Types of milk

Milk

Milk is the substance created by nature to feed the mammalian offspring. All species of mammals produce milk for this purpose.These included cows, buffaloes, sheep, goats and camels, all of which are still used in various parts of the world for the production of milk for human use.

Types Of Milk 

These are the following types of milk available in the market Under the FSSR (2011)

1) Buffalo milk

The legal standards for buffalo milk stipulate that it may be either raw, pasteurized, boiled, flavored or sterilized milk containing minimum milk fat of 6% and minimum milk SNF of 9% in the states of Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, whereas in states/Union Territories like Andaman and Nicobar, Andhra Pradesh, Dadra and Nagar-Haveli, Goa, Daman and Diu, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Lakshadweep, Tamilnadu, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Karnataka, Nagaland, Orissa, Pondicherry, Rajasthan and Tripura, the minimum milk fat is 5% and minimum milk SNF is 9%.

2) Cow milk

The legal standards for cow milk prescribe that it may be either raw, pasteurized, boiled, flavored or sterilized milk containing minimum milk fat of 3.2% and minimum milk SNF of 8.3% .It is Light yellow in color due higher carotene content.

3) Goat or sheep milk

The legal standards for Goat or sheep milk specify that it may be either raw, pasteurized, boiled, flavored or sterilized milk containing minimum milk fat of 3.5% and minimum milk SNF of 9% in the states of Chandigarh, Haryana, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, whereas in Andaman and Nicobar, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Dadra and Nagar-Haveli, Delhi, Gujarat, Goa, Daman and Diu, Himachal Pradesh, Lakshadweep, Tamilnadu, Manipur, Karnataka, Nagaland, Orissa, Pondicherry, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Tripura, the minimum milk fat is 3.0% and minimum milk SNF is 9%.

4) Standardized milk

The legal standards for standardized milk stipulate that it is used for liquid milk consumption and should contain minimum milk fat of 4.5% and minimum milk SNF of 8.5% throughout India.

5) Recombined milk

It should contain minimum milk fat of 3% and minimum milk SNF of 8.5%.

6) Toned milk

It should contain minimum milk fat of 3% and minimum milk SNF of 8.5%.

7) Double toned milk

It should contain minimum milk fat of 1.5% and minimum milk SNF of 9%.

8) Skim milk

It should contain maximum milk fat of 0.5% and minimum milk SNF of 8.7%.

9) Full cream milk

To cater to the need of growing children and high income group people who wish to purchase the whole buffalo milk, a variant of milk called ‘Full Cream Milk’ (FCM) with minimum 6.0% fat and 9.0% SNF came into the market.

10 ) Flavored milk

“Flavored Milk” means the product prepared from milk or other products derived from milk, or both, and edible flavorings with or without addition of sugar, nutritive sweeteners, other non-dairy ingredients including, stabilizers and food colors.
Adding delectable flavor and befitting color to milk makes it highly palatable and increases the sale of milk. When the term ‘milk’ is used, the product should contain a milk fat content at least equal to the minimum legal requirement for specific type of market milk. But, when the fat level is lower (i.e. 1-2%), the term ‘dairy drink’ may be used.

11) Reconstituted milk

Reconstituted milk may be prepared either from skim milk powder (SMP) or whole milk powder by the addition of water. The composition especially fat:solids not fat ratio is adjusted equal to that of fresh skim milk or fresh whole milk.

12) Recombined milk

This refers to the product obtained when butter oil (also called anhydrous milk fat), skim milk powder and water are combined in the correct proportions to yield fluid milk. Fat may also be obtained from other sources, such as unsalted butter or plastic cream. The acceptability of recombined milk is influenced by the quality of anhydrous milk fat. Recombined milk serves as a mean of supplying fluid milk in non-dairy areas.

Under the FSSR (2011), recombined milk shall contain a minimum of 3.0% fat and 8.5% SNF throughout the country.

13) Evaporated milk

Evaporated Milk means the product obtained by partial removal of water from milk by heat or any other process which leads to a product of the same composition and characteristics.

                                 Composition of Evaporated Milk according to FSSR

14) Sweetened condensed milk

Sweetened Condensed Milk is the product obtained by partial removal of water from milk with the

addition of sugar or a combination of sucrose with other sugars, or by any other process which leads to a product of the same composition and characteristics.
                           
                              Composition of Sweetened Condensed Milk according to FSSR