The Biochemistry of

Milk
Ch. 23

How do you milk a cow?

Video
http://www.moomilk.com/faq.htm#
To%20make

The Complex Nature of

Milk
Milk supplies the calcium for
building bones and teeth,
especially during adolescence
Milk is 87% water

However

thats a solvent for over 250

chemical compounds, milk sugar (what is
the name for milk sugar_____?____)
water-soluble vitamins and trace
minerals and salts

Protein

Two main proteins make up milk:

80%

Casein = milk protein

20% Whey = milk protein

Micelles = an aggregation or
cluster, of molecules, often found in
colloidal dispersions

The light reflecting from micelles makes milk

white

As long as milk keeps its normal

acidity level, about pH 6.6, casein
remains stable

Protein Continued

When the pH level decreases the milk

forms lumps or coagulates.
Curds = The casein clumps that
separate from the liquid when milk
coagulates

When cooking with milk you can prevent curdling by

using starch to thicken the milk
If you want to coagulate milk, you can use the
enzyme rennin or vinegar.

Whey = protein found in the liquid that

remains after fat and casein have been
removed from milk.

Whey is also called serum protein

Fats

Milk is an emulsion because small globules

of fat (lipid) are dispersed throughout the
water
Creaming = process in which some of the
fat droplets come together in larger clusters
that rise and float to the top of the milk

These clusters rise to the surface because fat is less

dense than the watery portion of milk

Cream = simply milk that is extra rich in

emulsified fat droplets

The fat in cows milk are most complex lipids, over 400
different fatty acids
Click For Milk Experiment

Carbohydrate

Lactose or milk sugar is the main

carbohydrate

Lactose provides food energy

Also adds body to milk as well as a sweet flavor
When milk is heated, lactose reacts with amino
acids in the protein (giving cooked milk a
slightly caramel flavor)
When you consume milk, lactose becomes
available to the body because of the enzyme
lactase.
This enzyme breaks lactose down into
galactose and glucose, which is used in the
body for fermentation during digestion.

Carbohydrate Continued

Do you know someone who cannot

drink milk???
People

can be lactose intolerance =

the inability to digest milk due to the
absence of the enzyme lactase in the
intestines

People who are lactose intolerant cannot

break down lactose in their body. When they
drink the milk they can have bloating,
stomach cramps and diarrhea.!!! -NOT FUN

Minerals and Vitamins

Milk has salt that occurs naturally

Salts

in milk include chlorides and

phosphates (in very low amounts)
Salt in milk helps prevent curdling
If an acid is added to milk (what would be
an example of an acid), the pH lowers
which removes the calcium ions from the
casein, making the milk curdle forming
_____and _______
Four vitamins found naturally in milk,
riboflavin is found in the largest quantity.

Breaks down when exposed to light

Pasteurization
Shelf Life = time a food product
can be stored before deteriorating.
When pasteurizing milk, its heated
to high temperatures for a short
time to destroy harmful bacteria

Pasteurization

denatures enzymes that

cause milk to spoil
Pasteurization has a small effect on milks
nutritional value, creating a slight loss of
thiamin, vitamin B12, vitamin C
DO YOU THIN THAT DRINKING
UNPASTURIZED MILK IS BETTER FOR YOU?

Homogenization

Under pressure of 2,000 to 2,500

pounds per square inch, milk is
forced through small openings in a
machine called a homogenizer
The

fat particles break down, an

emulsifier surrounds the fat particle,
which keeps the particles permanently
separated

As a result the milk you buy does not have

cream on the top.

Fortification

Fortification = the addition of a

nutrient to a food
Ex.

What nutrient is milk fortified

with___?___

Without vitamin D, your body cant absorb

calcium and phosphorus very well.
To fortify milk with vitamin D, it may be
exposed to ultraviolet light, which convert
some of the milk fat components to
vitamin d

Fluid Milk/ UltrahighTemperature Milk (UHT)

Fluid milk is categorized by fat content

Whole

milk 8g fat
Reduce-fat milk (2%) 5g fat
Low-fat milk (1%) - 2.5g fat
Fat-free milk trace fat

Ultrahigh-Temperature Milk (UHT)

With

special processing milk can be stored

without refrigeration for three months

This is called UHT because its prepared by heating

for a short time at ultrahigh temperatures.
Placed in special sealed packages
Flavor improves over time

Concentrated Milk

Evaporated milk is whole milk that has

been heated at low pressures, causing up
to 60% if the water present to evaporate
at temperatures well below milks normal
boiling point.
Carrageenin = a vegetable gum, is often
added to evaporated milk before
processing to stabilize the casein proteins
Sweetened condensed milk canned
product in which 50% of the water has
been removed and sugar added.

Sweetened condensed milk is 44% sugar

Cream/Dry Milk

Half-and-half = is 10.5-18% fat

Light cream = 18-30% fat
Light whipping cream = 30-36% fat
Heavy whipping cream = contains at least
36% fat
Dry Milk water is removed, leaving a dry
solid material

Milk Solids = proteins, carbohydrates, fat,

minerals, and vitamins that were dissolved in
the liquid portion of the milk

Nonfat milk has a longer shelf life because it has the

least amount of fat (used for baking an enriching
products)

Cultured Milk Products

Culture = controlled bacterial population that is

added to milk

The starter bacteria produce acid and flavors that are

characteristic of each fermented milk product.

Commercial producers use lactic-acid bacteria to break down

lactose

Inoculation = adding the starter culture to milk

during the fermentation process that produces
different cultured milk products
Incubation period = time needed for bacteria to
grow and ferment the milk during the process of
culturing milk to make various products finally
its cooled down to stop or slow bacterial growth
What are some examples of cultured foods???

Buttermilk/Sour
Cream/Yogurt

Buttermilk used to be the fluid left over

from producing butter, today its a
cultured product prepared from low-fat
milk
Sour Cream culture of streptococcus
lactis is added to cream.
Yogurt eastern European food, yogurt
contains lactose, lactic acid, B vitamins
and high concentrations of protein

Yogurt is prepared by adding a bacterial culture to

milk that has been heated

Bacteria used to making yogurt must be incubated

between 41C-45C for around 8 hours

Cheese

Cheese is made by coagulating the

casein protein in milk.

Once the curds have formed, the whey is drained

away. (heating and cutting the whey helps this
drain)
The curd is then treated and allowed to ripen

During ripening, the cheese is hung for at least 60

days, some take months

Four main categories of cheese are based on

moisture content:
Very hard cheese parmesan and Romano
2. Hard cheese cheddar, Colby and provolone
3. Semi-Soft cheese Munster, Roquefort, and stilton
4. Soft cheese brie, camembert, and mozzarella
Unripened Cheese cottage cheese and cream cheese
1.

Storing and Cooking with

Milk

How many of you leave milk on your table

when eating dinner??

Milk retains its quality for 1-3 weeks

when properly stored

Is that safe?? Even if its for hour?

Extra credit for someone who can tell me the correct

temperature

Remember riboflavin is sensitive to light

Would whole milk or low fat milk spoil
faster or would they spoil at the same
time?

Making Foams

Several factors affect the ability of

cream to make a foam.

Fat content higher the fat level, the better

the foam
Temperature cold temperature increase
the viscosity , including the beaters and
bowl
Amount of cream whipping small amounts
of cream usually gives better results than
whipping large amounts
Sugar content adding sugar decreases
both the volume and stiffness of the foam,
its best to add sugar after the cream has
reached the desired consistency

Heating Milk

Milk is sensitive and highly reactive

to heat

Heat denatures and coagulates the

whey proteins of fresh milk, causing
them to precipitate
Precipitate

= to cause a solid substance to

separate from a solution

To prevent milk from scorching put milk in a

double boiler or heat over VERY LOW
TEMPERATURE
What happens to milk when you heat milk in a
sauce pan that is not stirred?!??
Skin develops, if you try to remove the skin it
will regenerate and you lose milk solids
What is curdling and how does it happen

Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

How does casein react to acids?

How are casein and why alike and
different?
What makes milk a solution, a colloidal
dispersion, and an emulsion?
Why is lactose a valuable nutrient in
milk?
How do salts prevent milk from curdling?
How is milk processed? What is the
purpose of each type of processing?

Questions Continued
7.

8.
9.
10.
11.

12.

What does the phrase whole milk mean?

How does whole milk compare to other
classifications of milk?
What is the difference between sweetened
condensed milk and evaporated milk?
How are cultured milk products made?
Explain what ripening is and why its needed
to make cheese.
To make a cream foam, would you get better
results by using light or heavy whipping
cream? WHY?
What might happen if you leave an open
pan of milk over high heat without stirring?