Impact of suboptimal chlorine-free cleaning practices on the bacterial quality of milk produced on commercial dairy farms.

= 39), 62% had 'build-up' present on the internal surfaces of claw-bowls. Moreover, the probability of having a TBC >15,000 cfu/mL (OR = 1.67) and a thermoduric count >200 cfu/mL (OR = 1.09) was numerically higher when insufficient volumes of acid were used. Approximately half the farms visited were producing low-quality milk due largely to suboptimal chlorine-free cleaning practices being employed on those farms. This research reiterates that chlorine-free cleaning will facilitate the production of high-quality milk at farm level, but it is critical that the chlorine-free washing protocols are correctly implemented.