Typically, processors increase the shelf life of dairy products by adding preservatives or stabilizers and enhancing the cleaning processes to minimize impurities that can spoil the product. These approaches, however, do not reduce contact of the product with airborne impurities, especially fungi.
Yeast and mold fungi significantly impact product shelf life and are the most influential agents that define how long a dairy product will stay consumable. But purging airborne microbes like yeast and mold is not easy due to their size, approximately 0.6 microns on average. Critical processing equipment with open vents or open areas negates the benefit of cleaning equipment, since it allows microbe-filled “dirty” air to come into contact with the product.