What is milk? The types of milk and its beneficial properties will be presented in the materials of this article. We will also tell you about which animals give this product and how to properly store it.
General information
Milk is called the nutrient fluid that is produced by the mammary mammary glands. Its natural purpose is to feed babies who are not yet able to digest other foods.
Milk and dairy products are part of many types of products used by humans. Their production has become a huge industry.
Milk and Dairy Products
Milk is obtained through the secretion of mammary mammary glands. It is a white liquid (sometimes it may have a yellowish tint) with a sweetish taste.
Most often in our country they use cow's milk processed in dairy plants. However, in other nations this product is often obtained by milking other animals. For example, sheep, mares, camels, goats and others. So, mare’s milk is ideal for making koumiss, sheep’s cheese is made from sheep’s milk, and shabat is made from camel milk.
Structure
What components does milk include? There are different types of milk. That is why their composition is changing. It also depends on the breeds of animals, the stage of its lactation, time of year and so on.
According to experts, this product includes complex proteins that contain all the essential amino acids.
The mammary gland of an animal consists of many cells penetrated by lymphatic, blood and nerve vessels. They deliver all the necessary substances for the synthesis of milk.
It should also be noted that the composition of this product includes fats and carbohydrates in the form of monosaccharides and lactose. Cleavage of the latter in the intestine occurs rather slowly. This inhibits the fermentation of this product.
The fat content of milk is determined by the amount of fat contained in it. They are in an emulsion state and are a complex mixture of triglycerides that contain fat-soluble vitamins and lecithin.
It should also be noted that the fat content of milk determines its calorie content. Although experts say that even the fattest product does not contain more than 60 kcal per 100 ml.
What is milk like? Types of milk
Pasteurized milk is most commonly consumed. It is divided into several types:
- Whole. This is normalized milk, which contains a certain amount of fat (i.e. 2.5% or 3.2%).
- Reconditioned. Such milk is partially or fully prepared from canned milk, which is cleaned, pasteurized, homogenized, cooled, bottled and so on. This product is often obtained by dissolving dried whole milk in warm water and holding it for four hours. It is during this time that proteins can swell, watery taste disappear, and normal density and viscosity form.
- Ghee. It is no secret to anyone that the color of baked milk has a pleasant cream shade. This is due to the fact that its fat content is at least 6%. It is subjected to pasteurization and homogenization at a temperature of about 95 degrees with exposure for four hours. By the way, it is this kind of processing of the product that makes the color of the baked milk creamy, and also gives it a special taste and aroma.
- High fat milk. This is a normalized product that is homogenized. As a rule, it has a fat content of 6%.
- Protein. It is not just milk. In the process of normalization, condensed or milk powder is added to it. Such a product is characterized by a high content of fat-free components.
- Vitaminized. It is very tasty and healthy milk. It is made from a non-greasy or whole product and is enriched with vitamins C, A and D.
- Non-greasy. The quality of nonfat milk always leaves much to be desired. Such a product is obtained from a pasteurized beverage by separation. Usually its fat content is 0.05%.
Now you know what milk is. The types of milk were listed above.
According to some nutritionists, such a product, subject to sterilization, can cause significant harm. This is due to the fact that with such a treatment, calcium and milk protein are denatured and subsequently cause health problems.
Factory Processing
The harm of milk is that it can negatively affect the state of the human digestive system. However, this only happens if this product has been spoiled.
To increase the shelf life of the drink in question, fresh milk is first filtered and cooled, and then sent to the plants. There it is cleaned, pasteurized, normalized, homogenized, and also cooled and packaged.
Due to this processing, this drink retains all the beneficial qualities. Moreover, the growth and development of microorganisms trapped in it is prevented.
Milk camels, cows, goats, mares, etc. do not produce, but are obtained by milking animals. However, in the future it is subjected to special treatment. This drink is cleaned in centrifugal milk cleaners, and also filtered under high pressure. As a result of this, all impurities are removed from the product.
To save milk from bacterial cells, special centrifuges are used. As you know, this cleaning process is called bactunification.
Types of processing
It’s just that milk cannot get on store shelves. In industrial conditions, it is necessarily subjected to any processing.
Normalization of milk is called an increase or decrease in the content of fat drops in it. They do this to bring the mentioned indicator to normal.
The fat content of the store product should not be higher than 3.2%. To do this, it is processed using a separator-normalizer or mixed with whole milk.
Pasteurization of the drink in question is carried out to increase its shelf life. For this, normalized milk is subjected to heat treatment at a temperature of not more than 85 degrees with a holding time of 15-20 seconds.
Pasteurization is short, instant and long. For all these types of processing, different equipment is used.
According to experts, instant pasteurization is carried out without exposure for several seconds. In this case, the heating temperature reaches 85–90 degrees.
With short-term pasteurization, the drink is heated to 75 degrees and held for about 17 seconds.
Long pasteurization is carried out at a temperature of 65 degrees with an exposure of half an hour.
Most often, in factories, milk, the price of which is indicated below, is subjected to short-term pasteurization.
Homogenization
Another type of milk processing is homogenization. This method is necessary for the further manufacture of dairy products.
What is homogenization? This is a mechanical crushing of droplets of fat into small particles. This treatment of the drink is carried out in order to obtain an emulsion, which does not exfoliate during storage.
After homogenization, the product is quickly cooled to 4-6 degrees and sent for bottling.
Sour-milk products are obtained only from pasteurized milk. As a rule, this happens in two different ways - tank and thermostatic.
With the reservoir method, the finished product is poured into the tank, which was previously aged for ripening and ripening in special containers.
In a thermostatic method, a homogenized beverage is poured into containers and fermented in thermostats, and then cooled to a temperature of 8 degrees.
In rare cases, an activation method is used to sterilize milk . It is based on the use of infrared and ultraviolet radiation.
Features of milk of various animals
Many people are used to thinking that homemade milk is cow's milk. However, in some settlements, including in our country, other types of this product are used. It is obtained by milking various animals. Consider the features of these drinks right now.
Sheep
It is a rich milk rich in protein. It is characterized by increased density and acidity. Due to the lack of carotene, it has a grayish tint.
The sheep drink contains 6% protein. At the same time, 80% is casein, and 20% are whey proteins.
Such a product is actively used for the preparation of the following types of cheeses: Pecarino, Brynza, Kashkaval, Roquefort, Kobi cheese and others. It should also be noted that in Central Asia they make oil from it.
Goat
This product is rich in albumin, phosphorus, calcium and vitamin C. Due to the small amount of coloring matter, it has a light color. After consumption, this milk coagulates and forms small flakes. Due to this, it is easily absorbed by the body.
Goat drink is consumed in whole and processed form. Cheese and dairy products are made from it. They are distinguished by therapeutic and prophylactic properties, especially useful for gastrointestinal diseases.
This drink is often included in diet and baby food.
Mare
According to historians, the horse was originally domesticated to produce milk and meat. A little later, this animal began to be used to help with the household.
The mare drink has a sweet-tart taste and a bluish tint. Moreover, bactericidal properties are characteristic of it. This product is very often used to make koumiss. It is used in the treatment of peptic ulcer disease and anemia.
Camel
This drink is the main food product of the desert and semi-desert population of Kazakhstan, Central Asia, Georgia and Armenia. It has a sweet, specific flavor and a thick consistency.
Camel milk can be consumed both fresh and in the form of dairy products such as Ayran, cottage cheese, katyk, shubat, chal and others. It also makes cheese and butter. All of these products are characterized by high healing properties.
Buffalo
Buffalos are bred in many countries. Such animals are quite resistant to hot climates. Their milk has a pleasant taste and aroma. It is very thick, and also contains a lot of minerals, protein and fats.
Such a product is consumed fresh. It also makes butter and cheeses.
Donkey
By its physical properties and chemical composition, this milk is very close to the mare. The composition of this product includes many immunoglobulins. That is why it is used to treat children, including newborns.
Koumiss is often made from donkey milk.
Deer
Such a drink has a rather thick consistency that resembles cream. As a rule, it is diluted before use.
Vegetable
The drink in question is the juice of a tropical tree galactodendron. In the people, the mentioned plant is called cow or dairy. Its juice very much resembles an animal product, not only in appearance, but also in taste and nutritional properties.
Milk products
Cow's milk (GOST), as well as goat, mare, camel, etc. can be consumed not only in whole form, but also in the form of dairy products. The most common of these are the following:
This is the fatty part of milk obtained by separation. It has a high fat content, due to which it has a high nutritional value.
Cream is eaten after pasteurization. It is carried out under high temperature. This gives them a special aroma and taste, as well as a guarantee of purity from various bacteria.
Pasteurized cream has a creamy tint, a sweetish taste and a uniform consistency.
To keep milk stored longer, it is canned. Depending on the production, such canned food is divided into dry and condensed.
Dry products are obtained by removing moisture from milk. Thanks to this treatment, they are stored for a long time.
Condensed milk with or without sugar is made from a fresh, whole or non-fat drink. Water is evaporated from it, and then canned or simply sterilized.
The main process in the preparation of canned foods is the pasteurization of their base, that is, milk. After that, he is sent to a vacuum apparatus, where the temperature is maintained no more than 55–57 degrees. Then the condensed milk is cooled and poured into cans.
Due to the use of sugar, such a product has a high calorie content, as well as good taste.
Such a product is obtained by drying pasteurized whole milk. It may have a slight fodder aftertaste and a light cream tint. It should also be noted that burnt particles may be contained in such a powder.
In addition, on sale you can find skimmed milk powder. It is made from a non-fat drink.
Such a powder is made from pasteurized cream by drying them. They are packaged in airtight or leaky packaging.
Few people know, but this is an easily digestible product. It contains all the main components of milk. After a certain time, the oil loses its taste. It is made from cream by churning in an oil mill. Such fat is consumed just like that, and used to prepare various dishes.
Butter can be salted or unsalted. It contains about 25% moisture, as well as 71% or 72.5% fat and 1.5% salt. This product is characterized by a high content of mineral salts, vitamins of the PP, B and C.
Such a sweet and tasty dessert is prepared from cream or pasteurized milk by mixing with stabilizers, sugar, as well as aromatic and flavoring additives. All ingredients are frozen and beat thoroughly.
Such products are obtained during the production of butter, drinking dairy products, cheeses and cottage cheese. These include buttermilk, whey and skim milk.
Storage
Usually milk is stored at a temperature of 2-5 degrees for about 2-3 days. With its industrial processing, this period can be increased several times. If milk is packaged in special bags or bottles, then its shelf life often reaches several months. However, the benefit of such a product is very doubtful.
To significantly increase the shelf life of the drink in question, it is concentrated with sugar or dried.
Why not drink milk?
The harm of milk is that when it is used for a long time, a person begins to experience severe weakness. According to some experts, fans of this product quickly accumulate fats and accelerate the aging process.
It should also be noted that the use of such products can cause osteoporosis, allergies, indigestion, flatulence and clogged arteries. That is why many nutritionists recommend excluding milk, butter and cream from their diet. As for low-fat yogurt and cheeses, you can afford them, but only in limited quantities.
Product Benefit and Price
How much does milk cost? Its price depends on the type and method of processing. As a rule, the cost of one liter of such a drink varies between 30-65 rubles.
The usefulness of milk has long been debated. Some experts claim that this is a harmful product. However, most of them are of the opinion that this drink is very useful for normalizing cholesterol metabolism. It also has beneficial effects on the digestive system.
The positive effect of this product on the human body is due to the content of a large amount of water in it, as well as the presence of methionine, which is involved in the formation of hemoglobin.
It should be noted that in the course of research, scientists found that animal milk helps stimulate the kidneys. In addition, dairy products are the best tools designed to normalize the intestinal flora. Their regular intake prevents putrefactive processes and restores the digestive system.
According to experts, the use of milk in food helps protect the body. It reduces the sensitivity of cells to the hormone insulin. In addition, people who consume butter, milk, cheeses and yoghurts every day are much less likely to have high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
A milk diet reduces the risk of obesity syndrome and insulin resistance, which very often provoke the development of diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases.
According to some scientists, potassium, calcium and magnesium, which are found in large quantities in dairy products, reduce the risk of hypertension. Moreover, thanks to this drink, it is possible to exclude the development of heart attack, diabetes and stroke.