ABSTRACT
Dairy products include milk and any of the foods made from milk, including butter, cheese, ice cream, yogurt, and condensed and dried milk. Milk has been used by humans since the beginning of recorded time to provide both fresh and storable nutritious foods. The chapter focuses on the processing of cow milk and milk products. Milk contains many natural enzymes, and other enzymes are produced in milk as a result of bacterial growth. Enzymes are biological catalysts capable of producing chemical changes in organic substances. Pasteurization is most important in all dairy processing. It is the biological safeguard which ensures that all potential pathogens are destroyed. Condensed milk is often sold in refrigerated tank-truck loads to manufacturers of candy, bakery goods, ice cream, cheese, and other foods. When preserved by heat in individual cans, it is called 'evaporated milk'. Cultured dairy foods provide numerous potential health benefits to the human diet. These foods are excellent sources of calcium and protein.
