Milk definition

Milk is one of the few foodstuffs consumed without further processing, and it is generally regarded as the most perfect food.

Milk is the whole, fresh, clean, normal lacteal secretion of the mammary glands for the feeding of the young of mammals. In the United States, the primary milk in commerce is cow’s milk.

Dairy products account for around 27% of the value of production and 4% of agricultural export earnings. Technological change, economies of scale and increased productivity have led to a large concentration of production: 5% of all dairy farms (those with more than 500 cows) supply 60% of all milk produced in the United States..

The responsibility for insuring the quality of this food product rests primarily with the individual states rather than the federal government.

The following definitions from its Grade A Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (1965) has been adopted by a majority of the states:

Milk is hereby defined to be lacteal secretion, practically from colostrum, obtained by the complete milking of one or more healthy cow, which contains not less than 8.25 milk solids non-fat and not less than 3.25% milk fat.

Dairy processors are increasingly using milk as a raw material from which individual component can be extracted. Processors are refining raw milk and isolating its individual components in a manner analogous to the refinement of crude petroleum into its various individual component products.
Milk definition 

Low fat yoghurt

Yoghurt is appealing to many people who have difficulty digesting milk sugar.  Yoghurts made for the UK market have traditionally been lower in fat than whole milk and this partly explains the perception that yoghurt has a lower fat dairy product.

Although there are yoghurts made with fat percentages approximately to that of whole milk, i.e. 4.0%, the majority of yoghurts usually contain 0.5 – 1.2% fat and are described as ‘low fat’ or ‘reduced fat’.

Yogurt and yoghurt-type fermented products fall into four groups on the basis of fat content:
*Very low fat
*Low fat
*Regular fat
*Full fat (including strained yoghurt and luxury yoghurt)

Low fat yoghurt can be used on baked potatoes, fruit and salads and in dips as a healthful alternative to sour cream, mayonnaise, and commercial dressings; in cakes and spreads in place of cream cheese; in shakes instead of ice cream. A half cup of sour cream has 214 calories and 21 grams of fat and the same amount of low-fat yoghurt has 63 calories and 2 grams of fat.

It even makes a good low-fat yoghurt marinade for chicken. Tandoori chicken, an Indian dish, is probably the most well-known yoghurt-marinaded meal.
Low fat yoghurt

What are the contents of cow colostrum?

Colostrum is the first secretion of the mammary gland at the termination of the gestation period and in the first day or at most into the second or early part of the third day of lactation.

It is thick, viscous yellow liquid and is heat coagulable. It is a mixture of blood plasma and milk, is particularly valuable to newborn calves for its high concentration of immunoglobulins.

Colostrum provides about 580 – 700 kcal/L and is higher in protein and lower in casein, carbohydrate and fat than mature milk.

It usually also contains more vitamins than milk, depending on the vitamin status of the cow. Colostrum contains larger amount of B vitamins like thiamine, riboflavin and folic acid.

In addition, colostrum has higher concentration of sodium, potassium and chloride than more mature milk.

Secretory immunoglobulin A and lactoferrin are the primary proteins present colostrum, but other proteins present in mature milk not present. Heat coagulability of colostrum is due to presence of increased amounts of globulins and lactalbumins.

The concentration of mononuclear cells is higher in colostrum. A trypsin-like inhibitor present in colostrum may help to preserve the immunoglobulins in the alimentary canal of new born by preventing hydrolysis.

It is important that the cow’s colostrum is consumed within the first day of life, preferably about 7kg for each calf, which is sufficient to provide about 400 g of immunoglobulin.
What are the contents of cow colostrum?