ANIMAL HUSBANDRY INFORMATION

PROCESSING AND VALUE ADDITION

Dairy processes

Pasteurisation:

It is the process of heating every particle of milk for different temperature – time combinations to render milk safe for human consumption by destruction of all disease-producing microorganisms.

Homogenisation:

It is the process of forcing the milk through a homogeniser with the object of sub-dividing fat globules in order to prevent cream layer formation. It is done in the manufacture of milk products like ice cream. In this process, size of fat globules is reduced to 1 – 2 micrometer and they will be distributed uniformly throughout the body of milk.

Condensation:

Process of evaporating milk by mild heating under vacuum so that part of water is removed from it. Sugar is also added in case of sweetened condensed milk.

Drying of milk:

Heating milk and removing water so that product (milk powder) contains less than 5% water. Whole milk powder and skim milk powder are made by Drum drying or Spray drying process.

Dairy by-products

With diversification of dairy products, by-products also gained some importance. Utilisation of dairy by-products improves economical and nutritional aspects of milk production and reduces environmental pollution originating from dairy waste. Important dairy by-products are,

1. Skim milk: produced by separation of cream from milk in dairy processing.
2. Butter milk: formed when butter is produced by churning cream or whole milk curd.
3. Whey: by-product generated in manufacture of products like cheese, paneer, Chhana and chakka.
4. Ghee residue: obtained by filtration of ghee after heat treatment.

Skim milk is rich in SNF content and is used for standardisation of milk. Skim milk powder is very much popular as a coffee whitener. Desi buttermilk is an important domestic beverage even in olden days. Sambharam is prepared using buttermilk.

Whey is used for manufacture of whey powder, whey drinks and lactose (milk sugar). Whey protein concentrates can be prepared by modern technological methods like ultra-filtration and reverse osmosis. Ghee residue can be utilised for manufacture of chocolate burfi, samosa filling etc.

Last updated: 1-3-2007