Milk and Milk Products Technology

INTRODUCTION

• Out of 120 Million tons of milk produced annually, 85 per cent of the milk comes from unorganised sector involving poor framers owning one or two animals. The economic status of people involved in any industry is correlated to the net income and surplus generated from its output. Thus the state of the veterinary profession and its field is far and best decided by the income and surplus generated from its outputs viz. milk, meat and egg. The major share is based on the performance of dairy business and it is ultimately based on the status of dairy cattle owners. The responsibility of Indian veterinarian not only vests with animal health care and welfare but also assuring hygienic milk production, providing adoptable processing technologies for value addition, preservation and marketing of milk and milk products to raise the gross income. Dairying dominates veterinary practice compared to other animal husbandry activities.

Importance of milk and milk products in human nutrition

• Milks and dairy products are highly nutritious and play s vital role in human diets for both children and adults. The composition of milk varies according to the animal from which it comes, assisting for required rate of growth and development of the young ones of that species. Thus, for human infants, human milk is better than cows' milk or any other milk product. Exclusive breastfeeding without other foods or liquids is the optimum means of feeding for the first six months of an infant's life . Continuing breast feeding for many more months is of great value, while the baby is introduced to other foods. If breast milk remains an important food for the child into the second or even third year of life, then animal milk is not necessary in the child's diet.
• Casein and whey proteins are of high biological value, are the most important constituents of cows' milk. The carbohydrate in cows' milk is disaccharide lactose. Fat is present as very fine globules, which on standing tend to coalesce and rise to the surface as cream layer. The fat has a rather high content of saturated fatty acids. The calcium content of cows' milk (120 mg per 100 ml) is four times that of human milk (30 mg per 100 ml). When a human infant is fed entirely on cows' milk . The excess calcium does no good but causes no harm.
• Milk is also a very good source of riboflavin and vitamin A. It is a fair source of thiamine and vitamin C, but it is a poor source of iron and niacin. The mother usually provides her infant with a store of iron before birth. If feeding of milk alone is prolonged after sixth month, iron deficiency anemia may develop. Despite the variation in the composition of milk from different animals, all milk is rich in protein and other nutrients and constitutes a good food for humans, especially children. Although most animal milk for human consumption comes from cows, in certain societies the milk of buffaloes, goats, sheep and camels is important.
• In many parts of the world, milk is also consumed sour or curdled than fresh for curdled milk keeps longer, retains its nutritive value and may be more digestible and more hygienic than fresh milk. However, it is much safer to drink milk that has been boiled and kept in a clean container, because milk can provide a vehicle for the transmission of some disease-causing organisms.
• Pasteurization of milk greatly reduces the risk of pathological organisms spreading, provided that the milk is placed in clean containers destined for direct delivery to the consumer. .
• In many countries where cows' milk is a normal item of the diet, it is customary to wean infants from breastmilk on to a diet in which cows' milk plays an important part.
• Some people limit their milk consumption because they suffer from lactose intolerance, a condition resulting from low levels of the digestive enzyme lactase, a lactose spiting enzyme to mono saccharides. Research shows that most lactose-intolerant persons can in fact consume milk in moderate quantities (perhaps three to five cups of milk per day) without developing symptoms.
• To match an estimated demand of 180 million tonnes of milk by 2021-22, NDDB had drawn up a National Dairy Plan two years ago. This plan recommends a two pronged strategy. First, doubling of the milk production over a period of 15 years by improvement of milch animals and optimal use of feed and fodder in order to fully realize the improved genetic potential and secondly, increasing the share of marketable surplus of the organized sector, both cooperative and private dairies from 30% to 65%.
  
  

  Milk Utilization Pattern in India, 1943-2004	Year
  	1943*	1956	2004
  Milk Production (million tones)	23.5	17.8	91
  Milk Utilisation (Percentage)	100	100	100
  Liquid Milk	28.0%	39.2%	46.0%
  Traditional Products	72.0%	60.8%	50.0%
  Ghee/Makhan (clarified butter)	58.7%	46.0%	33.0%
  Dahi (Yogurt-like)	5.2%	8.8%	7.0%
  Khova (Partially desiccated Milk)	5.0%	4.4%	7.0%
  Channa and Paneer (unprocessed cottage cheese)	3.1%	1.6%	3.0%
  Western Products: Milk Powder, etc	Neg	Neg	4.0%

  *Includes Pakistan and Bangladesh
  Source: Handbook on Technology of Indian Milk Products