LPT 311: Milk and Milk Products Technology (1+1)

DEFINITION AND USES OF CHANNA

• Channa is a product obtained by acid coagulation of milk near its boiling point followed by removal of whey. As per PFA rules, channa may be defined as a product obtained from cow or buffalo milk or a combination thereof by precipitating with sour milk, lactic acid or citric acid. It should not contain more than 70 per cent moisture and milk fat should not be less than 50 per cent of the dry matter.
• Channa is an indigenous milk product obtained by coagulating whole milk and by subsequent separation of whey. This coagulation is done by addition of lactic or citric acid.
• Channa differs from paneer in the method of preparation that no pressure is applied to remove the whey.  The coagulum is collected in a cloth and hung on a peg without applying pressure to drain off the whey.

Physical Appearance 

• Cow milk channa is light yellow in colour  has a moist surface, soft body
• Smooth texture
• Buffalo milk is whitish in colour. 
• Both buffalo and cow milk  have a pleasant, sweetish mildly acid flavour.

Yield

• For cow milk, generally 15 per cent and from buffalo milk the yield is higher.
  

Uses 

• Widely used in eastern parts of India and Bangladesh for the preparation of many milk-based sweets. 
• Channa is also produced in the rural milk sheds and transported by road or rail to larger urban agglomerates in wicker baskets which allow further drainage of whey. 
• Channa so produced is usually used for the preparation of sandesh.  High  quality sandesh is usually prepared from fresh channa.
• It is also used for rasagolla preparation.  Channa has the same legal requirements as those of paneer.