Quality Assessment of Processed Milk

Abstract

Milk being food product of animal/biological origin is generally consumed after being subjected to minimal processing so as to make it safe for human consumption. The chilled raw milk received at the dairy factory is processed to various forms of market milk as per the demand and marketing strategies. Such milk is subjected to various processing conditions like pasteurization and sterilization keeping in view of the prevailing legal standards as prescribed by the regulatory body of that country or place. The types of processed (market) milk in India are generally categorized as full cream milk, standardized milk, toned milk, double toned milk, and skim milk. The basis of differentiation between them is the fat and the solids-not-fat content. The raw milk after being processed is tested for various compositional (fat, solids-not-fat, protein, lactose, ash, and total solids/moisture content) and chemical tests (titratable acidity, phosphatase test, turbidity test, creaming index, homogenization efficiency, etc.).