New Dairy HandBook 2015

Giáo trình sản xuất sữa, dairy handbook, milk production,bao bì, tiếng anh chuyên ngành công nghệ thực phẩm.

Tetra Pak Dairy Processing Handbook

PRIMARY PRODUCTION OF

MILK

ESSENTIAL FOOD FOR A GROWING WORLD

Milk is a complex food that contains vital nutrients for the bodies of young mammals Milk is the only food of the mammal during the first period of its life and the substances in milk provide energy and antibodies that help protect against infection For humans, milk and dairy products make a significant contribution to meeting our bodies’ needs for calcium, magnesium, selenium, riboflavin, vitamin B12 and pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) and therefore play a key role in our development

THE ORIGINS OF MILK PRODUCTION

Today’s dairy animals are the product of thousands of years of breeding of untamed animals that lived at different altitudes and latitudes, at times exposed to severe and extreme weather conditions The techniques used in the production of milk using cows, goats, sheep and buffaloes began around six thousand years ago The same

species of animals are kept for milking today These herbivorous animals were the natural choice to satisfy humans’ need for food and clothing as they are less dangerous and easier to handle than carnivorous animals The animals used for milk production are ruminants that eat quickly, in great quantities, and later digest their food

Today, the most widespread milking animal in the world is the cow The cow can be found on all continents around the world Other animals commonly used in both subsistence and industrial dairy farming are goats, sheep and buffaloes The milk of these animals is of great importance to rural communities as a source of high-quality protein and other constituents Sheep and goats are of exceptional importance in areas such as the Mediterranean and in large areas of Africa and Asia The number of sheep and goats in the world is in the billions and they are the most numerous of all milk- and meat-producing animals The contribution of sheep and goats to milk and meat production

in the poorest areas is also considerable: Both animals are a cheap source of food and are mainly kept in

conditions where climatic, topographical, economic, technical or sociological factors limit the development of more sophisticated protein production systems

THE NUTRITIONAL QUALITIES OF MILK

Among the essential minerals and vitamins in milk are iron and vitamin D They are, however, not present in

sufficient amounts, or in optimum proportions, to fulfil the requirements for complete nutrition During the first period

of its life, the young animal therefore makes up for the shortage of certain nutrients in milk by exploiting the reserves

it receives from its mother at birth, which are normally sufficient until its diet includes other foods To make the nutrients easily consumable and digestible, they are available in a liquid state, partly as a solution, partly as

dispersion or suspension There is a wide variation in the balance of components in milk from various mammals, although the components themselves are basically the same

Quantities of the various main constituents of raw milk from cows can vary considerably; between cows of different breeds and between individual cows of the same breed Water is the principal constituent and it is the carrier of all other components Cows’ milk consists of around 87 % water and 13 % dry substance that is suspended or

dissolved in the water Besides ‘total solids’, the term solids non-fat is used in discussing milk composition

Considerable changes have taken place in the genetic makeup of the Bos Taurus

species since the cow was taken on as a service animal some six thousand years

ago The most significant of these is that the modern lactating dairy cow has a

much higher milk production than its calf needs Genetic development has resulted

in vastly increased lactation production Today’s cows produce roughly six times as

much as primitive cows Even around thirty years ago a cow would typically only

produce somewhere in the region of 4.000 kilograms of milk per calf, whereas

today’s cows yield an average of between 7.000 and 12.000 kilograms of milk

Some cows can produce up to 14.000 litres of milk or more per calf Increased

knowledge about the importance of herd management, animal well-being and

optimized feeding has contributed to this genetic development

As is the case with all mammals, cows produce milk for their offspring Therefore, the production of milk is closely linked to the reproductive cycle Before a female cow can start to produce milk she must first have had a calf

Females reach sexual maturity at the age of seven or eight months and are then called heifers Heifers are usually

mated when they are 15-18 months old by either ‘natural service’ using a bull or via artificial insemination The gestation period typically lasts 265-300 days and heifers tend to give birth to their first calves at the age of 2-2.5 years old They are typically bred again four to eight weeks after calving

SECRETION AND THE LACTATION PERIOD

Milk is secreted in the cow’s udder – a hemispherical organ divided into right and left halves by a crease Each half

is divided into quarters by a shallower transverse crease Each quarter has one teat with its own separate

mammary gland It is therefore theoretically possible to get milk of four different qualities from the same cow A sectional view of the udder is shown in Figure 1.1

The cow’s udder is composed of glandular tissue containing milk-producing cells The external layer of this tissue is muscular, thus giving cohesion to the body of the udder and protecting it against injury The glandular tissue

contains around two billion tiny bladders called alveoli The milk-producing cells are located on the inner walls of the

alveoli, which occur in groups of 8-120 Capillaries leading from the alveoli converge into progressively larger milk

ducts which lead to a cavity above the teat This cavity, known as the cistern of the udder, can hold up to 30 % of

the total milk in the udder

The cistern of the udder has an extension reaching down into the teat; this is called the teat cistern At the end of

the teat there is a channel 1-1.5 centimetres in length Between milking, the teat channel is closed by a sphincter

muscle which prevents milk from leaking out and bacteria from entering the udder The whole udder is laced with blood and lymph vessels These bring nutrient-rich blood from the heart to the udder, where it is distributed by capillaries surrounding the alveoli In this way, the milk-producing cells are furnished with the necessary nutrients for the secretion of milk Spent blood is carried away by the capillaries to veins and returned to the heart Large quantities of blood flow through the udder A cow that produces 60 litres of milk per day will need some 30.000 litres

of blood circulating through its mammary gland

Table 1.1

The composition of milk (g/100g) of different species:

Species Water Fat Casein Lactose Ash Whey protein

As the alveoli secrete milk their internal pressure rises If the cow is not milked, secretion of milk stops when the pressure reaches a certain limit Increase of pressure forces a small quantity of milk out into the larger ducts and down into the cistern Most of the milk in the udder, however, is contained in the alveoli and the fine capillaries in the alveolar area These capillaries are so fine that milk cannot flow through them of its own accord It must be pressed out of the alveoli and through the capillaries into the larger ducts Muscle-like cells surrounding each alveolus perform this duty during milking (see Figure 1.2).

Secretion of milk in a cow’s udder begins shortly before calving, so that the calf can begin to feed almost

immediately after birth The cow then continues to give milk for around 10 months (approximately 305 days) This period is known as lactation During the lactation period, milk production gradually decreases and after 305 days it can drop to 25-50 % of its peak volume At this stage milking is discontinued and the cow has a non-lactating period

of up to 60 days prior to calving again With the birth of the calf a new lactation cycle begins

The udder also contains a lymphatic system It carries waste products away from the udder The lymph nodes serve

as a filter that destroy foreign substances but also provide a source of lymphocytes to fight infections Sometimes, around parturition cows giving birth for the first-time suffer from oedema, partly caused by the presence of milk in the udder which compresses the lymph nodes

COLOSTRUM

Calves are born lacking their own immune protection as their immune system develops slowly In response, the first milk a cow produces after calving is called colostrum, which differs greatly from normal milk in both composition and nutritional properties Calves are dependent on receiving maternal antibodies and an essential supply of

immunoglobulins via colostrum Antibodies are globular proteins produced by the body’s immune response system

to fight diseases Each individual varies in its ability to produce antibodies and thus fight disease Animals receiving inadequate colostrum are extremely vulnerable to intestinal infection and subsequent scours

A calf needs around 1.000 litres of milk for normal growth and that is the approximate quantity which the primitive cow produced for each calf To illustrate an individual cow’s milk production, milk yield is typically plot against time

to get a lactation curve Yield will rise during the first months after calving, followed by a long period of continuous decline The shape of the lactation curve will differ from individual to individual and from breed to breed Feeding and management also influence the shape and have a significant impact on the total amount of milk produced Lactation is ideally 305 days, but in practice it is usually more, followed by a two-month dry period prior to the next calving

signal is sent to the gland, which then releases its store of oxytocin into the bloodstream In the primitive cow, the stimulus was provided by the calf’s attempts to suck on the teat The oxytocin was released when the cow feels the calf sucking A modern dairy cow normally has no calf present during milking so stimulation of the milk “let-down” is

done by the preparation of milking, i.e the sounds, smells and sensations associated with milking time.

The oxytocin hormone begins to take effect about a minute after preparation has begun and causes the muscle-like cells to compress the alveoli This generates pressure in the udder and can be felt with the hand; it is known as the let-down reflex The pressure forces the milk down into the teat cistern, from which it is sucked into the teat cup of a milking machine or pressed out by the fingers during hand milking The effect of the let-down reflex gradually fades away as the oxytocin is diluted and decomposed in the bloodstream, disappearing after 5-8 minutes Milking should therefore be completed within this period of time If the milking procedure is prolonged in an attempt to “strip” the cow, unnecessary strain is placed on the udder and the cow becomes irritated and may be difficult to milk

Milk fat consists mainly of triglycerides, which are synthesized from glyceroles and fatty acids Long-chained fatty acids are absorbed from the blood Short chained fatty acids are synthesized in the mammary gland from the components acetate and beta hydroxybutyrate which have their origins in the blood Milk protein is synthesized from amino acids also with origin from the blood and consists mainly of caseins and to a smaller extent whey proteins Lactose is synthesized from glucose and galactose within the milk-secreting cell Vitamins, minerals, salts and antibodies are transformed from the blood across the cell cytoplasm into the alveolar lumen

MILKING FREQUENCY

Due to labour patterns and working hours, milking twice a day has long been the common practice in industrial nations In countries where labour is inexpensive, more frequent milking is often practiced During the last few decades, focus has increasingly been put on milking more frequently, in particular in high-yielding herds There are many benefits associated with more-frequent milking

Changing from milking twice a day to three times a day markedly increases milk production Published data shows that one additional milking can produce 5-25% more milk per cow per day In addition, lactation becomes more persistent and prolonged The reason why milk production increases with a more frequent milking could be a more frequent exposure of hormones stimulating milk secretion to the mammary gland However, as mentioned above, milk contains an inhibitor with negative feedback control on milk secretion More frequent removal of this inhibitor therefore results in higher production Cows with a small udder cistern are more sensitive to the frequency of milking Smaller the cisterns are more susceptible to frequent milk removal

Frequent milking has both short- and long-term effects In the short term, milk production increases due to

enhanced activity in the milk-secreting cells In the long term, production increases due to increased number of milk-secreting cells The latter indicates that it is possible to influence the number of milk-secreting cells during an established lactation, which is of importance to the milk producing capacity of the animal

Among the most important benefits of more frequent milking is improved animal welfare It has been observed that high-yielding animals will typically not lie down for a few hours before milking Moreover, many high yielders are producing up to 60 kilograms of milk per day and are milked twice with 8-16 hour milking intervals These cows yield nearly 40 kilograms of milk during morning milking alone Cows with such high amounts of milk in the mammary gland are exposed to high udder pressure, which undoubtedly causes discomfort It has been observed that high-yielding cows prefer to be milked more frequently than two or three times a day when they are given the choice.MILKING TECHNIQUES

TRADITIONAL MILKING BY HAND

Milking continues to be done by hand as it has been for thousands of years on farms all around the world Cows on smallholder farms tend to be milked by the same people every day and become accustomed to their milker Let-down is stimulated by the familiar sounds of milking preparations The first squirts of liquid from the teats are normally rejected and then careful visual inspection of the first milk enables the milker to look for visible signs of the status of udder health

Two opposing quarters of the udder are milked at a time: one hand presses the milk out of the teat cistern, after which the pressure is relaxed to allow more milk to run down from the udder cistern At the same time, milk is pressed out of the other teat In this way the two teats are milked alternately When two quarters have been

emptied, the milker can proceed to milk the other two

Milk is collected in pails and poured through a strainer to remove coarse impurities into a churn holding 30-50 litres The churns are then chilled to 4° C and stored before being transported to the dairy Immersion or spray chillers are commonly used for cooling

CONVENTIONAL MILKING SYSTEMS

The basic principle of the milking machine is shown in Figure 1.3 The milking machine extracts the milk from the teat by vacuum A vacuum pump, a vacuum vessel, a vessel for collecting milk, teat cups and a pulsator are all essential parts of the milking machine

The teat cup unit consists of a cup containing an inner tube of rubber, called the teat cup liner The inside of the liner, in contact with the teat, is subjected to a constant vacuum of about 50 kPa (50 % vacuum) during milking.The pressure in the pulsation chamber (between the liner and teat cup) is regularly alternated by the pulsator between 50 kPa during the suction phase and atmospheric pressure during the massage phase The result is that milk is sucked from the teat cistern during the suction phase During the massage phase, the teat cup liner is pressed together allowing a period of teat massage This is followed by another suction phase, and so on as shown

in Figure 1.4

Relief of the teat during the massage phase is necessary to avoid accumulation of blood and fluid in the teat Such congestion in the teat can be painful to the cow, and milk let down and milking performance can be affected Repeated congestion at successive milking sessions can even have an influence on the udder health The pulsator alternates between suction and massage phases about 50-60 times per minute

The four teat cups, attached to a manifold called the milk claw, are held on the cow’s teats by suction and the friction between the teat and the teat cup liner Vacuum is alternately (alternate pulsation) applied to the left and right teats or, in some instances, to the front teats and rear teats The applying of vacuum to all four teats at the same time (simultaneous pulsation) is less common The milk is drawn from the teats directly to the milk pail or via

a vacuum transport pipe to a receiver unit

An automatic shut-off valve operates to prevent dirt from being drawn into the system if a teat cup should fall off during milking After the cow has been milked, the milk pail is taken to a milk room where it is emptied into a churn

or a special milk tank for cooling To eliminate the heavy and time-consuming work of carrying filled pails to the milk room, a pipeline system may be installed for direct transport of the milk to the milk room (Figure 1.5) Such systems are most common today It allows milk to be conveyed in a closed system straight from the cow to a collecting tank

in the milk room This is a considerable advantage in terms of ensuring proper hygiene

Regardless if the milking system is of bucket, pipeline or automatic type it is important that it is designed to prevent air leakage during milking Excessive air leakage can influence the quality of the milk and cause elevated levels of free fatty acids The machine milking plant is also provided with Cleaning-In-Place facilities

AUTOMATIC MILKING SYSTEMS

Milking is one of the most labour-intensive and time-consuming jobs in dairy farming In addition, milking has to take place at least twice a day all year around Automated milking systems (Figure 1.6) are one solution to this problem

as they offer dairy farmers with large herds reduced labour requirements, higher milk quality, improved animal

health and increased yield In contrast to conventional milking, in which people bring the cows to be milked,

automatic milking places emphasis on the cow’s inclination to be milked in a self-service manner several times a day Figure 1.8 shows a typical dairy farm layout including an automatic milking system

When the cow wants to be milked, she walks to the milking station A transponder on the cow identifies it, and if the cow was milked recently, she is directed back to the resting or feeding area The cow enters the automatic milking station and an individual amount of concentrate is served In an automatic milking system (or “voluntary milking system”) teats are detected by lasers and a vision camera As an example, the teats can be cleaned separately by means of a teat-cup-like device (Figure 1.7), using tepid water applied intermittently at a certain pressure and turbulence to ensure efficient cleaning Drying of the teats is carried out by compressed air in the same teat-cup.Pre-milking is carried out by the cleaning teat-cup, which applies vacuum at the end of the cleaning cycle The cleaning teat-cups are finally flushed with water Sensors detect whether or not pre-milking has been carried out and fore-milking applied for a few seconds to ensure that sufficient milk is evacuated and the let-down reflex is activated Teat cups are automatically attached sequentially and milk from the four teats is kept separate until the milk meter records the amount from each quarter Spraying each individual teat with disinfectant is the final stage of automatic milking

MILK QUALITY AND ANIMAL HEALTH

Cows are normally productive for around three lactations A prerequisite to produce milk in an economical way is to have a relatively high yield with high quality for as long as the farmers plans for keeping the animal and avoiding

Fig 1.6

The heart of an automatic

milking system The cow

goes when she wants into

the milking station where

the teats are cleaned and

The pre-milk goes together with cleaning water to drain

Fig 1.8

The layout of a modern dairy farm with an automatic milking system

1 Automatic milking station

5 Living area

6 Feeding station

7 Calf section

any causes of involuntary culling This means high production from healthy animals not suffering from any kind of disease Mastitis is the most common and costly disease in dairy herds In many cases the farmer is only aware of the clinical cases

It has been reported that clinical mastitis rates are generally 20-100 cases/100 cows per year Subclinical infection levels are 5-35 % of quarters infected by major pathogen bacteria Clinical mastitis is rather easy to detect for the farmer Symptoms include clotting and discolouration of the milk and the gland becomes hard, red or swollen In severe cases the cow has a fever and loss of appetite Subclinical mastitis can be harder to detect, since both the milk and udder can appear rather normal, while the somatic cells in the milk increase

Mastitis is an inflammation in the mammary gland which can be caused by bacterial infections or trauma When bacteria are growing, they release metabolites and toxins that stimulate defence mechanisms in the cow The inflammation response leads to a migration of white blood cells from the peripheral circulation into the udder The cell count of the milk increases from 100,000 cells per millilitre or less per udder quarter up to several million The increased cell count is accompanied by an activation of several milk enzymes

THE SCIENCE OF COW COMFORT

The production of high-quality milk is closely linked to animal well-being and comfort has been identified as one of the leading influences on both quality and yield Observation and experience show that cows housed in a

comfortable environment produce more milk and generally live healthier, longer lives They should have plenty of quality feed and water, fresh air, a soft and clean resting surface plus sound footing They should be encouraged to behave as naturally as possible and stand or lie down easily Mastitis, sore feet, rubbed necks, and rubbed or swollen hocks can indicate cow comfort problems

An important concept in all animal husbandry systems is the concept of animal welfare and the five freedoms.The five freedoms relate to the ideal states of the animal and include:

1 Freedom from hunger and thirst

2 Freedom from discomfort

3 Freedom from pain, injury and disease

4 Freedom to express normal behaviour

5 Freedom from fear and distress

Good animal welfare implies that an animal is of good health both physiologically and psychologically and that it is not exposed to unnecessary suffering (FAWC, 2009) The concept of cow comfort in dairy farming includes animal welfare and productivity And accordingly, dairy farmers should work towards creating an environment for the cow in which we minimize the risk of the cow experiencing hunger, thirst, discomfort and pain Creating an environment for dairy cows in which they feel comfortable is of great importance, both from an animal-welfare and economic

perspective Apart from the dimensions, the comfort of stalls that house the cows depends on the type and quality

of the bedding material selected Bedding material should provide thermal comfort and softness, yet be durable and have sufficient friction to allow rising and lying down without slipping Bedding material should also help in keeping cows clean and healthy while minimizing daily labour requirements

More and more research is being carried out on comfortable environments for dairy cows, however past observation and experience have shown that cows housed in a comfortable environment produce more milk and generally live healthier, longer lives The term “Cow longevity” is often used in the dairy farming industry to describe how long a cow stays in the herd It is convenient to break the total lifespan of the animal into the time before and after first calving The average age at first calving in US dairy herds in 2007 was 25.2 months (USDA, 2007) This was down slightly from 25.4 months in 2002 and six months shorter than the average age of 25.8 months in 1996 In 2012 it was still around 25.5 months (Heinrichs and Jones, 2013) The age at first calving slightly overestimates the

expected lifespan of a new born dairy calf because it excludes the approximately 15% of heifers that were culled before a first calving

Culling is the departure of animals from the herd because of sale, slaughter, salvage, or death (Fetrow et al., 2006) Productive life is the time from first calving to culling It is calculated as the reciprocal of (cow) cull rate For cows, the annual cull rate in 2013 was approximately 38% (DRMS, 2013) and has been fairly constant for a number of years (USDA, 2013; Figure 1) This is the equivalent of a productive life of 2.63 years, or 31.6 months The average dairy cow longevity is therefore approximately 57.1 months or 4.8 years in the U.S

According to USDA data, productive life has decreased from 35 months for cows born in 1960 to about 40 % for cows born in 2000 (USDA-AIPL, 2013) In 1930, the average annual cull rate was approximately 25 % (Cannon and Hansen, 1939) The natural life span for cattle is reported to be up to 20 years when they would die of old age Shorter lifespan is primarily the result of an economic decision-making process by dairy farmers Dairy producers cull cows because they are no longer profitable or they are replaced by more profitable cows.

THE IMPORTANCE OF LINER AND TUBE DESIGN

On a milking machine, the liner is the only part of the milking equipment that is in direct contact with the animal The quality and characteristics of each liner greatly influence milking performance and overall animal health What’s more, performance and hygiene are put at risk if liners are used past their recommended milking life The first criterion is related to hardware The liners should fit the farm equipment in use in relation to claw, shell and cluster cleaner or jetter cup type Other considerations include the herd’s average teat size and udder confirmation

MILK COOLING

Milk leaves the udder at a temperature of around 37 °C Fresh milk from a healthy

cow is practically free from bacteria but it must still be protected from being

contaminated after it has left the udder Microorganisms capable of spoiling the

milk are everywhere – on the udder, on the milkers’ hands, on airborne dust

particles and water droplets, on straw and chaff, on the cow’s hair and in the soil It

is common to filter the milk before it enters the milk tank

Efficient cooling of the raw milk after milking is the best way to prevent bacterial

growth (Figure 1.9) Various cooling systems are available; the choice depends on

the produced volume of milk An in-can cooler, shown in Figure 1.10, is suitable for

small producers It is much favoured by users of chilled water units and producers

using direct-to-can milking equipment An immersion cooler is designed for direct

cooling of the milk in churns as well as in tanks The condensing unit is mounted on

a wall, Figure 1.11

The evaporator is located at the lower end of the immersion unit The immersion

cooler can also be used for indirect cooling, i.e for cooling water in insulated

basins The milk is then cooled in transport churns immersed in the chilled water

Insulated farm tanks for immersion coolers are available in both stationary and

mobile types (Figure 1.12) When road conditions prevent access by tanker truck, a

mobile tank can be used to bring the milk to a suitable collection point Mobile tanks

are easy to transport and thus suitable for milking in the fields Direct expansion

tanks as shown in Figure 1.13, can also be used for cooling and storage of the

milk Careful attention must be paid to hygiene in order to produce milk of high

bacteriological quality However, despite all precautions, it is near impossible to

completely exclude bacteria from milk Milk is an excellent growth medium for

bacteria; it contains all the nutrients they need Thus, as soon as bacteria get into

milk, they start to multiply On the other hand, the milk leaving the teats contains

certain original bactericides which protect the milk against the action of

microorganisms during an initial period after extraction It also takes some time for

infecting microorganisms to adapt to the new medium before they can begin to

grow

It is important to keep the milk at low temperature during storage The activity of the

microorganisms will easily increase again if the temperature is allowed to rise some

few degrees above recommended storage temperature Figure 1.14 shows the rate

of bacterial growth at different temperatures over time Spray or immersion coolers

are commonly used on farms, which deliver milk to the dairy in cans In the spray

cooler, circulating chilled water is sprayed on the outsides of the cans to keep the

milk cool The immersion cooler consists of a coil, which is lowered into the can

Chilled water is circulated through the coil to keep the milk at the required

temperature within a specified time These tanks are often in most cases equipped with equipment for automatic cleaning to ensure uniform high standard of hygiene On large farms, and in collecting centres where large volumes

of milk (more than 5.000 litres) must be chilled quickly from 37 °C to 4 °C, the cooling equipment of the bulk tanks may be inadequate In these cases the tank is mainly used to maintain the required storage temperature; a major part of the cooling is carried out by means of a heat exchanger in line in the delivery pipeline (Figure 1.15)

Fig 1.10

An in-can cooler is placed

on top of the milking

bucket or any type of milk

can

Fig 1.11

The immersion cooler is placed directly on the transport churn

Fig 1.12

The insulated farm tank can be filled in the field and easily transported to the chilled unit

Fig 1.13

Direct expansion tank used for cooling and storage of milk

The buffalo has been used in milk production for centuries It is the most-common

milk producer in Asia and certain areas of Africa There are many different species

of the animal and the dominant type varies from region to region The current world

population of buffalo is some 150 million animals 145 million of these live in Asia

Most are owned by farmers with small farms and are mainly used as a source of

extra income

In India, it is common that a family owns one or two buffaloes In northern India,

herd sizes of 10-15 animals are commonplace This area also has a

well-developed milk collection system Outside large Indian cities large farms with herds

of 100-300 buffaloes are common Widespread in India, Pakistan and Southeast

Asia, buffaloes are also common in Egypt, Romania, Turkey and Italy In India,

Pakistan and Egypt, some 50-65 % of all milk produced is from buffaloes It is estimated that 17 % of the world’s total milk production comes from buffaloes Only 6 % of the buffalo milk produced in India is processed, most is used by the farmer or sold untreated as “street milk” Milk from buffaloes can be processed like milk from cows However, its thermal stability is lower so mixed milk, a mixture of buffalo and cow milk, is preferable for ultra-high temperature (UHT) treatment

LACTATION, SECRETION AND YIELD

The milk produced during buffaloes lactation period differs due to region and availability of feed The buffaloes in India and China produce 450-500 kilograms per lactation period, while others, i.e specialized milking farms at Indian university farms, produce more than 1.700 kilograms In Italy they can produce up to 3.000 kilograms The lactation period varies from 217 days in Egypt to 270-295 in India

Lactating buffaloes secrete milk in the same way as other lactating domesticated animals The anatomy of buffalo teats is slightly different from cow teats The muscle around the streak channel is thicker, and more force is

therefore required to open the canal This is why the buffaloes are “hard milkers” The milk is held in the upper, glandular part of the udder, in the alveoli and small ducts Between milking, there is no milk stored in the cistern Hence, buffaloes have no cisternal milk fraction The milk is expelled to the cistern only during actual milk ejection The same phenomenon is seen in Chinese yellow cows and yaks The composition of buffalo milk differs from that

of cow milk The biggest difference relates to fat, as buffalo milk from some breeds may contain up to 13 % fat Buffalo milk fat has a higher melting point than cow milk, due to its higher proportion of saturated fatty acids Phospholipids and cholesterol are lower in buffalo milk, and it is more resistant to oxidative changes compared to milk from cows Buffaloes produce colostrum during the first few days after calving Colostrum from buffalo has a dry matter content of up to 30% and contains valuable proteins This period usually lasts three days, during which the composition of the colostrum gradually changes, becoming more and more like ordinary milk Colostrum is not

to be delivered to dairies

PROPERTIES

Buffalo milk is richer in most important constituents than cow milk The content of protein, lactose and ash is somewhat higher in buffalo milk than in cow milk Buffalo milk contains vitamin A, but lacks carotene, which is present in cow's milk

MILKING TECHNIQUES

Milking buffaloes is not a difficult task One should, however, take care not to simply apply cow-milking techniques,

as buffaloes require slightly different milking methods Hand-milking is the method most often used on small, run farms It is important to use a smooth and comfortable milking technique In hand-milking, it is necessary to overcome the higher resistance in the teat sphincter Buffaloes have been successfully milked with machines for decades, most notably in southern European countries like Italy, where dairy products made from buffalo milk – such as mozzarella cheese – forms part of daily diets Machine milking has during recent years become more interesting also for Asian and African farmers The udder and teats of buffaloes are different to those of cows, so a heavier cluster, higher operation vacuum and faster pulsation rate are required

family-Buffalo

Among the numerous breeds of sheep, some are mainly kept for production of

meat and wool, but are occasionally also milked There are breeds considered as

dairy breeds, but their production per lactation does not exceed 100 kilograms due

to the conditions under which they are kept On the other hand, milk production of

some meat breeds can be as much as 150-200 kilograms per lactation

There are, however, some breeds that can be classified as dairy breeds due to

their high production of milk and good “milkability” They include the Lacaune of

France, East Friesian of Germany, Awassi of the Near East and Tsigai in the CIS,

Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria Production figures of 500-1.000 kg of milk per

lactation have been reported for East Friesian and Awassi ewes

It is estimated that, all other factors being equal, 8-10 dairy ewes equal the average

production capacity of one dairy cow Flock sizes of up to 200 ewes are common

among intensive family farms, while flocks of 300-400 ewes can act as production

units Large-scale enterprises may have many thousands of sheep each The

number of dairy animals kept in one flock, however, should not exceed about 1.200 because of the labour

demanding milking Well-functioning and robust milking equipment and high efficiency of milking are of utmost importance likewise as the quality of the management of the sheep

A ewe is kept four to five years in a flock The gestation period is about five months, and most breeds average 1.5-2 lambs per year In developing countries this figure is lower than one Ewe lambs can be bred from the age of 6-8 months

LACTATION, SECRETION AND YIELD

Different data on yield and lactation periods shows wide fluctuation between the various breeds as well as within the same breed Figures of 0.4-2.3 kilograms per ewe per day for yield and 100-260 days for length of lactation should therefore be understood as a rough guide to low and high averages

Lactating ewes secrete milk in the same way as other lactating domestic animals Sheep milk is richer in all its important constituents as compared to cow milk and with nearly 30 % more dry matter Variations in sheep milk composition are due to most of the same factors as for dairy cows, i.e breeds, individuals and stage of lactation Ewes produce colostrum during the first few days after lambing Colostrum has a dry matter content of up to 40 % and contains the important proteins, albumin and immunoglobulin This period lasts 3-4 days, during which the composition of the colostrum gradually changes to become more and more like ordinary milk Colostrum should not

be delivered to dairies

PROPERTIES

Fat globules in sheep’s milk range in size from 0.5-25 microns The largest fraction is 3-8 microns, nearly twice as big as the fat globules in cow’s milk The fat of sheep milk has a higher content of caprylic and capric acid than fat

of cow milk This is the main reason for the particular taste and aroma of milk products from sheep

Sheep milk is typical case in milk It contains on average 4.5 % casein and only around 1 % whey proteins The ratio casein/whey protein of sheep milk thus differs somewhat from that of cow’s milk, that is, 82:18 versus 80:20 Specific gravity is 1.032-1.040 This is due in part to its high content of solids-non-fat Acidity is high due to a high percentage of proteins The pH normally varies between 6.5 and 6.8

MILKING TECHNIQUES

The anatomy of the udder of the ewe is different to that of the cow The udder of the ewe consists of two halves with one teat each While the cow is normally easy to milk, both manually and by machine, sheep are more difficult to milk compared to cows, both manually and by machine One important reason is that the teats of many ewes are horizontally oriented An ideal udder is one with the teats at the lowest points of the udder halves Figure 1.16 shows examples of various udder configurations of sheep

Some breeds have a small percentage of cistern milk (Figure 1.17) The results of milking depend to a large extent

of how well the let-down reflex works As with cows, the release of milk is initiated by oxytocin, a hormone which causes the muscle-like cells to compress the alveoli This generates pressure in the udder The milk let-down of sheep lasts only for a short period, up to two minutes (as against up to 8 minutes for cows) depending on breed and

Sheep

stage of lactation.

Hand-milking is the method of milking most often used in small herds The efficiency of milking is very much

dependent upon the milk let-down A milker may be able to milk 20-40 ewes with slow let-down (the Lacaune breed)

in one hour, while the same milker may be able to milk 40-100 ewes per hour of sheep with faster milk let-down (the Manech breed) Dairy farmers with more than 150 ewes generally install machine milking systems to take the hard labour out of milking The working principle of milking machines for ewes is similar to that described for cows, except that milking vacuum is lower, and the pulsation rates are much higher The most common types of machine milking installations are churn, mobile and pipeline systems (see Figures 1.18, 1.19 and 1.20) In a churn

installation the vacuum system is fixed and the churn unit is movable The churn, which holds 20-40 litres, is used for manual transport of milk to the storage tank The pulsator can be mounted on the churn lid A non-return valve in the lid allows air to be sucked from the pail A churn plant can have one to three churns per operator The normal capacity of an operator with two churns is 70 ewes per hour This type of installation is suitable for small flocks of up

to 140 animals In a pipeline milking installation the milk line can be installed at high or low level in the parlour Milking capacity depends on the design of the parlour The mobile milking unit is suitable for small flocks and outdoor milking, and when ewes must be milked in different places The installation has the same capacity as that

of a churn milking installation The unit consists of a complete vacuum system, power unit (electric motor or

combustion engine), cluster assemblies, milk container (churn) and pulsation system, all mounted on a trolley During milking the trolley is placed behind 4-8 ewes Two pivoted bars are turned outwards behind the ewes, and the cluster assemblies are attached from the rear

Churn milking system

1 Milk churn with pulsator

The goat is considered the first ruminant to be domesticated Goats originate from

Asia and are now spread almost all over the globe They are very hardy animals

and thrive in areas where it may be difficult for other animals to live Unlike sheep,

goats are not flock animals There are numerous breeds of goat, but no specialized

dairy breed However, Saanen, Alpine, Toggenburg and Chamois breeds have

been successfully selected and bred for increased milk yields Because of this, they

have been exported all over the world for purpose of being crossed with local

breeds

LACTATION, SECRETION AND YIELD

In a well-managed milk production herd, a goat produces 400-1.300 kilograms milk

per lactation of 200-300 days The hard, uncomfortable work of hand milking is eased by milking by machine However, a certain volume of milk should be produced or a certain number of animals should be kept to justify change to mechanical milking For a family-sized goat milking operation, depending upon local conditions at least 50-150 goats are required to reach an acceptable turnover A business enterprise requires a larger number of

animals, e.g 200-1,000 goats An intensive and feasible production unit, family sized operation or business

enterprise, however, requires not only appropriate milking equipment but also effective management, feeding and breeding programmes

Goats secrete milk in the same way as other lactating domestic animals The composition of goat milk, like that of other species, is influenced by several factors From Table 1.1 it appears that gross composition of goat milk is almost similar to that of the cow However, the ratio of casein to whey proteins in goat milk is narrower, 75:25 compared to 80:20 for cow’s milk The relatively higher content of whey proteins indicates that goat milk may be more sensitive to heat The pH of goat milk normally varies from 6.5-6.7

The female goat, like the ewe, has an udder with two halves (Figure 1.21) – each with one teat Goat teats are generally somewhat longer that sheep teats and are located at the lowest point of each half Most of the milk is stored at the cisternal part of the udder so both manual as well as machine milking is easy to perform (Figure 1.22) The duration of milk let-down of the goat lasts from 1-4 minutes depending on stage of lactation and breed of the animal

Milking by hand remains a common way of milking goats in many parts of the world but machine milking is growing very fast Machine milking facilitates the work on large goat farms Previous information about sheep and equipment for milking, cooling, cleaning and storage applies for the most part to goats as well

A GROWING WORLD NEEDS A STABLE FOOD SUPPLY

By 2050 the global population is expected to reach 9.1 billion, 34 % higher than today Most of this increase is likely

to occur in developing countries like Brazil, China and India, where more and more people are choosing to live in urban areas with higher incomes Total food production must therefore increase to meet the projected demands of this growing population

Milk is of the most nutritious foods there is to the human body and makes a significant contribution to meet our need for calcium, vitamins B2 and B12, iodine, potassium and phosphorous The FAO considers milk of such importance

in human nutrition that it recommends 2-3 servings of milk or other dairy products every day

Producing larger quantities of milk in the long term means all stakeholders in the dairy farming industry must learn

to be more productive in ways that use fewer natural resources and safeguard animal well-being while producing

Fig 1.21

The shape of the goat’s udders

Fig 1.22

Cross-section of one half

of the goat’s udder

1 Alveolar tissue

2 Milk ducts

3 Cistern

4 Teat canal

Source URL: http://www.dairyprocessinghandbook.com/chapter/primary-production-milk

the necessary financial returns In other words, establishing a stable food supply requires sustainable farming techniques The goal is to reduce the environmental footprint of farms, while improving milk production, farm profitability and the well-being of the people and animals involved All aspects of sustainability need to be

considered and improved to make dairy farming more sustainable

THE DAIRY FARMING ECOSYSTEM

While dairy farmers are the primary actors in the milking of mammals such as cows, buffaloes, sheep and goats they form part of an intricate ecosystem Smallholder and subsistence farmers rely on the support and advice of local veterinarians and other farmers Larger-scale dairy farmers, with herd sizes in the hundreds and thousands have a more complex task ahead of them as they must meet the demands of the market, while balancing animal health and welfare, environmental concerns, regulations, equipment suppliers, labour issues and also the price of feed

Tetra Pak Dairy Processing Handbook

THE CHEMISTRY OF MILK

The principal constituents of milk are water, fat, proteins, lactose (milk sugar) and minerals (salts) Milk also

contains trace amounts of other substances such as pigments, enzymes, vitamins, phospholipids (substances with fatlike properties), and gases

The residue left when water and gases are removed is called the dry matter (DM) or total solids content of the milk.Milk is a very complex product In order to describe the various constituents of milk and how they are affected by the various stages of treatment in the dairy, it is necessary to resort to chemical terminology This chapter on the chemistry of milk therefore begins with a brief review of some basic chemical concepts

Chemical symbols of some common elements in organic matter:

The atom is the smallest building block of all matter in nature and cannot be divided chemically A substance in

which all the atoms are of the same kind is called an element More than 100 elements are known today Examples are oxygen, carbon, copper, hydrogen and iron However, most naturally-occurring substances are composed of several different elements Air, for example, is a mixture of oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and rare gases, while water is a chemical compound of the elements hydrogen and oxygen

The nucleus of the atom consists of protons and neutrons, Figure 2.1 The protons carry a positive unit charge, while the neutrons are electrically neutral The electrons, which orbit the nucleus, carry a negative charge equal and opposite to the unit charge of the protons

An atom contains equal numbers of protons and electrons with an equal number of positive and negative charges The atom is therefore electrically neutral

An atom is very small, Figure 2.2 There are about as many atoms in a small copper coin as there are seconds in a thousand million million years! Even so, an atom consists mostly of empty space If we call the diameter of the nucleus one, the diameter of the whole atom is about 10 000

An atom may lose or gain one or more electrons Such an atom is no longer electrically neutral It is called an ion If the ion contains more electrons than protons it is negatively charged, but if it has lost one or more electrons it is positively charged

Positive and negative ions are always present at the same time; i.e in solutions as cations (positive charge) and

anions (negative charge) or in solid form as salts Common salt consists of sodium (Na) and chlorine (Cl) ions and has the formula NaCl (sodium chloride)

MOLECULES

Atoms of the same element or of different elements can combine into larger units, which are called molecules The

molecules can then form solid substances, e.g iron (Fe) or siliceous sand (SiO2), liquids, e.g water (H2O), or

gases, e.g hydrogen (H2) If the molecule consists mainly of carbon (C), hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2) atoms, the

compound formed is said to be organic, i.e produced from organic elements An example is lactic acid (C3H603) The formula means that the molecule is made up of three carbon atoms, six hydrogen atoms and three oxygen atoms

The number of atoms in a molecule can vary enormously There are molecules which consist of two linked atoms, and others composed of hundreds of atoms

Fig 2.1

The nucleus of the atom consists of protons and neutrons Electrons orbit the nucleus

be 325 metres from the centre

BASIC PHYSICAL CHEMICAL

PROPERTIES OF COWS’ MILK

Cows’ milk consists of about 87 % water and 13 % dry substance, table 2.1 The dry substance is suspended or dissolved in the water Depending on the type of solids and size of particle (table 2.2), there are different distribution systems of them in the water phase

Organic compounds contain mainly carbon, oxygen and hydrogen Inorganic compounds contain mainly other atoms

Fig 2.3

Three ways of symbolizing a water molecule

Fig 2.4

Three ways of symbolizing an ethyl alcohol molecule

Colloidal solution/

suspension

True solution

Emulsion: a suspension of droplets of one liquid in another Milk is an emulsion of

oil in water (o/w), butter an emulsion of water in oil (w/o), Figure 2.5 The finely

divided liquid is known as the dispersed phase and the other as the continuous

phase

Collodial solution: when matter exists in a state of division intermediate to true

solution (e.g sugar in water) and suspension (e.g chalk in water) it is said to be in

colloidal solution or colloidal suspension

The typical characteristics of a colloid are:

• Small particle size

• Electrical charge and

• Affinity of the particles for water molecules

In milk the whey proteins are present as a colloidal solution and the

comparatively larger caseins as a colloidal suspension (see figure 2.6)

Substances such as salts destabilize colloidal systems by changing the water binding and thereby reducing protein solubility Factors such as heat cause unfolding of the whey proteins and increased interaction between the proteins and alcohol may dehydrate the particles

True solutions: Matter which, when mixed with water or other liquids, forms true solutions, is divided into:

• Non-ionic solutions When lactose is dissolved in water, no important changes occur in the molecular structure

Relative sizes of particles in milk

Size (mm) Type of particles

When a base (a metal oxide or hydroxide) is added to water, it forms a basic or

alkaline solution When the base dissolves it releases hydroxide (OH–) ions

• A solution that contains equal numbers of hydroxide and hydrogen ions is

Mathematically, pH is defined as the negative logarithm to the base 10 of the hydrogen ion concentration expressed

in molarity, i.e pH = – log [H+] This results in the following scale at 25 °C:

The particles present in a solution – ions, molecules or colloids – are influenced by forces which cause them to migrate (diffuse) from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration The diffusion process continues until the whole solution is homogeneous, with the same concentration throughout

Sugar dissolving in a cup of coffee is an example of diffusion The sugar dissolves quickly in the hot drink, and the sugar molecules diffuse until they are uniformly distributed in the drink

The rate of diffusion depends on particle velocity, which in turn depends on the temperature, the size of the

particles, and the difference in concentration between various parts of the solution

Figure 2.11 illustrates the principle of the diffusion process The U-tube is divided into two compartments by a

permeable membrane The left leg is then filled with water and the right with a sugar solution whose molecules can

pass through the membrane After a while, through diffusion, the concentration is equalized on both sides of the membrane

OSMOSIS

Osmosis is the term used to describe the spontaneous flow of pure water into an aqueous solution, or from a less to

a more concentrated solution, when separated by a suitable membrane The phenomenon of osmosis can be

illustrated by the example shown in Figure 2.12 The U-tubes are divided in two compartments by a semi-permeable

membrane The left leg is filled with water and the right with a sugar solution whose molecules cannot pass through the membrane Now the water molecules will diffuse through the membrane into the sugar solution and dilute it to a

Fig 2.11

The sugar molecules diffuse through the permeable

membrane and the water molecules diffuse

in the opposite direction

in order to equalize the concentration of the solution

lower concentration This process is called osmosis.

The volume of the sugar solution increases when it is diluted The surface of the solution rises as shown in Figure 2.12, and the hydrostatic pressure, a, of the solution on the membrane becomes higher than the pressure of the water on the other side In this state of imbalance, water molecules begin to diffuse back in the opposite direction under the influence of the higher hydrostatic pressure in the solution

When the diffusion of water in both directions is equal, the system is in equilibrium If hydrostatic pressure is initially applied to the sugar solution, the intake of water through the membrane can be reduced The hydrostatic pressure necessary to prevent equalization of the concentration by diffusion of water into the sugar solution is called the

osmotic pressure of the solution

Fig 2.12

The sugar molecules are too large

to diffuse through the semi-permeable membrane Only the small water

molecules can diffuse to equalize

the concentration “a” is the osmotic pressure of the solution

Fig 2.13

If a pressure higher than the osmotic pressure is applied

to the sugar solution, water molecules diffuse and the solution becomes more concentrated

salt molecules to pass through, but is too small for the protein molecules to pass, see Figure 2.14.

The rate of diffusion varies with the difference in concentration, so dialysis can be speeded up if the solvent on the other side of the membrane is changed often

COMPOSITION OF COWS’ MILK

The quantities of the various main constituents of milk can vary considerably between cows of different breeds and between individual cows of the same breed Therefore only limit values can be stated for the variations The numbers in Table 2.3 are simply examples

Besides total solids, the term solids-non-fat (SNF) is used in discussing the composition of milk SNF is the total solids content less the fat content The mean SNF content according to Table 2:3 is consequently 13.0 – 3.9 = 9.1

% The pH of normal milk generally lies between 6.6 - 6.8 with average of 6.7 as the most common value This value is true for pH measurement of milk of approximately 25 °C

Fig 2.14

Diluting the solution on one side of the

membrane concentrates the large molecules as

small molecules pass through it

MILK FAT

Milk and cream are examples of fat-in-water (or oil-in-water) emulsions The milk fat exists as small globules or droplets dispersed in the milk serum, Figure 2.15 Their diameters range from 0.1 to 20 µm (1 µm = 0.001 mm) The average size is 3 – 4 µm and there are some 1010 globules per ml

The emulsion is stabilized by a very thin membrane only 10-20 nm thick (1 nm = 10–9 m) which surrounds the globules and has a complicated composition

Milk fat consists of triglycerides (the dominating components), di- and monoglycerides, fatty acids, sterols,

carotenoids (giving the yellow colour of the fat) and vitamins (A, D, E, and K) Trace elements are minor

components The composition of a milk fat globule is outlined in Figure 2.16

The membrane consists of phospholipids, lipoproteins, cerebrosides, proteins, nucleic acids, enzymes, trace elements (metals) and bound water It should be noted that the composition and thickness of the membrane are not constant, because components are constantly being exchanged with the surrounding milk serum

As the fat globules are not only the largest particles in the milk but also the lightest (density at 15.5 °C = 0.93 g/cm3), they tend to rise to the surface when milk is left to stand in a vessel for a while, Figure 2.17

The rate of rise follows Stokes’ Law, but the small size of the fat globules makes creaming a slow process Cream

separation can, however, be accelerated by aggregation of fat globules under the influence of a protein called

agglutinin These aggregates rise much faster than individual fat globules The aggregates are easily broken up by

heating or mechanical treatment Agglutinin is denatured at time-temperature combinations such as 75 °C/ 2 min and the possibility of aggregation disappears

Table 2.3

Quantitative composition of milk

Main constituent Limits of variation Mean value

CHEMICAL STRUCTURE OF MILK FAT

Milk fat is liquid when milk leaves the udder at 37 °C This means that the fat globules can easily change their shape when exposed to moderate mechanical treatment – pumping and flowing in pipes for instance – without being released from their membranes

All fats belong to a group of chemical substances called esters, which are compounds of alcohols and acids Milk fat

is a mixture of different fatty-acid esters called triglycerides, which are composed of an alcohol called glycerol and various fatty acids Glycerides make up almost 99 % of milk fat

A fatty-acid molecule is composed of a hydrocarbon chain and a carboxyl group (formula RCOOH) In saturated fatty acids, the carbon atoms are linked together in a chain by single bonds, while in unsaturated fatty acids there are one or more double bonds in the hydrocarbon chain, see Figure 2.19 Each glycerol molecule can bind three fatty-acid molecules, and as the three need not necessarily be of the same kind, the number of different glycerides

in milk is extremely large, see Figure 2.20

Table 2.4 lists the most important fatty acids in milk fat triglycerides

Fig 2.15

A look into milk

Fig 2.16

The composition of milk fat Size 0.1 – 20 μm

Average size 3 – 4 μm

Fig 2.17

If milk is left to stand for a while in a vessel, the fat will rise and form a layer of cream on the surface

MELTING POINT OF FAT

Table 2.4 shows that the four most abundant fatty acids in milk are myristic, palmitic, stearic and oleic acids

The first three are solid and the last is liquid at room temperature As the quoted figures indicate, the relative amounts of the different fatty acids can vary considerably This variation affects the hardness of the fat Fat with a high content of high-melting fatty acids, such as palmitic acid, will be hard; on the other hand, fat with a high content

of low-melting oleic acid makes soft butter

Determining the quantities of individual fatty acids is a matter of purely scientific interest For practical purposes, it is sufficient to determine one or more constants or indices which provide certain information concerning the

composition of the fat

Fig 2.19

Molecular and structural formulae of stearic and oleic acids

Fig 2.20

Milk fat is a mixture

of different fatty acids and glycerol

IODINE VALUE

Fatty acids with the same numbers of C and H atoms but with different numbers of single and double bonds have completely different characteristics The most important and most widely used method of indicating their specific

characteristics is to measure the iodine value (IV) of the fat The iodine value states the percentage of iodine that

the fat can bind Iodine is taken up by the double bonds of the unsaturated fatty acids Since oleic acid is by far the most abundant of the unsaturated fatty acids, which are liquid at room temperature, the iodine value is largely a measure of the oleic-acid content and thereby of the softness of the fat

The iodine value of butterfat normally varies between 24 and 46 The variations are determined by what the cows eat Green pasture in the summer promotes a high content of oleic acid, so that summer milk fat is soft (high iodine value) Certain fodder concentrates, such as sunflower cake and linseed cake, also produce soft fat, while coconut and palm oil cake and root vegetable tops produce hard fat It is therefore possible to influence the consistency of milk fat by choosing a suitable diet for the cows

Figure 2.21 shows an example of how the iodine value of milk fat can vary in the course of a year (Sweden)

Table 2.4

Principal fatty acids in milk

Fatty acid wt% of total fatty acid content Melting point °C

Fat with a high content of high-melting fatty acids is hard.

Fat with a high content of low-melting fatty acids is soft

REFRACTIVE INDEX

The amount of different fatty acids in fat also affects the way it refracts light It is therefore common practice to

determine the refractive index of fat, which can then be used to calculate the iodine value This is a quick method of

assessing the hardness of the fat

NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE (NMR)

Instead of analysing the iodine value or refractive index, the ratio of saturated fat to unsaturated fat can be

determined by pulsed NMR A conversion factor can be used to transform the NMR value into a corresponding iodine value if desired

The NMR method can also be utilized to find out the degree of fat crystallization as a function of the time of

crystallization It has been shown that fat crystallization takes a long time in a 40 % cream cooled from 60 °C to 5 °

C A crystallization time of at least two hours is needed, and the proportion of crystallized fat is 65% of the total, see figure 2.22

It was also noted that only 15 to 20 % of the fat was crystallized two minutes after 5 °C was reached The NMR value of butterfat normally varies between 30 and 41

FAT CRYSTALLIZATION

During the crystallization process, the fat globules are in a very sensitive state and are easily damaged and opened

up – even by moderate mechanical treatment

Electron microscope studies have shown that fat crystallizes in monomolecular spheres, see Figure 2.22 At the same time fractionation takes place, so that the triglycerides with the highest melting points form the outer spheres Because crystallized fat has a lower specific volume than liquid fat, tensions arise inside the globules, making them particularly unstable and susceptible to breakage during the crystallization period The result is that liquid fat is released into the milk serum, causing formation of lumps where the free fat glues the unbroken globules together (the same phenomenon that occurs in butter production) Crystallization of fat generates fusion heat, which raises the temperature somewhat (40% cream cooled from 60 °C to 7 – 8 °C grows 3 – 4 °C warmer during the

crystallization period)

It is important to bear this important property of milk fat in mind in production of cream for various purposes

Fig 2.21

Iodine value at different times of the year The iodine value

is a measure of the oleic acid content of the fat

PROTEINS IN MILK

Proteins are an essential part of our diet The proteins we eat are broken down into

simpler compounds in the digestive system and in the liver These compounds are

then conveyed to the cells of the body where they are used as construction

material for building the body’s own protein The great majority of the chemical

reactions that occur in the organism are controlled by certain active proteins, the

enzymes

Proteins are giant molecules built up of smaller units called amino acids, Figure

2.23 A protein molecule consists of one or more interlinked chains of amino acids,

where the amino acids are arranged in a specific order A protein molecule usually

contains around 100 – 200 linked amino acids, but both smaller and much larger

numbers are known to constitute a protein molecule

AMINO ACIDS

The amino acids in Figure 2.24 are the building blocks forming the protein, and

they are distinguished by the simultaneous presence of one amino group (–NH2)

and one carboxyl group (–COOH) in the molecule The proteins are formed from a

specific kind of amino acids, α amino acids, i.e those which have both an amino

group and a carboxyl group bound to the same carbon atom, the α-carbon The

amino acids belong to a group of chemical compounds which can emit hydrogen

ions in alkaline solutions and absorb hydrogen ions in acid solutions Such

compounds are called amphotery electrolytes or ampholytes

The amino acids can thus appear in three states:

1 Negatively charged in alkaline solutions

2 Neutral at equal + and – charges

3 Positively charged in acid solutions

Proteins are built from 20 amino acids An important fact with regard to nutrition is that eight (nine for infants) of the

20 amino acids cannot be synthesized by the human organism As they are necessary for maintaining a proper

metabolism, they have to be supplied with the food They are called essential amino acids, and all of them are

present in milk protein

Fig 2.22

Milk fat crystallization is

an exothermic reaction, which means that the chemical reaction is accompanied by evolution of heat

The crystallization curve

is based on analysis made by the NMR method

Fig 2.23

Model of a protein molecule chain of amino acids, the amino and carboxyl groups

The type and the order of the amino acids in the protein molecule determine the

nature of the protein Any change of amino acids regarding type or place in the

molecular chain may result in a protein with different properties

As the possible number of combinations of 20 amino acids in a chain containing

100 – 200 amino acids is very large the number of proteins with different properties

is also very large Figure 2.24 shows a model of an amino acid As mentioned

before, amino acids contain both a slightly basic amino group (–NH2) and a slightly

acid carboxyl group (–COOH) These groups are connected to a side chain, (R)

If the side chain is polar, the water-attracting properties of the basic and acid

groups, in addition to the polar side chain, will normally dominate and the whole

amino acid will attract water and dissolve readily in water Such an amino acid is

named hydrophilic (water-loving).

If on the other hand the side chain is of hydrocarbon which does not contain

hydrophilic radicals, the properties of the hydrocarbon chain will dominate A long

hydrocarbon chain repels water and makes the amino acid less soluble or

compatible with water Such an amino acid is called hydrophobic (water-repellent).

If there are certain radicals such as hydroxyl (–OH) or amino groups

(–NH2) in the hydrocarbon chain, its hydrophobic properties will be modified towards more hydrophilic If

hydrophobic amino acids are predominant in one part of a protein molecule, that part will have hydrophobic

properties An aggregation of hydrophilic amino acids in another part of the molecule will, likewise, give that part hydrophilic properties A protein molecule may therefore be either hydrophilic, hydrophobic, intermediate or locally hydrophilic and hydrophobic

Some milk proteins demonstrate very great differences within the molecules with regard to water compatibility, and some very important properties of the proteins depend on such differences

Hydroxyl groups in the chains of some amino acids in casein may be esterified with phosphoric acid Such groups enable casein to bind calcium ions or colloidal calcium hydroxyphosphate, forming strong bridges between or within the molecules

THE ELECTRICAL STATUS OF MILK PROTEINS

The side chains of some amino acids in milk proteins are charged, which is determined by the pH of the milk When the pH of milk is changed by addition of an acid or a base, the charge distribution of the proteins is also changed The electrical status of the milk proteins and the resulting properties are illustrated in Figures 2.25 to 2.28

At the normal pH of milk, (≈ 6.6) a protein molecule has a net negative charge, Figure 2.25 The protein molecules remain separated because identical charges repel each other

If hydrogen ions are added, Figure 2.26, they are adsorbed by the protein molecules At a pH value where the positive charge of the protein is equal to the negative charge, i.e where the numbers of NH3 and COO– groups on the side chains are equal, the net total charge of the protein is zero The protein molecules no longer repel each other, but the positive charges on one molecule link up with negative charges on the neighbouring molecules and large protein clusters are formed The protein is then precipitated from the solution The pH at which this happens is called the isoelectric point of the protein

In the presence of an excess of hydrogen ions, the molecules acquire a net positive charge as shown in Figure 2.27 Then they repel each other once more and therefore remain in solution If, on the other hand, a strong alkaline solution (NaOH) is added, all proteins acquire negative charges and dissolve

Fig 2.24

The structure of a general amino acid R in the figure stands for organic material bound to the central carbon atom

CLASSES OF MILK PROTEINS

Milk contains hundreds of types of protein, most of them in very small amounts The proteins can be classified in various ways according to their chemical or physical properties and their biological functions The old way of grouping milk proteins into casein, albumin and globulin has given way to a more adequate classification system Table 2.5 shows an abridged list of milk proteins according to a modern system Minor protein groups have been excluded for the sake of simplicity

Whey protein is a term often used as a synonym for milk-serum proteins, but it should be reserved for the proteins

in whey from the cheese making process In addition to milk-serum proteins, whey protein also contains fragments

of casein molecules Some of the milk-serum proteins are also present in whey in lower concentrations than in the original milk This is due to heat denaturation during pasteurization of the milk prior to cheese-making The three main groups of proteins in milk are distinguished by their widely different behaviour and form of existence The caseins are easily precipitated from milk in a variety of ways, while the serum proteins usually remain in solution The fat-globule membrane proteins adhere, as the name implies, to the surface of the fat globules and are only

released by mechanical action, e.g by churning cream into butter.

CASEIN

Casein is a mixture of several components (Table 2.5) and is the dominant class of proteins in milk, constituting about four-fifths of the milk proteins There are four main subgroups of casein, as1-casein, as2-casein, κ-casein and β-casein, which are all heterogeneous and consist of several genetic variants Genetic variants of a protein differ from each other only by a few amino acids

The caseins self-associate and form large clusters called micelles The micelles are built up of hundreds and thousands of individual casein protein molecules and vary in size from 50 to 500nm Since the micelles are of colloidal dimensions they are capable of scattering light and the white colour of skim milk is largely due to light scattering by the casein micelles

Fig 2.27

Protein molecules at pH ≈ 1

Fig 2.28

Protein molecules at pH ≈ 14

Casein micelles

Casein micelles have important consequences for the properties of milk They

determine to a large extent the physical stability of milk products during heating and

storage, are essential in cheese making and determine rheological properties of

fermented and concentrated dairy products

Casein micelles are fairly dense aggregates with small regions of calcium

phosphate, which links the micelles together, giving the micelles an open, porous

structure Removal of calcium phosphate (CCP – colloidal calcium phosphate), e.g

by acidification or addition of EDTA or citrates, leads to disintegration of the

micelles Disintegration also occurs when pH becomes greater than 9 The internal

structure of a casein micelle has been under debate for a long time and is still not

fully understood There are three main models proposed: the nanocluster model,

the dual binding model and the sub-micelle model

There is, however, consensus around several characteristics The micelles are

roughly spherical particles with an average diameter of about 150 nm but with a

large spread in size The αs- and β-caseins are mainly concentrated in the middle

of the micelle, while κ-casein predominates on the surface There is a “hairy layer”

around the micelle, consisting mainly of the C-terminal end of κ - casein that

protrudes 5-10 nm from the micelle surface The protruding κ - casein chain is hydrophilic and negatively charged and gives a major contribution to the steric stability of the micelles If the hairy layer is removed e.g by ethanol

Table 2.5

Concentration of proteins in milk

Conc in milk g/kg % of total protein w/w

Fig 2.29

The nanocluster model

of casein micelles

addition or rennet-induced hydrolysis, the colloidal stability of the micelle is

changed and the micelles aggregate or precipitate Further, it is generally accepted

that there are “nanoclusters” of calcium phosphate, which are roughly 3nm in

diameter and contains most of the phosphate and calcium in the micelle The

forces holding the micelle together are hydrophobic interactions between protein

groups, cross-links between peptide chains by the nanoclusters and ionic bonds

The nanocluster model (Figure 2.29, Holt 1992, De Knuif and Holt 2003) is

described as a tangled web of flexible casein molecules forming a gel-like structure

connected through calcium phosphate nanoclusters

The dual-binding model (Figure 2.30) was proposed by Horne (1998) who suggests

that a balance of both hydrophobic interactions between casein molecules and

crosslinking with colloidal calcium phosphate holds the micelle

The sub-micelle model (Morr 1967; Slattery and Evard 1973; Walstra 1999)

suggest that the casein micelle is built up of smaller micelles, sub-micelles some

10-15nm in diameter, which are linked together by calcium phosphate clusters see

figure 2.31

A casein micelle structure is not fixed, but dynamic A casein micelle and its

surrounding keep exchanging components It responds to changes in the micellar

environment, temperature, pH and pressure

If the hydrophilic protruding chain end of κ - casein on the surface of micelles is

split, e.g by rennet, the micelles will lose their solubility and start to aggregate and

form casein curd In an intact micelle there is a surplus of negative charges, so they

repel each other Water molecules held by the hydrophilic sites of κ - casein form

an important part of this balance If the hydrophilic sites are removed, water will

start to leave the structure This gives the attracting forces room to act New bonds

are formed, one of the salt type, where calcium is active, and the second of the

hydrophobic type These bonds will then enhance the expulsion of water and the

structure will finally collapse into a dense curd

The micelles are adversely affected by low temperature, at which the β - casein

chains start to dissociate and the CCP leaves the micelle structure, where it existed

in colloidal form, and goes into solution The explanation of this phenomenon is that

b - casein is the most hydrophobic casein, and that the hydrophobic interactions

are weakened when the temperature is lowered Micelles appear to disintegrate

and the voluminosity of the casein micelles increases The loss of CCP causes a

weaker attraction between individual casein molecules These changes make the

milk less suitable for cheese making, as they result in longer renneting time and a

softer curd

β - casein is then also more easily hydrolysed by various proteases in the milk after

leaving the micelle Hydrolysis of β - casein to γ - casein and proteose-peptones

means lower yield at cheese production because the proteose-peptone fractions

are lost in the whey The breakdown of β -casein may also result in formation of

bitter peptides, causing off-flavour problems in the dairy products

These changes are slow and take some 24 hours at 5°C to be more or less

completed The graph in Figure 2.32 shows the approximate amount of β- casein

(in %) that leaves a micelle during 24 hours storing time On subsequent heating of

the raw or pasteurized chilled milk to 62 – 65 °C for about 20 seconds, the b -

casein and calcium phosphate will partly revert to the micelle, thereby at least

partly restoring the original properties of the milk

On increasing the temperature, the micelles shrink somewhat and the amount of

CCP increases When serum proteins are present during heating , the serum

proteins become associated with casein micelles during their heat denaturation and

they largely become bound to the micelle surface One example is the association