Chlorate is an issue of concern for internationally traded foods because of strict regulatory requirements within the European Union. The major source of chlorate residues in foods arises from the use of processing water that has been treated with chlorine-based disinfectants to inactivate microbiological pathogens and make the water microbiologically safe. Within the dairy industry, chlorate also arises from the use of chlorine-based disinfectants for sanitising milking equipment on-farm and food-contact surfaces along the manufacturing chain. When a dairy product manufacture process includes evaporation or concentration steps, then chlorate levels can be increased. This document describes the various sources, occurrence levels, regulatory approaches applied in different countries, toxicological considerations, prevention steps and best practices for the management of chlorate across the dairy chain. The challenge of keeping chlorate levels as low as reasonably achievable whilst maintaining appropriate microbiological hygiene makes chlorate a complex contaminant to manage.

Keywords: Chlorate residues, contaminant, milk hygiene, disinfectant.

Cite this content as:

International Dairy Federation. (2023).  Prevention of the development of chlorate in the dairy chain (Bulletin of the IDF n° 526/2023). https://doi.org/10.56169/QVPK6979