ABSTRACT
Economic and legal constraints require strict control of the composition of dairy products. For example, the level of butterfat, which is the most valuable ingredient in raw milk, is controlled by law or by customers’ specifications in a whole range of dairy products. In the Netherlands the quality
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depending among others on fat and protein level, forces the industry to test many thousands of raw milk samples. On the other hand, the worldwide market is becoming highly competitive and there often is a great surplus of powder, butter, and cheese, particularly in Europe and New Zealand. The introduction of milk quotas means farmers will need rations even more finely tuned to produce the right levels of butterfat, protein, and casein. The industry also supplies milk-based baby foods and other dietary products. It is essential that, for nutritive reasons, these products comply with the claimed composition.
