LESSON 1
INTRODUCTION TO DAIRY PRODUCTS
Section I. GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1-1.
OVERVIEW
a. The Importance of Milk. Milk is considered to be nature's most perfect food
from a nutritional standpoint. It is an excellent source of calcium and phosphorus, which
are necessary for bone growth. It also provides an adequate supply of protein. Milk
contains many of the vitamins and trace minerals essential for proper growth and
maintenance of the body.
b. The Importance of Proper Handling. When handled in a sanitary manner,
milk is one of our most important foods. When improperly handled, it represents a
potential source of disease-producing organisms. The role of the veterinary food
inspection specialist includes the inspection of milk to determine that it has been
properly processed and handled from the point of origin to the point where it will be
consumed.
c. The Dairy Industry. The dairy industry has undergone an astonishing
evolution during the past one hundred years. Specialized dairy machinery has been
developed and improved. Examples are the milking machine, the pasteurizer, the
cream separator, the mechanical bottle washer, the mechanical refrigerator, and the
homogenizer. The population and the national economy have both grown, thereby
increasing the consumption of milk and milk products. The population has shifted to
urban areas, resulting in an improvement of the dairy product distribution system to our
cities. Due to the improvement in our transportation facilities, large quantities of milk
and milk products can easily be shipped long distances under refrigeration. Recent
improvements in processing and pasteurization methods have increased the shelf life of
milk products while preserving the fresh milk flavor.
1-2.
a. Chemical Properties of Milk. Milk is defined as the lacteal secretion,
practically free from colostrum, obtained by the complete milking of one or more healthy
cows. Colostrum is the lacteal secretion produced immediately before and after calving.
Whole milk contains not less than 3.25 percent milkfat and not less than 8.25 percent
solids-not-fat. The approximate composition ("chemical properties") of milk is as
follows:
MD0715
1-2