Syllabus outline

Composition and properties of milk

• Composition of milks used for human
consumption
• Importance of milk in our diets
• Chemical, physical and biological properties of
milk
 Milk
• Nature's most perfect food
• One of only two foods we eat whose sole/ single
complete food in nature is milk (Honey is the
other)
• High quality nutrients
– Protein – AA Content
– Fat
– Sugars
• Complete nutrition for the young animal
 Definition of Milk
Definition - Normal secretion of the mammary gland
of mammals which is serving the newborn as food

It is a very complex product that contains many

chemicals that are either in solution, suspension or
emulsion with water.
 Milk composition analysis, per 100 grams
Water
Constituents Unit Cow Goat Sheep buffal
o
Water g 87.8 88.9 83.0 81.1
Protein g 3.2 3.1 5.4 4.5
Fat g 3.9 3.5 6.0 8.0
----Saturated fatty acids g 2.4 2.3 3.8 4.2
-Monounsaturated fatty
g 1.1 0.8 1.5 1.7
acids
----Polyunsaturated fatty
g 0.1 0.1 0.3 0.2
acids
Carbohydrate (i.e the sugar
g 4.8 4.4 5.1 4.9
form of Lactose)
Cholesterol mg 14 10 11 8
Calcium mg 120 100 170 195
 Importance of milk in our diets
• richest dietary sources of calcium.
• The nutrients supplied by dairy foods help ensure
normal body functioning and also help lower the
risk of developing a variety of health problems
 Type of dairy products in our diet
• Powdered milk
• Whole milk products, Skim milk
• Buttermilk products
• Whey products
• Ice cream
• High milk-fat and nutritional products (for infant
formulas)
• Cultured and confectionery products
• Condensed milk, milk which has been concentrated
by evaporation, with sugar added for reduced
process time and longer life
 Cont;

• Butter
• Buttermilk
• Ghee
• Cheese
• Curd
• Paneer
• Ice cream
• Ice milk
• Lassi
 Nondairy substitute for milk
• Milk allergy: 2–3% of kids under the age of three are
allergic to cow’s milk. - rashes, vomiting, diarrhea and
severe anaphylaxis.
• Lactose intolerance: An estimated 75% of the world’s
population is intolerant to lactose, the sugar found in
milk.
• Dietary restrictions: Some people choose to exclude
animal products from their diets for ethical or health
reasons - vegans exclude all products that come from
animals, including cow’s milk.
• Potential health risks: Some people choose to avoid
cow’s milk due to concerns over potential
contaminants, including antibiotics, pesticides and
hormones,
Ex;

• Soy milk
• Almond milk
• Coconut milk
• Oats milk
• Rice milk
• Cashew milk
The main factors in the quality evaluation of milk are
1. Good sensory properties (absence of off-flavors,
normal color)
2.Adequate microbiological status (good keeping
quality) including:
• absence of pathogens
• absence of post-pasteurization contamination
• absence of the consequences of mastitis
• standard chemical composition (protein, fat,
carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals)
• absence of any chemical contaminants (pesticide
residue, veterinary drug residue, mycotoxin residue
or its metabolites)
 Milk Fraction Terms

• Plasma: milk - fat (skim milk)

• Serum: plasma - casein micelles (whey)
• solids-not-fat (SNF): proteins, lactose,
minerals, acids, enzymes, vitamins. It is the
total solids content - the fat content.
• Total Milk Solids: fat + SNF

• Plasma” and “skim milk” are interchangeable

terms, but “skim milk” is more commonly
used.
 Milk Proteins
Several types found in milk
• Casein – 76%
• Whey proteins – 18%
• Enzymes, hormones, antibodies, growth
factors, lactoferrin,
Major proteins are unique to milk
• Amino acids balanced for growth
• Made up with AA's
 Casein
• Phosphoproteins – about 80% of all milk
proteins
• Form a micelle (140nm) – hydrophobic
• Not susceptible to thermal denaturation but
severe heat treatments cause substantial
change. Coagulation t0 for casein- at 1400C for
1hr
• Precipitated by
–pH below 4.6 – Low solubility – Clots in
stomach
–Rennin - cheese
 Whey proteins
• Not precipitated by acid, but easily denatured
by heat (>60C)
• Denaturation of whey protein begins at 650C
and completed when heated to 900C for 5
minutes.
• rich in sulfur-containing amino acids
 Lactose (Milk sugar)
• Major carbohydrate in milk
• A Disaccharide
– Glucose + galactose molecule
• Only present in the mammary gland/milk
• Very low sweetening power and low solubility
• Determines the quantity of milk produced
• Lactose is the source of lactic acid,
formed by bacteria
• Help to produce curd
• Problems associated with lactose
–lactose intolerance
• lack α-D-galactoside galactohydrolase
–crystals from condensed milk or ice
cream
– lumping and caking of dried milk during
storage
 Vitamins
• Contain all the essential vitamins, but in varying
and sometimes insufficient amount
• Riboflavin
– water-soluble, light sensitive
– light yellowish & greenish color
• Carotene
– fat-soluble, yellowish color of milk fat
• Thiamine
• Niacin
• Vitamin D is added to almost all milk
 Minerals
• Rich in Ca and P
• Trace elements: Fe, Mg, Mo(molybdenum),
Ni, Zn
 Enzymes
• Native enzymes secreted by mammary glands
• Others are microbial originate
– Protease, Lipase, phosphates, etc..

• Most of enzymes are associated with fat

globule membrane and others are in solution
• Most of the enzymes are inactivated by
pasteurization
• Alkaline phosphatase is an index of adequacy
of pasteurization (phosphatase test)
• Lipase causes hydrolytic rancidity in dairy
products
 Biological function of milk
• To supply nutrition and immunological
protection to the young mammal. In some
species, milk is the only food consumed for
weeks or months. Therefore, it must furnish
all nutritive requirements for maintenance
and growth, such as energy, amino acids,
minerals, and vitamins.
 Physical properties of milk
• 1. Freezing point: The freezing point of milk is lower
than the freezing point of water because of the
dissolved components in milk-0.5 °C
2. Colour
- Normal: bluish-white (golden-yellow), depending on
breed, feed, lactation period, etc. (white: fat
globules, collodial components; bluish: after
removing fat; yellow: carotene)
3. Taste
- Normally, slightly sweet, pleasent (lactose and
chlorine)
- Fat and protein give the body to the flavour
4. Consistency (substance) of milk
- normal milk is a watery liquid
Cont;

• Density of milk
–Between 1.027 – 1.036g/cm3
–It is a function of the type and quantity
of the dispersed particles.
ex. High fat content – Low density
High solids – High density
–Measure using lactometer.
 Chemical properties of milk
• Acidity of milk – Acidity of a solution depends
on the (H+) in it. The acidity of milk is usually
expressed as pH.
• The pH of most sample of milk 6.6 to 6.8,
average 6.7 at 20C