Sugar added concentrated milk - Sweetened condensed milk

Sweetened condensed milk (SCM) is one of the oldest industrially produced dairy products. The method of preserving milk by sterilizing evaporated milk in sealed containers was developed at the beginning of the 1880s. Earlier, in about 1850, the method of preserving evaporated milk by the addition of sugar had been perfected by an American. Gail Borden was the first to conceive and patent a process for condensing milk which proved practical and resulted in the development of a patent on the condensing process in 1856.

Sweetened condensed milks are milk products which can be obtained by the partial removal of water from milk with the addition of sugar, or by any other process which leads to a product of the same composition and characteristics.

Fresh milk is clarified and standardized to a suitable level of fat, and it is then heat treated at 85–90 °C for several seconds. This heating process acts as a hurdle, which destroys the majority of microorganisms. It also decreases fat separation and inhibits oxidation. The water content of the milk is reduced due to evaporation.

The high sugar concentration in sweetened condensed milk increases the osmotic pressure to such a level that most of the microorganisms are destroyed. This product is not heat treated after packaging as its high sugar content preserves it for a long shelf-life. The sugar concentration in the water phase must not be less than 62.5 % or more than 64.5 %.

Condensed milk is a convenient product for household use, processing, as it does satisfactory keeping qualities, it is particular useful on-board ship and in the tropics.

Condensed milk products have several advantages over fresh milk, such as they require less storage space, they retain high quality, they preserve milk’s valuable surplus nutrients, and they reduce transportation costs.
Sugar added concentrated milk - Sweetened condensed milk

Vitamin B in dairy milk

Milk contains both water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins. The nonfat portion of milk is especially plentiful in the B vitamin riboflavin, a greenish fluorescent-colored vitamin.

It acts as a photosynthesizer and is readily destroyed upon exposure to sunlight.

Dairy milk contains more vitamin B than soy milk. It has 8 types of vitamin B, compared to soy milk which contains 7 types but lacking in vitamin B12.

Vitamin B12 is necessary for growth, maintenance of nerve tissues and normal blood formation, Milk provides 0.44 μg vitamin B12/100 g. Three glasses of milk would furnish all of the 2.4 μg vitamin B12 recommended for most adults.

Vitamin B12 content was measured in milk samples of 544 Dutch Holstein Friesian cows: content was 4.4 μg/L on average and varied between 1.0 and 12.9 μg/L. This variation between cows could to large extend be attributed to genetic factors.

Riboflavin or B2 vitamin is a yellow-green fluorescent compound and in addition to its role as a vitamin, it is responsible for the colour of milk serum.
Vitamin B in dairy milk

Italian ricotta cheese

Ricotta is an unripened soft cheese that originated from Italy. Like cottage cheese ricotta cheese is a high moisture cheese. Originally, ricotta was produced from whey derived from mozzarella or provolone cheese production. In Latin American and the Hispanic communities in North America, Ricotta is known as Requeson.

Ricotta is now prepared from whole milk with or without addition of whey. When made from blend of 95% sweet whey and 5% milk, ricotta contains 68-73% moisture 16% protein, 4-10% fat and 4% lactose.

Whole milk is added to make fresh ricotta, while skim milk is used to produce dry ricotta, which is usually used for grating.

Ricotta has a bland to slightly cooked but pleasing flavor. Its texture is soft, mild semisweet and creamy.

Ricotta cheese in addition to being an acceptable product itself, has many applications, including use as a base for whipped dairy desserts, cream cheese, and pasteurized processed cheese product and use in confectionary fillings and cheesecake.

Ricotta cheese also may be used in dips, spreads and traditional Italian dishes like lasagna and manicotti. Ricotta has a relatively short shelf-life about 3 weeks of properly packaged and stored at 4 °C or lower.
Italian ricotta cheese

Composition of Milk

Composition of Milk
The average gross composition of cow’s milk is as follows:

• Water – 87%
  
• Fat – 3.7%
  
• Lactose – 4.9%
  
• Proteins – 3.5%
• Ash – 0.7%

However, the composition of milk from individual cows may vary considerably from these average values. Breed differences, the time of year, the time of day, individual differences, the age of the cow, the period of lactation, the portion of any one milking, feeding, etc., are some factors that may contribute to variation in the composition of milk.

Variation in milk composition due to breed are of the greatest magnitude. Jersey, Guernsey and Ayrshire cows gives milk richer in fat than Holstein cows. Usually milk obtained in the fall and early winter is richer than obtained in the spring and the summer. The morning milk usually is richer in fat than evening milk, at times by almost 2%.

The first portion (or fore milk) of milk drawn in the milking process are lower in fat than the last portions (or strippings). Milk obtained the first few days after calving is known as colostrum and differs materially from normal milk. During the final stages of lactation, when the daily production of milk is decreasing, there is some increase in percentages of fat and casein. The differences in milk composition occur mainly in the relative amounts of fat, protein, and water. The percentages of ash and lactose remain fairly constant in normal milk regardless of the amount of other components.
Composition of Milk

New uses for dairy byproducts

New uses for dairy byproducts
The average American consumes more than 30 pounds of cheese every year. Every pound produced creates an estimated 9 pounds of whey, the liquid byproduct that remains after the curds, or solids, coagulate.

Where does all the whey go? It's used in a range of products such as candy, pasta, baked goods, animal feed--and even pharmaceuticals.

Since its inception, ARS's Dairy Processing and Products Research Unit at the Eastern Regional Research Center (ERRC) in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, has investigated uses for whey and other dairy byproducts. Today, thanks in part to ERRC research, cheesemakers have markets for over 1 billion pounds of whey every year.

New research shows that whey can also be used to create eco-friendly products. For example, using a process called "reactive extrusion," food technologist Charles Onwulata supplements polyethylene--a common nonbiodegradable plastic--with whey proteins.

Reactive extrusion involves forcing plastic material through a heating chamber, where it melts and combines with a chemical agent that strengthens it before it's molded into a new shape. Onwulata showed that by combining dairy proteins with starch during this process, it's possible to create a biodegradable plastic product that can be mixed with polyethylene and molded into utensils.

Working with laboratory chief Seiichiro Isobe, of the Japanese National Food Research Institute, Onwulata created a bioplastic blend by combining whey protein isolate, cornstarch, glycerol, cellulose fiber, acetic acid, and the milk protein casein and molded the material into cups. Onwulata observed that dairy-based bioplastics were more pliable than other bioplastics, making them easier to mold.

Bioplastic blends can replace only about 20 percent of the polyethylene in a product, so resulting materials are only partially biodegradable. But Onwulata and his colleagues are currently applying this process to polylactide (PLA), a biodegradable polymer.

"Blending dairy-based bioplastics with PLA could eventually allow producers to make completely biodegradable materials," he says.

In a separate project, research leader Peggy Tomasula and her colleagues have developed technology to create biodegradable films from byproducts of both dairy processing and biofuels production. Tomasula found that combining casein with water and glycerol--a byproduct of biodiesel production--produces a water-resistant film that can be used as an edible coating for groceries and other products.

"We use carbon dioxide as an environmentally friendly solvent to isolate dairy proteins from milk, instead of harsh chemicals or acids, which can be difficult to dispose of," Tomasula says. Carbon dioxide is a byproduct of the glucose fermentation that is used to make ethanol, and she says it makes the edible film more water resistant.

The resulting food coatings are glossy, transparent, and completely edible. Like traditional food packaging, edible films can extend the shelf life of many foods, protect products from damage, prevent exposure to moisture and oxygen, and improve appearance. By using renewable resources instead of petrochemicals, the scientists can create more biodegradable products and reduce waste.
New uses for dairy byproducts
Source: Agricultural Research, May-June, 2007 by Laura McGinnis