Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Milk shopping experience:
1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Milk offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Milk at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.
2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about
3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Milk? Wrong! If the Milk is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.
4. Questions - Got a question about Milk then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....
5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Milk? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Milk and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.
6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Milk wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.
7. Feedback - happy with your Milk then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.
8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Milk site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site
9. Contact - got a question about Milk, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.
10. Payment - ready to pay for your Milk, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.
's milk.
Milk is an opaque white liquid produced by the
mammary glands of female mammals (including monotremes). Mammary glands are highly specialized sweat glands. The female ability to produce milk is one of the defining characteristics of mammals. It provides the primary source of nutrition for infant before they are able to
digestion other types of food. The early
lactation milk is known as
colostrum, and carries the mother's antibody to the baby. It can reduce the risk of many diseases in the baby. Males of all mammal species retain the breasts that are part of the fundamental mammalian animal structure, hence their nipples. Lactation occurs in males in certain rare circumstances, both naturally and artificially, however, some pharmaceuticals precipitate lactation in males readily. The exact components of raw milk varies by species, but it contains significant amounts of
saturated fat,
protein and calcium as well as vitamin C.
Types of milk consumption
There are two distinct types of milk consumption: a natural source of nutrition for all infant mammals; and a food product for humans of all ages derived from other animals.
Nutrition for infant mammals
In almost all mammals, milk is fed to infants through breastfeeding, either directly or, for humans, by breastfeeding#expression the milk to be stored and consumed later. Some cultures, historically or presently, continue to use breast milk to feed their children until as old as seven years. . . . or just go with the flow?.
The Times, May 5, 2005.
Food product for humans
In many cultures of the world, especially the Western world, humans continue to consume milk beyond infancy, using the milk of other animals (in particular, cows) as a food product. For millennia, cow's milk has been processed into dairy products such as cream,
butter, yogurt, ice cream, and especially the more durable and easily transportable product,
cheese. Industrial science has brought us casein, whey protein,
lactose, condensed milk,
powdered milk, and many other food-additive and industrial products.
Some mammals lose the ability to digest milk properly if a long period passes without consumption of it after weaning. In many
ethnic groups, people lose the ability to digest milk after childhood (that is, they become
lactose intolerant), so many traditional cuisines around the world, such as
Chinese cuisine, do not feature
dairy products. On the other hand, those groups that do continue to tolerate milk often have exercised great creativity in using the milk of
domestication ruminants, not only of
cows, but also sheep, goats,
yaks, water buffalo, horses, and camels.
The term
milk is also used for whitish non-animal substitutes such as soy milk,
rice milk, almond milk, and
coconut milk. Even the regurgitated substance Columbidae feed their young is called crop milk though it bears little resemblance to mammalian milk.
History
cattle, the dominant breed in industrialized dairying today.
Milking has its advent in the very evolution of
placental mammals. While the exact time of its appearance is not known, the immediate ancestors of modern mammals were much like
monotremes, including the platypus. Such animals today produce a milk-like substance from glands on the surface of their skin, but without the nipple, for their offspring to drink after hatching from their eggs. Likewise, marsupials, the closest cousin to placental mammals, produce a milk-like substance from a teat-like organ in their pouches. The earliest immediate ancestor of placental mammals known seems to be eomaia, a small creature superficially resembling rodents, that is thought to have lived 125 million years ago, during the
Cretaceous era. It almost certainly produced what would be considered milk, in the same way as modern placental mammals.
Animal milk is first known to have been used as human food at the beginning of animal domestication.
Cow's milk was first used as human food in the Middle East.
Goats and
sheep were
domesticated in the Middle East between 9000 and 8000 BC. Goats and sheep are ruminants:
mammals adapted to survive on a diet of dry grass, a food source otherwise useless to humans, and one that is easily stockpiled. The animals were probably first kept for meat and hides, but dairying proved to be a more efficient way of turning uncultivated
grasslands into sustenance: the food value of an animal killed for meat can be matched by perhaps one year's worth of milk from the same animal, which will keep producing milk — in convenient daily portions — for years (McGee 8–10).
Around 7000 BC,
cattle were being herded in parts of
Turkey. There is evidence of milk consumption in the
British Isles during the Neolithic period. The use of
cheese and
butter spread in
Europe, parts of
Asia and parts of
Africa. Domestic cows, which previously existed throughout much of Eurasia, were then introduced to the colonies of Europe during the
Age of exploration.
Other milk animals
In addition to cows, the following animals provide milk used by humans for dairy products:
- Sheep (the ewe)
- Goats (the nanny)
- Horses (the mare)
- Donkeys
- Camels (including the South American camelids)
- Yaks
- Water buffalos
- Reindeers
In
Russia and Sweden, small moose's milk also exist. Donkey and horse milk have the lowest fat content, while the milk of pinnipeds contains more than 50% fat. Milk From Cows and Other Animals, web page by Washington Dairy Products Commission
Whale's milk, not used for human consumption, is one of the highest-fat milks, containing up to 50% fat. MSN encarta livescience.com The high fat content of whale's milk is not a product of
cetacean's great size, as
guinea pig milk has an average fat content of 46%.
Human milk is not produced or distributed industrially or commercially; however, milk banks exist that allow for the collection of donated human milk and its redistribution to infants who may benefit from human milk for various reasons (premature neonates, babies with allergies or
Metabolic disorder, etc.).
All other female mammals do produce milk, but are rarely or never used to produce dairy products for human consumption.
Modern production
{| class="wikitable" align=left style="clear:left"! colspan=2|Top Ten Milk Producers — 2005
(1000 tonnes)|-| || style="padding-left:10px" | 91,940|-| || style="padding-left:10px" | 80,264.51|-| || style="padding-left:10px" | 32,179.48|-| || style="padding-left:10px" | 31,144.37|-| || style="padding-left:10px" | 29,672|-| || style="padding-left:10px" | 28,487.95|-| || style="padding-left:10px" | 26,133|-| || style="padding-left:10px" | 23,455|-| || style="padding-left:10px" | 14,577|-| || style="padding-left:10px" | 14,500|-|
World Total || style="padding-left:10px" |
372,353.31|-|colspan=2 style="font-size:.7em"|Source: UN Food & Agriculture Organisation ]'s milk is produced on an industrial scale. It is by far the most commonly consumed form of milk in the western world. Commercial
dairy farming using
automatic milking equipment produces the vast majority of milk in Developed country. Types of cattle such as the
Holstein (cattle) have been specially bred for increased milk production. According to McGee, 90% of the dairy cows in the United States and 85% in
Great Britain are Holsteins (McGee 12). Other milk cows in the United States include
Ayrshire cattle,
Brown Swiss,
Guernsey cattle,
Jersey cattle, and Milking Shorthorn. The largest producers of dairy products and milk today are India followed by the
United States FAO Food outlook: International dairy product prices are turning down: how far, how fast? FAO online publication, 1 June 2006 and New Zealand.
Price
It was reported in 2007 that with increased world-wide prosperity and the competition of biofuel production for feedstocks, both the demand for and the price of milk had substantially increased world wide. Particularly notable was the rapid increase of consumption of milk in China and the rise of the price of milk in the United States above the government subsidized price."A Thirst for Milk Bred by New Wealth Sends Prices Soaring" article by Wayne Arnold in the
New York Times September 4, 2007
Physical and chemical structure
Milk is an
emulsion of butterfat globules within a water-based fluid. Each fat globule is surrounded by a membrane consisting of
phospholipids and proteins; these emulsifiers keep the individual globules from joining together into noticeable grains of butterfat and also protect the globules from the fat-digesting activity of
enzymes found in the fluid portion of the milk. In unhomogenized cow's milk, the fat globules average about four
micrometres across. The
fat-soluble vitamins vitamin A, vitamin D,
vitamin E, and vitamin K are found within the milkfat portion of the milk (McGee 18).
. The largest structures in the fluid portion of the milk are casein protein micelles: aggregates of several thousand protein molecules, bonded with the help of nanometer-scale particles of
calcium phosphate. Each micelle is roughly spherical and about a tenth of a micrometer across. There are four different types of casein proteins, and collectively they make up around 80 percent of the protein in milk, by weight. Most of the casein proteins are bound into the micelles. There are several competing theories regarding the precise structure of the micelles, but they share one important feature: the outermost layer consists of strands of one type of protein, kappa-casein, reaching out from the body of the micelle into the surrounding fluid. These Kappa-casein molecules all have a negative electrical charge and therefore repel each other, keeping the micelles separated under normal conditions and in a stable
colloidal suspension (chemistry) in the water-based surrounding fluid Dairy Chemistry and Physics, webpage of University of Guelph (McGee 19–20).
Both the fat globules and the smaller casein micelles, which are just large enough to deflect light, contribute to the opaque white color of milk. The fat globules contain some yellow-orange carotene, enough in some breeds — Guernsey cattle and Jersey cattle cows, for instance — to impart a golden or "creamy" hue to a glass of milk. The riboflavin in the whey portion of milk has a greenish color, which can sometimes be discerned in skim milk or whey products (McGee 17). Fat-free skim milk has only the casein micelles to scatter light, and they tend to scatter shorter-wavelength blue light more than they do red, giving skim milk a bluish tint. Dairy Chemistry and Physics, webpage of University of Guelph
molecule being broken down into glucose and
galactose.
Milk contains dozens of other types of proteins besides the caseins. They are more water-soluble than the caseins and do not form larger structures. Because these proteins remain suspended in the
whey left behind when the caseins coagulate into curds, they are collectively known as
whey proteins. Whey proteins make up around twenty percent of the protein in milk, by weight. Lactoglobulin is the most common whey protein by a large margin (McGee 20–21).
The
carbohydrate lactose gives milk its sweet taste and contributes about 40% of whole cow milk's calories. Lactose is a composite of two Monosaccharide,
glucose and galactose. In nature, lactose is found only in milk and a small number of plants (McGee 17). Other components found in raw cow milk are living white blood cells. Mammary-gland cells, various
bacteria, and a large number of active enzymes are some other components in milk (McGee 16).
Processing
In most
western world countries, a centralised dairy facility processes milk and products obtained from milk (dairy products), such as
cream,
butter, and cheese. In the United States, these dairies are usually local companies, while in the southern hemisphere facilities may be run by very large nationwide or trans-national corporations (such as
Fonterra).
Pasteurization and raw milk
Pasteurization is used to kill harmful microorganisms by heating the milk for a short time and then cooling it for storage and transportation. Pasteurized milk is still perishable and must be stored cold by both suppliers and consumers. Dairies print
Distressed inventorys on each container, after which stores will remove any unsold milk from their shelves. In many countries it is illegal to sell milk that is not pasteurized.
Unfortunately, the heating destroys the vitamin C content and light further destroys other beneficial aspects of milk, being the reason that opaque containers are recommended for storage and transportation. Humans are among the few animals who cannot manufacture vitamin C so its presence in the natural milk of their mothers is essential for the health of human infants and vitamin supplements are necessary for human infants fed only pasteurized milk.
Milk may also be further heated to extend its
shelf life through ultra-high temperature treatment (
UHT), which allows it to be stored unrefrigerated, or even longer lasting Sterilization (microbiology).
Those preferring raw milk argue that the pasteurization process also kills beneficial microorganisms and other important nutritional constituents. The resulting pasteurized product is said to be less digestible, be less nutritious, and turns Rancidification (as opposed to
fermented milk) with age. However, unpasteurized milk can harbor harmful disease-causing bacteria such as
tuberculosis,
brucellosis, salmonella,
diphtheria, and
escherichia coli. Raw Milk Vs. Pasteurized Milk. Reproduction from Armchair Science, London 1938. The cows must be maintained in very sanitary conditions and a watchful eye kept as to disease testing and vaccinations for this to be completely safe. Cheeses made with raw milk are regarded as safer as the milk typically had to be heated to some extent anyway to make the cheese, and this would kill many of the dangerous organisms possibly present.
Creaming and homogenization
Upon standing for 12 to 24 hours, fresh milk has a tendency to separate into a high-fat cream layer on top of a larger, low-fat milk layer. The cream is often sold as a separate product with its own uses; today the separation of the cream from the milk is usually accomplished rapidly in
centrifuge cream separators. The fat globules rise to the top of a container of milk because fat is less dense than water. The smaller the globules, the more other molecular-level forces prevent this from happening. In fact, the cream rises in cow milk much more quickly than a simple model would predict: rather than isolated globules, the fat in the milk tends to form into clusters containing about a million globules, held together by a number of minor whey proteins (McGee 19). These clusters rise faster than individual globules can. The fat globules in milk from goats, sheep, and water buffalo do not form clusters so readily and are smaller to begin with; cream is very slow to separate from these milks (McGee 19)..Milk is often homogenization, a treatment which prevents a cream layer from separating out of the milk. The milk is pumped at high pressures through very narrow tubes, breaking up the fat globules through
turbulence and cavitation. Homogenization of Milk and Milk Products, webpage of University of Guelph A greater number of smaller particles possess more total surface area than a smaller number of larger ones, and the original fat globule membranes cannot completely cover them. Casein micelles are attracted to the newly-exposed fat surfaces; nearly one-third of the micelles in the milk end up participating in this new membrane structure. The casein weighs down the globules and interferes with the clustering that accelerated separation. The exposed fat globules are briefly vulnerable to certain
enzymes present in milk, which could break down the fats and produce
rancidity flavors. To prevent this, the enzymes are inactivated by pasteurizing the milk immediately before or during homogenization. Homogenized milk tastes blander but feels creamier in the mouth than unhomogenized; it is whiter and more resistant to developing off flavors (McGee 23). Creamline, or cream-top, milk is unhomogenized; it may or may not have been pasteurized. Some have suggested that homogenized milk is harder to digest or not as suited to some people as is unhomogenized milk. Unlike pasteurization, homogenization confers no health or safety benefits to the milk, only the convenience of not needing to shake the bottle oneself.
Unhomogenized milk has made a small comeback in a few areas, such as the west coast of the United States where Straus Family Creameries, based originally out of
Sonoma, sells one line of organic milk with the cream still on top in old-fashioned glass bottles. They still however pasteurize it to prevent harmful microorganisms.
Nutrition and health
The composition of milk differs widely between species. Factors such as the type of protein; the proportion of protein, fat, and sugar; the levels of various vitamins and minerals; and the size of the
butterfat globules and the strength of the
curd are among those than can vary. Introduction to Dairy Science and Technology, webpage of University of Guelph For example:
- breast milk contains, on average, 1.1% protein, 4.2% fat, 7.0% lactose (a sugar), and supplies 72 kcal of energy per 100 grams.
- Cow's milk contains, on average, 3.4% protein, 3.6% fat, and 4.6% lactose, and supplies 66 kcal of energy per 100 grams. See also Milk#Nutritional benefits further on.
Aquatic mammals, such as pinniped and whales, produce milk that is very rich in fats and other solid nutrients when compared with land mammals' milk.
=== Nutritional benefits ===
Processed milk began containing differing amounts of fat during the 1950s. A serving (1 cup or 250 ml) of 2%-fat milk contains 285 mg of calcium, which represents 22% to 29% of the daily recommended intake (DRI) of calcium for an adult. Depending on the age, 8 grams of
protein, and a number of other nutrients (either naturally or through fortification):
- Vitamin D and vitamin K are essential for bone health.
- Iodine is a mineral essential for thyroid function.
- Vitamin B12 and riboflavin are necessary for cardiovascular health and energy production, and B12 is difficult to get outside of animal products or else as supplemental pills.
- Biotin and pantothenic acid are B vitamins important for energy production.
- Vitamin A is critical for Immune system.
- Potassium and magnesium are for cardiovascular health.
- Selenium is a cancer-preventive Micromineral.
- Thiamine is a B-vitamin important for Cognition, especially memory
- Conjugated linoleic acid is a beneficial fatty acid that inhibits several types of cancer in mice, it has been shown to kill human skin cancer, colorectal cancer and breast cancer cells in vitro studies, and may help lower cholesterol and prevent atherosclerosis; only available in milk from Cattle feeding cows.
Studies show possible links between low-fat milk consumption and reduced risk of
arterial hypertension, coronary heart disease,colorectal cancer and
obesity. Overweight individuals who drink milk may benefit from decreased risk of
insulin resistance and type 2
Diabetes mellitus. Dairy's Role in Managing Blood Pressure, web page of the US National Dairy Council
Interestingly, a study has shown that for women desiring to have a child, those who consume full fat dairy products may actually slightly increase their fertility, while those consuming low fat dairy products may slightly reduce their fertility due to interference with ovulation. However, studies in this area are still inconsistent.
Nutritional/physiological detriments
- Milk contains casein, a substance that breaks down in the human stomach to produce the peptide casomorphin, an opioid that appears to act as a histamine releaser, and is suspected in some cases to aggravate the symptoms of autism.
- Lactose intolerance, discussed Milk#Lactose intolerance.
- Milk that has not received a fat content reduction is rich in saturated fat and cholesterol, which numerous sources have suggested as contributing to an increased risk of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease when consumed in excessive quantity. Low-fat and non-fat forms of milk may mitigate this risk.
- Milk allergy (CMA) is as an immunologically mediated adverse reaction to one or more cow's milk proteins. Rarely is it severe enough to cause death.
- There are some fringe groups debating the amount of calcium from milk that is actually absorbed by the human body. Calcium Rich Foods: Get All The Calcium You Need Without Milk However, calcium from dairy products has greater bio-availability than calcium from vegetable products. Brody T. Calcium and phosphate. In: Nutritional biochemistry. 2nd ed. Boston: Academic Press, 1999:761–94
- Several studies have shown that men who drink large amount of milk and consume dairy products may increase their risk of developing Parkinson's disease. The reason behind this is, however, not fully understood and it also remains unclear why this is not the case for women. H. Chen et al., Consumption of Dairy Products and Risk of Parkinson's Disease, American Journal of Epidemiology. 2007 May;165(9):998-1006
- Several sources suggest a correlation between high calcium intake (2000 mg per day, or twice the US recommended daily allowance, equivalent to six or more glasses of milk per day) and prostate cancer. Giovannucci, E. et al., Calcium and fructose intake in relation to risk of prostate cancer., Cancer Res. 1998 Feb 1;58(3):442-7. A large study specifically implicates dairy. Chan, J.M., Dairy products, calcium, and prostate cancer risk in the Physicians' Health Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2001 Oct;74(4):549-54. (disputed publication) A review published by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research states that at least eleven human population studies have linked excessive dairy product consumption and prostate cancer, however Randomized controlled trial data with appropriate controls only exists for calcium, not dairy produce, where there was no correlation.Chan JM et al., (2005) Role of diet in prostate cancer development and progression. J Clin Oncol 23:8152-60.
Controversy surrounding milk and milk production
A number of advocate groups have sprung up protesting that milk presents a health threat. While whole and other fattened forms of milk contain a large amount of saturated fat and cholesterol, factors which are known contributors to the risk of
heart disease and many individuals are lactose intolerant, no study has concluded any causal health risk to normal individuals consuming moderate quantities of skim and fat-free varieties of milk.
Common claims cited by anti-milk advocates:
- White blood cells -- Milk contains varying levels of white blood cells, depending upon the health of the source animals; controversy surrounds whether these are simply somatic cells or pus. Cohen, Rob. Your state's average pus count. Web page of the anti-dairy Dairy Education Board In the United States, one to seven drops of these cells are in every eight-ounce glass of milk, varying by state, according to guidelines set up by the Food and Drug Administration and statistics reported by the dairy industry. Greger, Michael. Paratuberculosis and Crohn's Disease: Got Milk? Pro-vegan online publication, January 2001 Only one state out of all fifty, Hawaii, has a Complete blood count lower than the dairy industry's recommendations; seventeen states produce milk that would be illegal to sell based on somatic cell limits in Europe.
No study has ever conclusively demonstrated that the levels of white blood cells found in normal milk actually pose any health risk to normal individuals.
- Bovine Growth Hormone(rbst) -- Since November 1993, with FDA approval, Monsanto has been selling Bovine Somatotropin--or rBGH--to dairy farmers. Additional bovine growth hormone is administered to cattle in order to increase their milk production, though the hormone also naturally fosters liver production of Insulin-like growth factor 1. The deposit thereof in the milk of rBGH-affected cattle has been the source of concern; however, all milk contains IGF1 since all milking cows produce bovine growth hormone naturally. The IGF1 in milk from rBGH-affected cattle does not vary from the range normally found in a non-supplemented cow.http://www.idfa.org/reg/biotech/talking2.cfm Elevated levels of IGF1 in human blood has been linked to increased rates of breast, colon, and prostate cancer by stimulating their growth, Kahan, Z et al., Elevated levels of circulating insulin-like growth factor-I, IGF-binding globulin-3 and testosterone predict hormone-dependent breast cancer in postmenopausal women: a case-control study. Int J Oncol. 2006 Jul;29(1):193-200. Pacher, M. et al., Impact of constitutive IGF1/IGF2 stimulation on the transcriptional program of human breast cancer cells. Carcinogenesis. 2006 Jun 14 though this has not been linked to milk consumption. European Union has recommended against Monsanto milk. International Scientific Committee Warns of Serious Risks of Breast and Prostate Cancer from Monsanto's Hormonal Milk. Press release of the Cancer Prevention Coalition. In addition, the cows receiving rBGH supplements may more frequently contract an udder infection known as mastitis, partly responsible for the aforementioned prevalence of blood cells in dairy products. Milk: Epstein, S., America's Health Problem. Web page of the Cancer Prevention Coalition. Milk from rBGH-affected cattle is banned in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan due to the mastitis problems. On June 2006#9 June 2006 the largest milk processor in the world and the two largest supermarkets in the United States--Dean Foods, Wal-Mart, and Kroger--announced that they are "on a nationwide search for rBGH-free milk ."
No study has indicated that consumption of rBST-produced milk increases IGF1 levels, nor has any study demonstrated an increased risk of any disease between those consuming rBST and non-rBST produced milk. In 1994, the FDA has concluded that no significant difference has been shown between milk derived from rBST-treated and non-rBST-treated cows, nor does any test exist which can differentiate between milk from rBST-treated and non-rBST treated cows. http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/ANS00564.html
==== Lactose intolerance ====
Lactose, the
disaccharide sugar component of all mammal, milk must be cleaved in the small intestine by the
enzyme lactase in order for it's constituents (
galactose and glucose) to be absorbed. The production of this enzyme declines significantly after
weaning in all mammals including humans (except for most northern westerners and a few other ethnic groups, lactase decline occurs after weaning, sometime between the ages of two and five). Once lactase levels have dropped, consumption of even minute amounts of dairy can cause diarrhea, Flatulence,
cramps and bloating, as the undigested lactose travels through the gastrointestinal tract and serves as nourishment for intestinal
microflora who excrete gas.
Nutrition - comparison by animal source
Milk Composition Analysis, per 100 grams{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"|-! Constituents! unit!
Cow! Goat!
Sheep! Water Buffalo cows produce milk of about 5.2% fat, [Zebu cows produce milk of about 4.7% fat,
Brown Swiss cows produce milk of about 4.0% fat, and
Holstein (cattle) cows produce milk of about 3.6% fat. The protein range for these four breeds is 3.3% to 3.9%, while the lactose range is 4.7% to 4.9%.
Milk fat percentages in all Beef cattle vary according to digestible fibre, starch and oil intakeshttp://www.kt.iger.bbsrc.ac.uk/FACT%20sheet%20PDF%20files/kt21.pdf, and can therefore be manipulated by dairy farmers' diet formulation strategies. Mastitis infection can cause fat levels to decline.http://books.google.com/books?id=qJgdAEhQvnMC&pg=PA226&lpg=PA226&dq=mastitis+and+milk+fat+levels&source=web&ots=PrguNhnHdm&sig=W_MS2A7FWTBksmBYvZZk38dRh4A
==Varieties and brands== Cow's milk is generally available in several varieties. In some countries these are:
- Full cream (or "whole" in US and UK, "homo milk" in Canada & some US dairies, about 3.25% fat)
- Semi-skimmed ("reduced fat" or "low fat", about 1.5-1.8% fat)
- Skimmed (about 0.1% fat)
Milk in the U.S. and Canada is sold as:
- Whole varieties
- 2% (reduced fat)
- 1% (low fat)
-
's milk.Milk is an opaque white liquid produced by the mammary glands of female mammals (including monotremes). Mammary glands are highly specialized sweat glands. The female ability to produce milk is one of the defining characteristics of mammals. It provides the primary source of nutrition for infant before they are able to digestion other types of food. The early lactation milk is known as colostrum, and carries the mother's antibody to the baby. It can reduce the risk of many diseases in the baby. Males of all mammal species retain the breasts that are part of the fundamental mammalian animal structure, hence their nipples. Lactation occurs in males in certain rare circumstances, both naturally and artificially, however, some pharmaceuticals precipitate lactation in males readily. The exact components of raw milk varies by species, but it contains significant amounts of saturated fat, protein and calcium as well as vitamin C.
Types of milk consumption
There are two distinct types of milk consumption: a natural source of nutrition for all infant mammals; and a food product for humans of all ages derived from other animals.
Nutrition for infant mammals
In almost all mammals, milk is fed to infants through breastfeeding, either directly or, for humans, by breastfeeding#expression the milk to be stored and consumed later. Some cultures, historically or presently, continue to use breast milk to feed their children until as old as seven years. . . . or just go with the flow?. The Times, May 5, 2005.
Food product for humans
In many cultures of the world, especially the Western world, humans continue to consume milk beyond infancy, using the milk of other animals (in particular, cows) as a food product. For millennia, cow's milk has been processed into dairy products such as cream, butter, yogurt, ice cream, and especially the more durable and easily transportable product, cheese. Industrial science has brought us casein, whey protein, lactose, condensed milk, powdered milk, and many other food-additive and industrial products.
Some mammals lose the ability to digest milk properly if a long period passes without consumption of it after weaning. In many ethnic groups, people lose the ability to digest milk after childhood (that is, they become lactose intolerant), so many traditional cuisines around the world, such as Chinese cuisine, do not feature dairy products. On the other hand, those groups that do continue to tolerate milk often have exercised great creativity in using the milk of domestication ruminants, not only of cows, but also sheep, goats, yaks, water buffalo, horses, and camels.
The term milk is also used for whitish non-animal substitutes such as soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, and coconut milk. Even the regurgitated substance Columbidae feed their young is called crop milk though it bears little resemblance to mammalian milk.
History
cattle, the dominant breed in industrialized dairying today.
Milking has its advent in the very evolution of placental mammals. While the exact time of its appearance is not known, the immediate ancestors of modern mammals were much like monotremes, including the platypus. Such animals today produce a milk-like substance from glands on the surface of their skin, but without the nipple, for their offspring to drink after hatching from their eggs. Likewise, marsupials, the closest cousin to placental mammals, produce a milk-like substance from a teat-like organ in their pouches. The earliest immediate ancestor of placental mammals known seems to be eomaia, a small creature superficially resembling rodents, that is thought to have lived 125 million years ago, during the Cretaceous era. It almost certainly produced what would be considered milk, in the same way as modern placental mammals.
Animal milk is first known to have been used as human food at the beginning of animal domestication. Cow's milk was first used as human food in the Middle East. Goats and sheep were domesticated in the Middle East between 9000 and 8000 BC. Goats and sheep are ruminants: mammals adapted to survive on a diet of dry grass, a food source otherwise useless to humans, and one that is easily stockpiled. The animals were probably first kept for meat and hides, but dairying proved to be a more efficient way of turning uncultivated grasslands into sustenance: the food value of an animal killed for meat can be matched by perhaps one year's worth of milk from the same animal, which will keep producing milk — in convenient daily portions — for years (McGee 8–10).
Around 7000 BC, cattle were being herded in parts of Turkey. There is evidence of milk consumption in the British Isles during the Neolithic period. The use of cheese and butter spread in Europe, parts of Asia and parts of Africa. Domestic cows, which previously existed throughout much of Eurasia, were then introduced to the colonies of Europe during the Age of exploration.
Other milk animals
In addition to cows, the following animals provide milk used by humans for dairy products:
- Sheep (the ewe)
- Goats (the nanny)
- Horses (the mare)
- Donkeys
- Camels (including the South American camelids)
- Yaks
- Water buffalos
- Reindeers
In Russia and Sweden, small moose's milk also exist. Donkey and horse milk have the lowest fat content, while the milk of pinnipeds contains more than 50% fat. Milk From Cows and Other Animals, web page by Washington Dairy Products Commission
Whale's milk, not used for human consumption, is one of the highest-fat milks, containing up to 50% fat. MSN encarta livescience.com The high fat content of whale's milk is not a product of cetacean's great size, as guinea pig milk has an average fat content of 46%.
Human milk is not produced or distributed industrially or commercially; however, milk banks exist that allow for the collection of donated human milk and its redistribution to infants who may benefit from human milk for various reasons (premature neonates, babies with allergies or Metabolic disorder, etc.).
All other female mammals do produce milk, but are rarely or never used to produce dairy products for human consumption.
Modern production
{| class="wikitable" align=left style="clear:left"! colspan=2|Top Ten Milk Producers — 2005
(1000 tonnes)|-| || style="padding-left:10px" | 91,940|-| || style="padding-left:10px" | 80,264.51|-| || style="padding-left:10px" | 32,179.48|-| || style="padding-left:10px" | 31,144.37|-| || style="padding-left:10px" | 29,672|-| || style="padding-left:10px" | 28,487.95|-| || style="padding-left:10px" | 26,133|-| || style="padding-left:10px" | 23,455|-| || style="padding-left:10px" | 14,577|-| || style="padding-left:10px" | 14,500|-|World Total || style="padding-left:10px" | 372,353.31|-|colspan=2 style="font-size:.7em"|Source: UN Food & Agriculture Organisation ]'s milk is produced on an industrial scale. It is by far the most commonly consumed form of milk in the western world. Commercial dairy farming using automatic milking equipment produces the vast majority of milk in Developed country. Types of cattle such as the Holstein (cattle) have been specially bred for increased milk production. According to McGee, 90% of the dairy cows in the United States and 85% in Great Britain are Holsteins (McGee 12). Other milk cows in the United States include Ayrshire cattle, Brown Swiss, Guernsey cattle, Jersey cattle, and Milking Shorthorn. The largest producers of dairy products and milk today are India followed by the United States FAO Food outlook: International dairy product prices are turning down: how far, how fast? FAO online publication, 1 June 2006 and New Zealand.
Price
It was reported in 2007 that with increased world-wide prosperity and the competition of biofuel production for feedstocks, both the demand for and the price of milk had substantially increased world wide. Particularly notable was the rapid increase of consumption of milk in China and the rise of the price of milk in the United States above the government subsidized price."A Thirst for Milk Bred by New Wealth Sends Prices Soaring" article by Wayne Arnold in the New York Times September 4, 2007
Physical and chemical structure
Milk is an emulsion of butterfat globules within a water-based fluid. Each fat globule is surrounded by a membrane consisting of phospholipids and proteins; these emulsifiers keep the individual globules from joining together into noticeable grains of butterfat and also protect the globules from the fat-digesting activity of enzymes found in the fluid portion of the milk. In unhomogenized cow's milk, the fat globules average about four micrometres across. The fat-soluble vitamins vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin K are found within the milkfat portion of the milk (McGee 18).
. The largest structures in the fluid portion of the milk are casein protein micelles: aggregates of several thousand protein molecules, bonded with the help of nanometer-scale particles of calcium phosphate. Each micelle is roughly spherical and about a tenth of a micrometer across. There are four different types of casein proteins, and collectively they make up around 80 percent of the protein in milk, by weight. Most of the casein proteins are bound into the micelles. There are several competing theories regarding the precise structure of the micelles, but they share one important feature: the outermost layer consists of strands of one type of protein, kappa-casein, reaching out from the body of the micelle into the surrounding fluid. These Kappa-casein molecules all have a negative electrical charge and therefore repel each other, keeping the micelles separated under normal conditions and in a stable colloidal suspension (chemistry) in the water-based surrounding fluid Dairy Chemistry and Physics, webpage of University of Guelph (McGee 19–20).
Both the fat globules and the smaller casein micelles, which are just large enough to deflect light, contribute to the opaque white color of milk. The fat globules contain some yellow-orange carotene, enough in some breeds — Guernsey cattle and Jersey cattle cows, for instance — to impart a golden or "creamy" hue to a glass of milk. The riboflavin in the whey portion of milk has a greenish color, which can sometimes be discerned in skim milk or whey products (McGee 17). Fat-free skim milk has only the casein micelles to scatter light, and they tend to scatter shorter-wavelength blue light more than they do red, giving skim milk a bluish tint. Dairy Chemistry and Physics, webpage of University of Guelph
molecule being broken down into glucose and galactose.
Milk contains dozens of other types of proteins besides the caseins. They are more water-soluble than the caseins and do not form larger structures. Because these proteins remain suspended in the whey left behind when the caseins coagulate into curds, they are collectively known as whey proteins. Whey proteins make up around twenty percent of the protein in milk, by weight. Lactoglobulin is the most common whey protein by a large margin (McGee 20–21).
The carbohydrate lactose gives milk its sweet taste and contributes about 40% of whole cow milk's calories. Lactose is a composite of two Monosaccharide, glucose and galactose. In nature, lactose is found only in milk and a small number of plants (McGee 17). Other components found in raw cow milk are living white blood cells. Mammary-gland cells, various bacteria, and a large number of active enzymes are some other components in milk (McGee 16).
Processing
In most western world countries, a centralised dairy facility processes milk and products obtained from milk (dairy products), such as cream, butter, and cheese. In the United States, these dairies are usually local companies, while in the southern hemisphere facilities may be run by very large nationwide or trans-national corporations (such as Fonterra).
Pasteurization and raw milk
Pasteurization is used to kill harmful microorganisms by heating the milk for a short time and then cooling it for storage and transportation. Pasteurized milk is still perishable and must be stored cold by both suppliers and consumers. Dairies print Distressed inventorys on each container, after which stores will remove any unsold milk from their shelves. In many countries it is illegal to sell milk that is not pasteurized.
Unfortunately, the heating destroys the vitamin C content and light further destroys other beneficial aspects of milk, being the reason that opaque containers are recommended for storage and transportation. Humans are among the few animals who cannot manufacture vitamin C so its presence in the natural milk of their mothers is essential for the health of human infants and vitamin supplements are necessary for human infants fed only pasteurized milk.
Milk may also be further heated to extend its shelf life through ultra-high temperature treatment (UHT), which allows it to be stored unrefrigerated, or even longer lasting Sterilization (microbiology).
Those preferring raw milk argue that the pasteurization process also kills beneficial microorganisms and other important nutritional constituents. The resulting pasteurized product is said to be less digestible, be less nutritious, and turns Rancidification (as opposed to fermented milk) with age. However, unpasteurized milk can harbor harmful disease-causing bacteria such as tuberculosis, brucellosis, salmonella, diphtheria, and escherichia coli. Raw Milk Vs. Pasteurized Milk. Reproduction from Armchair Science, London 1938. The cows must be maintained in very sanitary conditions and a watchful eye kept as to disease testing and vaccinations for this to be completely safe. Cheeses made with raw milk are regarded as safer as the milk typically had to be heated to some extent anyway to make the cheese, and this would kill many of the dangerous organisms possibly present.
Creaming and homogenization
Upon standing for 12 to 24 hours, fresh milk has a tendency to separate into a high-fat cream layer on top of a larger, low-fat milk layer. The cream is often sold as a separate product with its own uses; today the separation of the cream from the milk is usually accomplished rapidly in centrifuge cream separators. The fat globules rise to the top of a container of milk because fat is less dense than water. The smaller the globules, the more other molecular-level forces prevent this from happening. In fact, the cream rises in cow milk much more quickly than a simple model would predict: rather than isolated globules, the fat in the milk tends to form into clusters containing about a million globules, held together by a number of minor whey proteins (McGee 19). These clusters rise faster than individual globules can. The fat globules in milk from goats, sheep, and water buffalo do not form clusters so readily and are smaller to begin with; cream is very slow to separate from these milks (McGee 19)..Milk is often homogenization, a treatment which prevents a cream layer from separating out of the milk. The milk is pumped at high pressures through very narrow tubes, breaking up the fat globules through turbulence and cavitation. Homogenization of Milk and Milk Products, webpage of University of Guelph A greater number of smaller particles possess more total surface area than a smaller number of larger ones, and the original fat globule membranes cannot completely cover them. Casein micelles are attracted to the newly-exposed fat surfaces; nearly one-third of the micelles in the milk end up participating in this new membrane structure. The casein weighs down the globules and interferes with the clustering that accelerated separation. The exposed fat globules are briefly vulnerable to certain enzymes present in milk, which could break down the fats and produce rancidity flavors. To prevent this, the enzymes are inactivated by pasteurizing the milk immediately before or during homogenization. Homogenized milk tastes blander but feels creamier in the mouth than unhomogenized; it is whiter and more resistant to developing off flavors (McGee 23). Creamline, or cream-top, milk is unhomogenized; it may or may not have been pasteurized. Some have suggested that homogenized milk is harder to digest or not as suited to some people as is unhomogenized milk. Unlike pasteurization, homogenization confers no health or safety benefits to the milk, only the convenience of not needing to shake the bottle oneself.
Unhomogenized milk has made a small comeback in a few areas, such as the west coast of the United States where Straus Family Creameries, based originally out of Sonoma, sells one line of organic milk with the cream still on top in old-fashioned glass bottles. They still however pasteurize it to prevent harmful microorganisms.
Nutrition and health
The composition of milk differs widely between species. Factors such as the type of protein; the proportion of protein, fat, and sugar; the levels of various vitamins and minerals; and the size of the butterfat globules and the strength of the curd are among those than can vary. Introduction to Dairy Science and Technology, webpage of University of Guelph For example:
- breast milk contains, on average, 1.1% protein, 4.2% fat, 7.0% lactose (a sugar), and supplies 72 kcal of energy per 100 grams.
- Cow's milk contains, on average, 3.4% protein, 3.6% fat, and 4.6% lactose, and supplies 66 kcal of energy per 100 grams. See also Milk#Nutritional benefits further on.
Aquatic mammals, such as pinniped and whales, produce milk that is very rich in fats and other solid nutrients when compared with land mammals' milk.
=== Nutritional benefits ===
Processed milk began containing differing amounts of fat during the 1950s. A serving (1 cup or 250 ml) of 2%-fat milk contains 285 mg of calcium, which represents 22% to 29% of the daily recommended intake (DRI) of calcium for an adult. Depending on the age, 8 grams of protein, and a number of other nutrients (either naturally or through fortification):
- Vitamin D and vitamin K are essential for bone health.
- Iodine is a mineral essential for thyroid function.
- Vitamin B12 and riboflavin are necessary for cardiovascular health and energy production, and B12 is difficult to get outside of animal products or else as supplemental pills.
- Biotin and pantothenic acid are B vitamins important for energy production.
- Vitamin A is critical for Immune system.
- Potassium and magnesium are for cardiovascular health.
- Selenium is a cancer-preventive Micromineral.
- Thiamine is a B-vitamin important for Cognition, especially memory
- Conjugated linoleic acid is a beneficial fatty acid that inhibits several types of cancer in mice, it has been shown to kill human skin cancer, colorectal cancer and breast cancer cells in vitro studies, and may help lower cholesterol and prevent atherosclerosis; only available in milk from Cattle feeding cows.
Studies show possible links between low-fat milk consumption and reduced risk of arterial hypertension, coronary heart disease,colorectal cancer and obesity. Overweight individuals who drink milk may benefit from decreased risk of insulin resistance and type 2 Diabetes mellitus. Dairy's Role in Managing Blood Pressure, web page of the US National Dairy Council
Interestingly, a study has shown that for women desiring to have a child, those who consume full fat dairy products may actually slightly increase their fertility, while those consuming low fat dairy products may slightly reduce their fertility due to interference with ovulation. However, studies in this area are still inconsistent.
Nutritional/physiological detriments
- Milk contains casein, a substance that breaks down in the human stomach to produce the peptide casomorphin, an opioid that appears to act as a histamine releaser, and is suspected in some cases to aggravate the symptoms of autism.
- Lactose intolerance, discussed Milk#Lactose intolerance.
- Milk that has not received a fat content reduction is rich in saturated fat and cholesterol, which numerous sources have suggested as contributing to an increased risk of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease when consumed in excessive quantity. Low-fat and non-fat forms of milk may mitigate this risk.
- Milk allergy (CMA) is as an immunologically mediated adverse reaction to one or more cow's milk proteins. Rarely is it severe enough to cause death.
- There are some fringe groups debating the amount of calcium from milk that is actually absorbed by the human body. Calcium Rich Foods: Get All The Calcium You Need Without Milk However, calcium from dairy products has greater bio-availability than calcium from vegetable products. Brody T. Calcium and phosphate. In: Nutritional biochemistry. 2nd ed. Boston: Academic Press, 1999:761–94
- Several studies have shown that men who drink large amount of milk and consume dairy products may increase their risk of developing Parkinson's disease. The reason behind this is, however, not fully understood and it also remains unclear why this is not the case for women. H. Chen et al., Consumption of Dairy Products and Risk of Parkinson's Disease, American Journal of Epidemiology. 2007 May;165(9):998-1006
- Several sources suggest a correlation between high calcium intake (2000 mg per day, or twice the US recommended daily allowance, equivalent to six or more glasses of milk per day) and prostate cancer. Giovannucci, E. et al., Calcium and fructose intake in relation to risk of prostate cancer., Cancer Res. 1998 Feb 1;58(3):442-7. A large study specifically implicates dairy. Chan, J.M., Dairy products, calcium, and prostate cancer risk in the Physicians' Health Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2001 Oct;74(4):549-54. (disputed publication) A review published by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research states that at least eleven human population studies have linked excessive dairy product consumption and prostate cancer, however Randomized controlled trial data with appropriate controls only exists for calcium, not dairy produce, where there was no correlation.Chan JM et al., (2005) Role of diet in prostate cancer development and progression. J Clin Oncol 23:8152-60.
Controversy surrounding milk and milk production
A number of advocate groups have sprung up protesting that milk presents a health threat. While whole and other fattened forms of milk contain a large amount of saturated fat and cholesterol, factors which are known contributors to the risk of heart disease and many individuals are lactose intolerant, no study has concluded any causal health risk to normal individuals consuming moderate quantities of skim and fat-free varieties of milk.
Common claims cited by anti-milk advocates:
- White blood cells -- Milk contains varying levels of white blood cells, depending upon the health of the source animals; controversy surrounds whether these are simply somatic cells or pus. Cohen, Rob. Your state's average pus count. Web page of the anti-dairy Dairy Education Board In the United States, one to seven drops of these cells are in every eight-ounce glass of milk, varying by state, according to guidelines set up by the Food and Drug Administration and statistics reported by the dairy industry. Greger, Michael. Paratuberculosis and Crohn's Disease: Got Milk? Pro-vegan online publication, January 2001 Only one state out of all fifty, Hawaii, has a Complete blood count lower than the dairy industry's recommendations; seventeen states produce milk that would be illegal to sell based on somatic cell limits in Europe.
No study has ever conclusively demonstrated that the levels of white blood cells found in normal milk actually pose any health risk to normal individuals.
- Bovine Growth Hormone(rbst) -- Since November 1993, with FDA approval, Monsanto has been selling Bovine Somatotropin--or rBGH--to dairy farmers. Additional bovine growth hormone is administered to cattle in order to increase their milk production, though the hormone also naturally fosters liver production of Insulin-like growth factor 1. The deposit thereof in the milk of rBGH-affected cattle has been the source of concern; however, all milk contains IGF1 since all milking cows produce bovine growth hormone naturally. The IGF1 in milk from rBGH-affected cattle does not vary from the range normally found in a non-supplemented cow.http://www.idfa.org/reg/biotech/talking2.cfm Elevated levels of IGF1 in human blood has been linked to increased rates of breast, colon, and prostate cancer by stimulating their growth, Kahan, Z et al., Elevated levels of circulating insulin-like growth factor-I, IGF-binding globulin-3 and testosterone predict hormone-dependent breast cancer in postmenopausal women: a case-control study. Int J Oncol. 2006 Jul;29(1):193-200. Pacher, M. et al., Impact of constitutive IGF1/IGF2 stimulation on the transcriptional program of human breast cancer cells. Carcinogenesis. 2006 Jun 14 though this has not been linked to milk consumption. European Union has recommended against Monsanto milk. International Scientific Committee Warns of Serious Risks of Breast and Prostate Cancer from Monsanto's Hormonal Milk. Press release of the Cancer Prevention Coalition. In addition, the cows receiving rBGH supplements may more frequently contract an udder infection known as mastitis, partly responsible for the aforementioned prevalence of blood cells in dairy products. Milk: Epstein, S., America's Health Problem. Web page of the Cancer Prevention Coalition. Milk from rBGH-affected cattle is banned in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan due to the mastitis problems. On June 2006#9 June 2006 the largest milk processor in the world and the two largest supermarkets in the United States--Dean Foods, Wal-Mart, and Kroger--announced that they are "on a nationwide search for rBGH-free milk ."
No study has indicated that consumption of rBST-produced milk increases IGF1 levels, nor has any study demonstrated an increased risk of any disease between those consuming rBST and non-rBST produced milk. In 1994, the FDA has concluded that no significant difference has been shown between milk derived from rBST-treated and non-rBST-treated cows, nor does any test exist which can differentiate between milk from rBST-treated and non-rBST treated cows. http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/ANS00564.html
==== Lactose intolerance ====
Lactose, the disaccharide sugar component of all mammal, milk must be cleaved in the small intestine by the enzyme lactase in order for it's constituents (galactose and glucose) to be absorbed. The production of this enzyme declines significantly after weaning in all mammals including humans (except for most northern westerners and a few other ethnic groups, lactase decline occurs after weaning, sometime between the ages of two and five). Once lactase levels have dropped, consumption of even minute amounts of dairy can cause diarrhea, Flatulence, cramps and bloating, as the undigested lactose travels through the gastrointestinal tract and serves as nourishment for intestinal microflora who excrete gas.
Nutrition - comparison by animal source
Milk Composition Analysis, per 100 grams{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"|-! Constituents! unit! Cow! Goat! Sheep! Water Buffalo cows produce milk of about 5.2% fat, [Zebu cows produce milk of about 4.7% fat, Brown Swiss cows produce milk of about 4.0% fat, and Holstein (cattle) cows produce milk of about 3.6% fat. The protein range for these four breeds is 3.3% to 3.9%, while the lactose range is 4.7% to 4.9%.
Milk fat percentages in all Beef cattle vary according to digestible fibre, starch and oil intakeshttp://www.kt.iger.bbsrc.ac.uk/FACT%20sheet%20PDF%20files/kt21.pdf, and can therefore be manipulated by dairy farmers' diet formulation strategies. Mastitis infection can cause fat levels to decline.http://books.google.com/books?id=qJgdAEhQvnMC&pg=PA226&lpg=PA226&dq=mastitis+and+milk+fat+levels&source=web&ots=PrguNhnHdm&sig=W_MS2A7FWTBksmBYvZZk38dRh4A
==Varieties and brands== Cow's milk is generally available in several varieties. In some countries these are:
- Full cream (or "whole" in US and UK, "homo milk" in Canada & some US dairies, about 3.25% fat)
- Semi-skimmed ("reduced fat" or "low fat", about 1.5-1.8% fat)
- Skimmed (about 0.1% fat)
Milk in the U.S. and Canada is sold as:
- Whole varieties
- 2% (reduced fat)
- 1% (low fat)
-
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