Properties: Milk products
The selection of dairy products is extensive. Various types of milk are offered. Additionally, there is milk powder, condensed milk, cream, yogurt, and cheese. Different methods are used for the production or preservation of these products. Most dairy products and types of milk undergo treatment during manufacturing.
Different types of milk also count as dairy products, as well as the processing of milk components into new products. There are established laws for these milk-based products that regulate the combination of milk and fats. However, there are separate rules and exceptions for the production of, for example, butter (or buttermilk). The origin of the milk, its treatment, and import or export is legally monitored and strictly controlled. Milk products include untreated, treated, as well as extracted or fermented milk. The first two categories are covered by raw milk and processed milk made shelf-stable through processing, such as condensed milk, skimmed milk, milk powder, etc.
These foodstuffs intended for consumption are probably the best-known milk-based products that people consciously buy as dairy products. They are usually only good for a short time and especially in summer they spoil quickly. Therefore, milk products should be stored as sealed and refrigerated as possible. After opening, it is important to consume the product relatively soon. The risk of mold spread is particularly high with products made from milk. These cultures on food can be recognized by sour smell, discoloration, and visible mold formation. Many different methods are possible for the production of extracted/fermented milk. The best-known resulting milk products are butter, cheese, cream, and chocolate. But also products outside the food sector that do not count as food can be referred to as dairy products. Cosmetics with various butter additives, such as goat butter, as well as bath essences enriched with whey and plastics made from casein are considered dairy products. The latter is increasingly used in the fashion industry for buttons or combs, among other things. Casein is the part of milk that does not become whey and thus makes up the vast majority of milk. In addition to plastics, cheese and quark are mainly produced from casein. They are the most common milk proteins, making up almost 80 percent of the total protein content of milk. This dairy product is used outside the food sector primarily as a binder or for reinforcement.
Cheese
Another very popular dairy product is cheese. Cheese belongs to the solid milk products. Its production usually occurs through protein coagulation in milk, although there are exceptions. Important factors in thickening the milk are lactic acid bacteria. To produce 1 gram of sliced cheese, about 10 liters of milk are required. There are differences in moisture content and ripening time among various types of cheese. The fat content levels also play a significant role. For making melting cheese, emulsifying salts are used which melt later on. Subsequently, the melting cheese takes on another form and can be used as storage cheese. Cheese varieties without ripening are considered fresh cheese. These include quark, grainy fresh cheese, layered cheese, as well as cream and double cream fresh cheese.
Quark
Fresh cheese also includes quark, whose production takes place through modern dairy technology. After the removal of fat and pasteurization of the milk, its thickening is carried out with rennet and lactic acid bacteria at temperatures around 22 degrees, which requires 24 hours. Through treatment in a centrifuge, whey can be separated from the cheese mass. The quark gains its typical consistency through this centrifugal treatment. Different fat levels must be distinguished.
Yogurt
Another popular milk product is yogurt. For its production, special lactic acid bacteria are used at temperatures around 42 degrees. Through the souring process, thickening occurs.
Kefir
The production of kefir takes place using lactic acid bacteria and kefir cultures. During the ripening process, carbon dioxide is formed, causing the lid to bulge.
Milk Diversity
Buttermilk
Buttermilk is obtained during butter production, as the name suggests. Sweet cream butter is made from cream and the milk fluid that remains after the cream is separated is mixed with lactic acid bacteria to produce buttermilk. If sour cream butter is produced from cream, no additional lactic acid bacteria need to be added because in this case, the cream has already been soured.
Cream
Cream refers to the fatty component of milk. During treatment in a centrifuge, the cream or fat separates from the skimmed milk. After setting the desired fat content, the cream can be heated to 100 degrees within seconds. There are several types of cream with differences in boiling stability and fat content.