MILK

MILK ZONE

The primary ingredient to produce cheese and dairy products is milk, followed by its management procedures which are especially important and fall within the responsibilities of the Milk Zone of the Farmers Group of Heraklion – ZOE. Our company has made a serious investment in milk collection, making sure to supply our Cretan breeder-partners with new ice tanks, thus ensuring the quality and quantity of milk we receive daily. At the same time, privately owned milk collection tanks of ZOE visit dozens of livestock farmers throughout Crete and in the four counties of Crete (Chania, Rethymnon, Heraklion and Lassithi) and receive fresh raw Cretan milk. The annual quantity of incoming milk in both sheep and goat milk is so high that it allows us to be the largest milk collection unit in Crete.
In the near future, we will create four milk substations with the prospect of an increase at a later date, to ensure the management and production of better-quality milk, sheep or goat. We believe that with higher quality milk, there will be a steady increase in quality and demand for our products. We will also have ensured better conditions for the collection and marketing of milk, resulting in the best possible price and with the best payment terms for producers.
The responsibilities and duties of ZOEs employees responsible for the management of milk include the evaluation, selection of farmers supplying sheep and goat milk, the organization, management and control of sheep and goat milk farms for milk collection, the creation of a program of visits, the improvement of the quality of incoming milk, in cooperation with livestock farmers – producers, the preparation and management of contracts / contracts and payments, the cooperation with the Quality Control Department and all production departments of the company, and the implementation and observation of all existing quality assurance standards.
Our company conducts daily checks of milk upon receipt, for temperature, PH, as well as antibiotics and chemical substances that can be detected. The checks are conducted daily at pick up of milk on site, but also upon receipt, at the premises of our cheese factory by a responsible food technologist. Our role towards the cooperating livestock farmers of the mountainous areas is to ensure an environment of protection and solutions with incentives (in terms of ensuring sufficient feed, continuous collection of milk, where required), with clear partnerships, restoring the pride of the Cretan breeder.