Milk

Milk is a cream liquid formed by all female mammals use for feeding their young. Milk can be produced from cows, horses, goats, ewes, sheep’s, monkeys, dog’s e.t.c.; the most commonly used is cow milk. Milk is regarded as nature’s perfect food but this is only tone as for babies, the nutrients are not in the correct proportion for adults.

          The proportion of carbohydrates is low and it is also lacking in iron and vitamin C. Milk is extremely valuable in the diet of invalids and convalescent on the account of its food value. It is readily digested.

Nutritive value of milk

Constituent	Percentage
Carbohydrates	4.9%
Protein	3.5%
Fat	3.7%
Water	87.2%
Ash	0.7%

1.     Protein:The principal protein or major protein is casein others are albumen and globin

2.     Carbohydrate:This is present in the form of simple sugar called LACTOSE.

3.     Fat:It exists in the form of a very fine emulsim and it is easily digested.

4.     Mineral salt:It is rich in calcium for building bones and also phosphorus and the amount of iron is small.

5.     Vitamins:Fat soluble vitamins A & D are present vitamin B (thiamine) and B2 (Riboflavin) B12 and small quantity of vitamin C which can be destroyed easily if milk is boiled, pasteurized of left standing in sunlight.

6.     Water:Forms the largest proportion of milk other substances are either dissolute or help in suspension by the water.

DIGESTIBILITY OF MILK

     When milk enters the stomach is separates into solid (lots of casein and liquid due to the action of rennin) on the casein digestibility depends on the size of the dots forms, large dots make digestion difficult.

Ways of making milk more digestion

1.     Dilution:

a.     Water

b.     Lime juice

2.     Accretion:

a.     Soda water

3.     By eating with solid food or thick drink e.g. porridge.

4.     Boiled milk dots more slowly and giried a less dens dot than raw milk.

Types of milk

1.     Fresh whole milk:This is the milk that is obtained directly from the cow in which none of the nutrients have been removed.

2.     Skimmed milk: The fat content has been removed. It is therefore made predominately of protein, carbohydrates, mineral and vitamin.

3.     Evaporated milk:This is whole milk from which about 60%of the water content has been removed.

4.     Dried or powdered milk:Over 90% of the water content has been remove and it is then milled to powder form.

5.     Condense milk:This is evaporated milk to which a safe and suitable nutritive sweetener usually sugar has been added so it is sweeter and thicker than evaporated milk.

6.     Filled milk:This is a combination of skimmedmilk and vegetable fat or water, non fat dry milk and vegetable fat.

PRESERVATION OF MILK

1.     Evaporation

2.     Dehydration

3.     Sterilization

4.     Pasteurization