ISO 23130:2020

Overview - ISO 23130:2020 for bulk milk tank monitoring

ISO 23130:2020 defines minimum performance, design and information requirements for monitoring devices of bulk milk cooling tanks used in milking and cooling machine installations. The standard aims to improve milk quality and food safety by specifying how monitoring devices must measure, record, alarm and report on milk cooling, storage, agitation and cleaning processes in agricultural operations.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope & compliance
  • Applies to monitoring devices as part of milking and milk cooling installations and to retrofit devices.
  • Devices provided by equipment manufacturers must be included in the installation’s conformity procedure; retrofitters must ensure compatibility and legal compliance.
• Materials & design
  • Materials shall comply with ISO 5708.
  • Devices must indicate operational status, be protected against unauthorized modification, and be able to transfer data to external equipment (PC, USB, etc.).
  • Temperature sensors for monitoring must be independent of control sensors or use dual sensors in integrated controllers.
• Measurement accuracy
  • ±0.5 °C for 0 °C to 20 °C
  • ±1.0 °C for >20 °C to <100 °C
• Monitoring coverage & recording
  • Monitor at least 6.7% of rated tank volume.
  • Temperature recording starts when milk is detected; recording interval ≤15 minutes during cooling/storage and ≤1 minute during cleaning.
  • Events to record include first milk in tank, agitation start/stop, cleaning start/completion, monitoring device operational status, and cleaning agent application. Records must include date/time and be retained for at least 60 days.
  • Recorded data must be tamper-resistant and exportable (e.g., CSV, JSON).
• Alarms & backup
  • Provide critical and informative alarms; at least 6 temperature alarms, 3 agitation alarms, and 5 cleaning alarms (examples provided in the standard).
  • Visual alarm indications (e.g., green/orange/red), display text or codes with explanations, and remote alarm transmission options.
  • Sufficient backup power is required so alarms are generated and sent during power failure.
• Retrofitting & documentation
  • Retrofitted devices must meet all requirements; installation must be tested and documented.
  • Operator manual, tanker driver instructions and installation instructions are mandatory.

Practical applications and who uses it

• Dairy equipment manufacturers and designers - to develop compliant monitoring units.
• Farm operators and dairy managers - to select and operate monitoring devices that ensure milk quality and regulatory traceability.
• Installers and service technicians - for correct integration, testing and retrofitting.
• Milk collectors/tanker drivers - to interpret critical alarms and decide on milk collection.
• Auditors and regulators - to verify monitoring, data integrity and hygiene compliance.

Related standards

• ISO 5708 - Refrigerated bulk milk tanks (materials and tank requirements)
• ISO 3918 - Milking machine installations - Vocabulary

Keywords: ISO 23130:2020, monitoring device, bulk milk cooling tanks, milk cooling monitoring, milking and cooling machine installations, dairy farm monitoring, milk tank alarms, data logging, cleaning monitoring.