate mixture with air and give ice cream tender consistency.
- Freezing – partial freezing of mixture while simultaneously saturating it with air (40-100%, depending on ice cream type) with intensive mixing in batch or continuous freezers to temperature 3.5-6°C.
- Packaging in waffle cones, paper or polymer cups, boxes, trays or forming as bars, popsicles.
- Storage in chambers at 32-37°C for final freezing and structure stabilization.
Milk and Dairy Products Production in Ukraine
According to the Milk Producers Association, in 2023 Ukraine produced about 7 million tons of milk, of which 3.5 million tons went to industrial processing. The main market players are Milk Alliance, Danone, Lactalis, Galychyna, Pridneprovsky Dairy Plant.
Due to raw material shortage, military actions and logistical problems, the dairy industry operates with underutilized capacity. According to market participants’ estimates, in 2023 milk production volumes decreased to 6 million tons. At the same time, there is positive dynamics in processing and increasing dairy products exports.
About 400 thousand tons of dairy products, primarily dry products, butter, cheese, condensed milk, are directed for export. The main markets are EU, Asian and African countries. At the same time, Ukraine imports hard cheese, butter, yogurts from EU countries to meet consumer demand.
Experts predict further reduction in cow population and increase in milk production costs due to rising energy prices, logistics, requirements for environmental protection and animal welfare. During European integration, the dairy industry needs investments to upgrade production facilities, improve environmental and safety standards according to EU requirements.
Under conditions of working capital deficit and limited access to financing, the WEAGRO online service provides Ukrainian farmers with an alternative opportunity to buy goods and services with deferred payment without collateral and additional documents. This allows agricultural producers to effectively manage their expenses, expand production and implement innovations even in difficult economic conditions.
Thanks to digital solutions of the WEAGRO online service, suppliers of agricultural goods and services can increase sales volumes, attract new clients and increase their loyalty. The service is beneficial for all agricultural market participants and contributes to sustainable development of Ukraine’s dairy industry.
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State Support for the Sector
The state provides support for dairy cattle breeding and processing industry development through several programs:
- partial compensation for construction and reconstruction of livestock farms and complexes;
- reducing credit costs for purchasing agricultural machinery, equipment and cow population;
- reimbursement of expenses for animal identification and registration services;
- financial support for agricultural service cooperatives;
- development of dairy cattle breeding selection.
Within the “State Support for Livestock Development and Agricultural Products Processing” program for 2021-2023, reimbursement of part of expenses (up to 50%) is provided for construction and reconstruction of livestock farms and complexes, milking halls and agricultural products processing enterprises.
Ukraine’s dairy industry, relying on modern achievements in milk and dairy products production technology, has significant development potential both for meeting domestic demand and expanding export supplies.
Challenges and Prospects of the Dairy Industry in Ukraine
Ukraine’s dairy industry faces several serious challenges. The war continues to cause significant damage to the country’s agricultural sector. At the same time, the prospect of future EU accession already requires Ukrainian milk producers to meet European requirements for product quality and safety.
Additionally, global factors, particularly high production costs due to increased fuel and logistics prices, as well as new legislative requirements related to environmental protection and animal welfare improvement, will put pressure on milk producers worldwide.
To maintain positions in the international arena and strengthen the status of net dairy products exporter under these challenging conditions, Ukrainian entrepreneurs need to build their own effective farm business model based on the advantages of conducting agricultural business in the country. This will help the industry remain competitive and successfully face the challenges of 2025.
