A Raw Milk Production Facility Design Study in Aydın Region, Turkey

Food is one of the most important needs and indispensable issues for the whole world to sustain our lives from the first days of humanity to the present day. Even though some food habits of humans seem to have changed since the hunter-gatherer era of humanity, there are still many common points in common. One of these is the consumption of milk and dairy products. Milk has become one of the most important consumer goods as it is a secretion produced by mammals to feed their offspring, and it has been used as food by human beings. The importance of milk, which was consumed without realizing its content and benefits in the early periods, increased with new findings in the light of science and technology and this was reflected in the consumption demand. It is especially consumed in terms of protein and calcium content. It is also an important source of Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), Vitamin B12, Vitamin A, Thiamine, Niacin, Phosphorus, and Magnesium. There was a break in the increase of the world population, especially with the industrial revolution, and the increasing migration from the village to the city caused the majority of the population to gather in cities. Before the industrial revolution, people living in villages had very easy access to dairy products, but later on, they could not have easy access due to the inadequacy of the transportation facilities and the rapid deterioration of milk. With the invention of pasteurized milk technology, the growth of bacteria and spoilage was delayed a little by shocking the milk at high temperatures, and with the development of transportation and logistics facilities, the milk produced in the countryside was delivered to the cities with the cold chain. After a certain point, UHT (Ultra High Temperature) Technology was discovered due to the insufficient durability of the pasteurized milk, so that the milk could be frozen at higher temperatures and stored for longer periods without the need for a cold chain, which was seen as a new solution to the increasing demand, these two methods are common it is used as. In the light of these developments, the decrease in nutritional values in heat-treated milk, especially UHT milk, has been reacted by many scientists, but its consumption has been continued because solution approaches could not be made. Especially with the effects of social media and the recent pandemic, with the effect of the healthy lifestyle trend in the world, the demand for natural products and additive-free products has increased and is gradually increasing. At this point, states are starting to make the consumption of raw milk legal by updating their legislation in the light of developing technology. In the light of all these explanations, this study, it was aimed to carry out a study to deliver the milk to the consumer in a certain region by keeping the cold chain in a sterile environment without any treatment after milking. In this context, firstly the literature was searched and the livestock sector was researched, the general characteristics and types of milk were examined, raw milk was researched and similar business models were examined, and researches were made on the logistics of raw milk. In this study, it is aimed to design a raw milk production facility in a pilot region, in Aydın, Turkey and to establish a distribution business model for proposing a decision support.