What types of milk are there and which is better to choose?

Milk is one of the favorite and popular products among people on all continents. Familiar from childhood, it helps to maintain health and immunity throughout life. The most common is cow's milk, however, in some countries there are products from other animals. More details about the types and methods of processing milk can be found in this article.

In the past, people did not process dairy products, but consumed a natural drink. However, the shelf life of fresh milk is very small, therefore, currently in the dairy industry undergoing the process of heat treatment of cow's milk in order to increase its shelf life.

At any dairy plant there is a certain chain of actions for the production of pasteurized product.

First, the raw material is supplied to the production, from which the drink will be subsequently produced At this stage, the procedure for acceptance and evaluation of the quality of raw materials. Received products must comply with the standards set out in GOST R52054-2003 "Natural cow's milk - raw materials." To verify compliance with each container take a sample and evaluate several criteria, and then assign a category. Suitable for further processing is considered the highest milk - 1 and 2 categories. After that, the raw materials undergo a stage of purification and normalization, then the milk is homogenized and subjected to heat treatment. After that, the finished product is cooled to the required temperature, packed in packages with a mark on the date of manufacture, and delivered to stores.

In our country and several other states, all dairy products produced in packaging must strictly comply with GOST 31450-2013 “Drinking milk. Technical conditions. The standard describes the external and other characteristics of a cow drink with a fat content of less than 10%, which was subjected to heat treatment.

The standard also specifies the permissible amount of certain substances in the finished product, permitted stabilizer salts, requirements for packaging and labeling milk, the rules for acceptance, transportation and storage, as well as methods of control.

For many, milk consumption is associated with childhood memories of vacations in the countryside. Indeed, 100% natural product can be found only in farms. Such milk has a high percentage of fat content, it is susceptible to fermented milk microorganisms, and therefore is not stored for long. There are two types of natural raw materials:

• steam room - raw materials obtained in recent times from the mammary glands of a cow, which have not undergone heat treatment;
• whole - whose composition has not been subjected to any changes by the person.

Natural milk has a positive effect on the immune system, the nervous system and digestion. This raw material contains vitamin A useful for sight, vitamins of group B, is rich in vitamin D which will save an organism from osteoporosis and rickets. Among the mineral substances, phosphorus and calcium are observed in large quantities - they help strengthen bones. In addition, in natural milk there are:

• potassium;
• magnesium;
• sodium;
• selenium;
• iron;
• manganese;
• copper;
• zinc.

This product is considered low-calorie. But it is worth remembering that fresh milk loses almost half of the beneficial properties within a few hours after milk yield. It is forbidden for sale because of the risk of contracting dangerous diseases - leukemia and brucellosis.

All raw materials arriving at dairy plants in the process of mechanical processing into high-quality products undergo heat treatment, which allows to increase the shelf life of milk and save it from possible infections. There are several types of heat treatment of milk.

Sterilization involves bringing the raw materials to a temperature of 115-120 degrees. Due to this, the destruction of all spores of the fungus. When sterilization is not carried out on an industrial scale, but at home, a water bath is usually used. Boiling time is about 30 minutes, and the color and taste of the future product depend on the water temperature. In the production of raw materials are usually one-time heated to 130 degrees or use very high temperatures up to 140, and the dwell time is 2 hours.

Under pasteurization understand the heating of raw milk to a temperature below 100 degrees. The purpose of this method is to get rid of pathogenic bacteria. Repeated penetration of microorganisms helps to avoid careful packaging using antiseptics. Pasteurized milk has its own unique taste and aroma. The classification of the pasteurization process on a production scale is represented by two varieties:

• low-temperature, at which the raw material is heated to a maximum temperature of 76 degrees;
• high temperature, which is characterized by the achievement of a temperature of 77 to 100 degrees.

Pasteurized product retains many useful qualities and can be used by children.

With ultrapasteing or UVT processing, the raw material in a vacuum environment is heated to a temperature of 145 degrees for a couple of seconds, and then immediately cooled to 4-5 degrees. With proper packaging, UHT milk can be stored without refrigeration for several months. The process of ultrapasteurization can be done in two ways. Either the product comes into contact with the surface heated to the required temperature, or the sterile steam is mixed with dairy raw materials.

In addition, there are several types of milk.

• Normalization - this is only an adjustment of the components of the future drink. The process involves first separating the cream, and then adding them the right amount in accordance with the required fat content.
• Recovery - is mixing the dry component with water. Recycled milk should be attributed to milk drinks.
• Mixed milk is obtained by combining pasteurized dairy product with a dry powder. This method helps to adjust the number of components in the finished product.
• From fat, cream, water and condensed milk get recombined milk. To identify a product according to GOST, computer programs are used. Often, the composition of such a drink add cheap and not always healthy components.
• For people with lactose deficiency release lactose-free milk. In the product, glucose and galactose are separated. The taste of the drink is similar to ordinary milk, and there is as much benefit from it.

Unfortunately, the buyer can assess the quality of milk only after purchase. There are several simple ways to assess the naturalness of a dairy product at home.

• You need to take litmus paper, put it in a glass of milk and wait a bit. The blue color indicates the presence of soda or other alkali in the drink, and red indicates the addition of acids for bleaching. The permanent color of the litmus will indicate the absence of additives.
• Add a couple of iodine drops to the milk. If the drink turned blue, then there is starch in it.
• You should take the purchased product and alcohol in a 1: 2 ratio and shake. Then pour the mixture into a saucer and detect the time of formation of white flakes.If they appear in 5 seconds, then the milk quality. The longer you need to wait for the appearance of casein flakes, the more diluted the product is.
• If you pour milk in a thin stream into a glass of warm water, and it is collected on the surface of the water, then the milk is of good quality. The liquid dissolved in water is strongly diluted with water.
• Using a toothpick or a match, you should put several small convex drops of liquid on toilet paper or a napkin. From the undiluted milk around the drop a circle with a width of no more than a millimeter will appear, which will dry in a couple of hours. The larger the ring, and the faster it dries, the more water is contained in the drink.

In addition to cow's milk, people eat drinks from other animals.

• Sheep Milk has a high fat content and is rich in proteins. Usually it has a light grayish tint, and density and acidity indicators are above average. Many raw cheeses and butter are made from sheep's raw materials.
• Drink received from goats, contains a lot of phosphorus, calcium and vitamin C. Goat milk is useful for stomach problems, suitable for diet and baby food.
• Mare Milk is characterized by a sugary-sweet taste and a bluish tinge. The drink has a disinfecting effect, is used in the treatment of ulcers and with low hemoglobin. Kumis is made of it.
• Desert dwellers consume camel milk every day. Its taste is sweetish, and the consistency is thick. Drink attributed healing properties, it is used in the form of ayran, shubat and other products.
• In addition, they eat donkey, buffalo and deer milk.

Nut milk is one of the most important products for people who fast. Cedar drink has a low fat content and a pleasant taste. Due to the high content of amino acids is a healthy food product, but its price is high.

Typical for Asian countries sesame milk is very pleasant to taste. Useful for the prevention of oncology, baby food and slowing the aging process.

Almond drink is a great ingredient for smoothies and cocktails. Rich in vegetable proteins and calcium. The pleasant taste of coconut drink will appeal to both adults and children. It is rich in B vitamins, energizing the body. However, its fat content is quite high - about 20%.

Affordable low cost soy milk is an excellent alternative to natural. It has a lot of protein and vitamins of group B, it is often added to other drinks.

Pasteurized product is perfect for short-term storage. Packing, not transmitting light, saves more vitamins.

A sterilized drink is stored for a long time even at room temperature, but there is practically no use in it. Milk should buy only in sealed packaging, which guarantees its quality.

All information on the packaging should be readable. Rustic drink is not recommended to buy from grandmothers in order to avoid infection with various diseases. However, if the product is still purchased, It is better to boil it before use.

Comparison of different types of milk, see the video below.