ABSTRACT
Milk is a normal secretion of the mammary glands of female mammals. Microbial growth and contamination can be prevented, slowed, or reduced by many means: cleaning and sanitizing of the milk-handling equipment and the environment, holding the milk at low temperature, use of antimicrobial systems, thermization, and clarification. Milk is an important raw material for the production of a variety of dairy products. It is therefore important that the milk used for processing has acceptable quality characteristics. Milk is an excellent medium for the growth of a variety of microorganisms owing to its high water content, neutral pH, and ample supply of nutrients. The spoilage of milk and dairy products is characterized by taste and odor changes, such as sour, putrid, bitter, malty, fruity, rancid, and unclean. Hydrogen peroxide is a preservative that has been used for a long time to preserve raw milk, under conditions where it may be difficult to cool the milk quickly.
