Spoiling Milk

Adebola Okusolubo
Kenmoor Middle
7th grade
Mrs. Sanchez
11/10/14

Acknowledgements:

I would like to thanks my parents for buying me all my materials and supporting me to
do my best on this project. I would also like to thanks my teacher Mrs. Sanchez for helping me
correct any mistakes that I have made.

Question:
Which milk will spoil faster, 1% low-fat milk, whole milk, chocolate milk, or skim
milk?

Research:
My research paper will be about how bacteria can actually grow in the milk. I will
discuss what prevents and helps the growth of bacteria. The reason for this is so I can have
background knowledge of which type of milk will most likely spoil the fastest due to the
ingredients in each.

Bacteria:
For bacteria to actually grow, it requires many things. A protein source, moisture,
and oxygen are required. Protein is needed for growth because it has amino acids which are the
building blocks of life. Also, moisture is needed for bacteria growth because it supplies an
excellent environment for bacteria. Without moisture bacteria would dry up and die.
Furthermore, oxygen is needed because bacteria requires oxygen for respiration. Oxygen

minimizes the shelf like of a product because it helps bacteria grow. That is why whenever we
dont seal any Ziploc with food in it, the food spoils.

1% low-fat milk:
1% low-fat milk has ingredients and help growth of bacteria. The ingredients
include Vitamin A and amino acids. Vitamin A is a healthy source for your whole body and is a
good way of getting better eyesight. Vitamin A helps prevent bacteria growth and any infections.
Due to my research, I found out that vitamin a protects our skin and mucous from contracting
bacterial infections. Amino Acids carry out waste from all of our bodies. Finally, amino acids
dont include preservatives and preservatives prevent bacteria. This milk will mostly not spoil as
fast as the other types of milk I have included in this experiment.

Whole milk:
In whole milk, there are two ingredients that prevent bacterial growth and one
growth of bacteria. Whole milk has Vitamin A, calcium, and protein. Again, Vitamin A prevents

bacteria growth and protein increases growth. The new thing added is calcium. From my own
knowledge I know calcium helps make my bones stronger and my teeth healthy too. I also know
that calcium is great for my health. What is found during my research is that calcium can help
treat diseases and prevent bacteria from growing.

Chocolate milk:
Chocolate milk is technically the same process for whole milk, but indeed there is
a difference. The only way chocolate milk can be called chocolate is if cocoa powder is added to
the milk. Since chocolate is the same as whole milk, that means chocolate milk does have
protein, calcium, and vitamins but we have to also consider the cocoa powder. Cocoa powder has
a lot of preservatives and preservatives kill bacteria. I believe that the chocolate milk will not
spoil as much as the other types of milk due to the amount of prevents.

Skim Milk:
Skim milk also has the same process of whole milk. Except skim milk has up to
no fats and no preservatives. Since there are no preservatives, there arent any barriers from
stopping the skim milk to spoil. This increases the spoiling rate of the milk but also there is

Vitamin A and calcium which prevents bacteria. I think this milk will spoil faster mostly just
because of there not being any preservatives. The reason for this is because most of the other
milks have preservatives but skim milk doesnt.

Bibliography:

1. Article: Does chocolate milk contain preservatives?

Date: Jul 14, 2009
Website: http://shelflifeadvice.com/content/does-milk-contain-preservatives

2. Article: Focusing On Preservatives: How They Keep Food Fresh

Date: November 13, 2002
Website: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/11/021113070827.htm

3. Article: Four Condition for Bacterial Growth

Date: October 21, 2013

Website: http://www.livestrong.com/article/126073-four-conditions-bacterial-growth/

4. Article: Making bacteria make useful proteins

Date: Sep 07, 2009

Website: http://phys.org/news171538815.html

5. Article: Milk, lowfat, fluid, 1% milkfat, with added vitamin A

Date: January 2, 2014

Website: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/diary-and-egg-products/74/2

6. Article: Skim Milk | Healthy Food of the Day

Date: June 21, 2008
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7. Article: What are amino acids?

Date: October 3, 2014
Website: http://www.aminoacid-studies.com/amino-acids/what-are-amino-acids.html

8. Article: Which Vitamins Are Best for Fighting Harmful Bacteria?

Date: October 24, 2013

Website: http://www.livestrong.com/article/212866-what-vitamins-are-best-for-fightingharmful-bacteria/#

9. Press; 2013. Smith-Howard, Kendra. Pure and Modern Milk: An Environmental History Since
1900 (Oxford University) 229 pages

10. Valenze, Deborah. Milk: A Local and Global History (Yale University Press, 2011) 368
pages