EVALUATION METHODS FOR

QUALITY AND PRICE OF

MILK AND DAIRY PRODUCTS
Young W. Park

Agricultural Research Station

Fort Valley State University
Fort Valley, GA 31030-4313
And
Department of Food Science and Technology
The University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602
Production of Quality Goat Milk and Its Products
Fresh and normal goat milk from healthy, properly fed and milked animals, is
a white, opaque liquid with a slightly sweet taste which has practically no odor
(Le Jaouen, 1987).
Production of quality goat milk should start at every farm level, because flavor
and quality of the milk cannot be improved later in the processing stage (Park
and Guo, 2006).
The basic principle is that the better the milk, the better the processed products
(Peters, 2000; Park and Guo, 2006).
Milk quality is negatively affected by improper handling from many factors
such as feeding, handling of animals prior and during milking, handling of the
milk during and after milking, cooling and transportation, pasteurization,
processing, packaging, and processing utensils (Peters, 1990; Haenlein, 1992).
Off-flavor in goat milk can be attributed to the feeds, weeds, forages,
chemicals, building materials, colostrum, estrus, mastitic milk, filthy utensils
and strainer, unclean milking equipment, slow cooling, odors from bucks, barn
and/or milk room.
Good management of the entire farm system leads to good quality milk. The
recommended milking procedure has to be practiced in a daily routine,
maintain functioning and sanitary equipment, have healthy animals, and use
recommended detergent, acid and sanitizers for cleaning and milking
equipment.
 Five major parameters are routinely
checked by regulatory agencies for
quality raw milk production

1. Nutritional constituents in milk.

2. Somatic cell counts as related to mastitis.
3. Bacteria counts as related to sanitary
practices.
4. Adulteration and pesticide residue contents.
5. Flavor, taste, appearance and temperature.
 Quality of Raw Milk tested by
Individual Dairy Processing Plants
1. Standard plate count (SPC)
2. Direct microscopic count (DMC)
3. Freezing point determination (Cryoscope)
4. Presence of inhibitory substances (antibiotic screening test)
5. Sensory evaluation
6. Preliminary incubation (PI) SPC
7. Direct microscopic somatic cell count (DMSCC)
8. Acid degree value (ADV)
9. Laboratory pasteurization count (LPC)
10. Thermoduric spore count
11. Fat content
12. Total solids content (can also include protein content)
13. Sediment test
Filteration of farmstead milk for further
processing (Le Jaouen, 1987)
3M Petrifilm Plate Techniques
ADGA members on National Conference of
Interstate Milk Shipments On the Problem of
Somatic Cell Count legal thresholds: (Contd)

4. The CMT can be used as a screening test but high

counts must be confirmed with the pyronine-Y stain.

5. SCC levels of normal goat milk increase from Spring to

Fall well above the cow threshold of 1 million/ml,
starting about 4 months after kidding, coinciding with
start of estrus and late stage of lactation.

6. Easily achievable SCC levels of 100,000 300,000

SCC/ml in cow milk are unusual in even high quality
managed goat herds.
Total Aerobic Plate Count
E. coli and Coliform counts
Yeast and Mold counts
Staphylococcus aureus count
 Grade A raw milk for
pasteurization
Temperature: Cooled to 45oF (7oC) or less within two hours
after milking, provided that the blend temperature after
the first and subsequent milkings does not exceed 50oF
(10oC).
Bacterial limits: Individual producer milk not to exceed
100,000 per ml. prior to commingling with other producer
milk. Not to exceed 300,000 per ml. as commingled milk
prior to pasteurization.
Antibiotics: Individual producer milk: No detectable zone
with the Bacillus subtilies method or equivalent.
Commingled milk: No detectable zone by the Sarcina lutea
Cylinder Plate Method or equivalent.
Somatic cell count: Individual producer milk. Not to exceed
1,500,000 per ml.
 Grade A pasteurized milk and
milk products
Temperature: Cooled to 45oF (7oC) or less and
maintained thereat.
Bacterial limits: 20,000 per ml.*
Coliform: Not to exceed 10 per ml.: Provided
that , in the case of bulk milk transport tank
shipments, shall not exceed 100 per ml.
Phosphatase: Less than 1 microgram per ml. by
the Scharer Rapid Method or equivalent.
Antibiotics: No detectable zone by the Sarcina
lutea Cylinder Plate Method or equivalent.
 Terms for Milk Quality Contd
B. Measurement of acidity of milk:
1. Titratable Acidity:
a. It is determined by adding NaOH (0.1 N) solution to
raise the pH of the milk to about 8.3.
b. One ml of the base equals 0.1% lactic acid.
c. %TA = ml 0.1 N NaOH x .009 x 100/gram of sample
2. SH (Soxhlet-Henkel) value:
a. It indicates how many ml of NaOH (25 mol/ml) are
required to neutralize 100 ml of milk. One ml of 2%
alcoholic phenolphthalein solution is added as
indicator.
b. SH value of fresh milk ranges 6.4 7.0
c. SH value of raw milk <5.0 indicates mastitis.
d. SH values of 8.0-9.0 gives sour taste, and coagulate.
Table 1. Minimum Pasteurization Temperature and Times
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Product Temperature Time

_______________________________________________________________
1. Milk 145oF (62.8oC) 30 minutes LTLT
161oF (71.7oC) 15 seconds STHT
191oF (88oC) 1 second UHT
194oF (89oC) 0.5 second
201oF (94oC) 0.1 second
204oF (96oC) 0.05 second
212oF (100oC) 0.01 second

2. Milk products of 150oF 30 minutes

10% fat or more 166oF 15 seconds
or added sugar 191oF 1 second
(half/half, cream, 194oF 0.5 second
chocolate milk) 201oF 0.1 second
204oF 0.05 second
212oF 0.01 second

3. Eggnog and 155oF 30 minutes

Frozen dessert 175oF 25 seconds
Mixes 180oF 15 seconds
Microbiological Standards for Some Grade A Dairy
Products (FDA Grade A Milk Ordinance & Code 1, 1978)
Product Standard Plate Count/ml Coliform
Count/ml
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Raw milk, at pickup 100,000 no standard
Raw milk, at balance
Tank of pasteurizing unit 300,000 no standard
Pasteurized milk and
Milk products 20,000 <10
Condensed milk 30,000 <10
Cottage cheese; wet, dry- ; <5,000-<20,000 <10
Whey 30,000 <10
Ice Cream <20,000-<50,000 <10
Butter <5,000-<20,000 -
Milk powder <20,000-<50,000 no standard
Non-fat dry milk 30,000 <10 .
 Quality Evaluation of Dairy Products/Cheeses
Quality of dairy products are changed during manufacturing,
refrigeration, distribution and storage.

Qualities of all dairy products including cheeses are influenced

by several parameters, such as chemical, microbiological,
rheological and sensory scores of the products.

Proteolysis and lipolysis are two primary processes in cheese

ripening with a variety of chemical, physical, microbiological,
textural, and rheological changes which occur under controlled
environmental conditions.

Studies showed that cheese quality is greatly influenced by

levels of peptides, amino acids, and free fatty acids resulting
from proteolysis and lipolysis.
 Milk Pricing System
A. Butterfat differentials Pricing
Butterfat differentials are the amount by which the
price of farm milk is increased or decreased for
each point (0.1%) of butterfat test.
The procedure used to calculate butterfat
differentials in most US Federal Milk Order markets
is to multiply the average wholesale price by 0.115
at Chicago, effective Dec. 1, 1983 (USDA support
price for Grade A butter is $1.4325/lb)
At this price, the butterfat differential for farm milk
is approximately 16.5 cents (1.4325 x 0.115).
Use of butterfat differentials to price farm milk
assumes that fat and solids-not-fat prices and
contents fluctuate together.
 Milk Pricing System
B. Component pricing
Milk fat and protein are the two major variable
constituents in milk.
Lactose remains fairy constant at about 5%, and
minerals at about 0.7%, but protein and fat vary
considerably between seasons.
On the average, farm cow milk contains about
3.7% milk fat and 8.55% solids-not-fat, including
about 3.2% protein.
A one point (0.1%) change in milk fat test is
normally associated with as 0.4 point (0.04%)
change in solids-not-fat, and in protein.
 Milk Pricing System
C. In Component Pricing System, goat milk
farmers have a disadvantage with protein:
- Goat milk has higher N content than cow milk, but
the former has higher nonprotein nitrogen, which
gives good health benefits, but implicated with a
lower milk pricing.

D. Calculation of 4% fat-corrected milk (4%FCM)

4% FCM = 0.4 x kg milk yield + 15 x kg fat yield
 Milk Pricing System
E. Product Prices
The USDA purchase prices for butter, nonfat dry milk, and
Cheddar cheese are calculated from the support price for milk.
During the period of October, 1980-December 1, 1983; The
purchase price for butter, $1.49/lb; nonfat dry milk, $0.94/lb;
and Cheddar cheese, $1.395/lb ($1.8628/lb; 1998)
Per Hundredweight Milk;
a) A gross price to plants per hundredweight of milk is
$14.32.
a) 4.48 lbs butter x $1.49 = $6.68 butter value in
100 lbs milk.
b) $14.32 - $6.68 = $7.64/8.13 = $0.94/lb USDA purchase
price for nonfat dry milk.
 Average performance of dairy GOAT BREEDS in different countries
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Country Lactation Yield (kg)________________
Goat breed length (day) Milk Fat 4% FCM____
Cyprus
Damascus 255 510 20 504
France
Poitevine 230 520 20 508
Greece
Native 230 160 9 199
India
Jamunapari 220 215 9 221
Norway
Nordie 275 650 24 620
Switzerland
Saanen 282 745 26 688
Turkey
Kilis 270 270 13 303
USA
Alpine 288 869 31 813
Nubian 288 710 32 764
US Toggenburg 292 870 30 798
_____________________________________________________________________________
(Haenlein, 2007)
 Average performance of dairy SHEEP BREEDS
in different countries
______________________________________________________________
Country Lactation Yield (kg)__________
Sheep breed length (d) Milk Fat 4% FCM__
Czechoslovakia
Prmenka 162 162 12 245
France
Lacaune 165 270 20 408
Germany
East Friesian 300 632 41 868
Greece
Chios 210 218 17 342
Israel
Israel Awassi 270 495 33 693
Italy
Comisana 150 132 11 218
Spain
Manchega 210 300 28 540
Turkey
Awassi 120 168 11 232____
Haenlein (2007)
 Comparative profitability of
two systems of goat farming
______________________________________________________________
GREECE Intensive farming Extensive farming
_____________________________________________________________
Gross return/goat/year, $ 134.94 66.24

Expenses/goat/year, $ 110.89 58.69

Labor, % 39.1 51.8
Feed, % 42.8 31.6
Capital, % 12.2 13.4
Housing, % 4.4 2.1
Others, % 1.5 1.1

Net return/goat/year, $ 24.05 7.55

_____________________________________________________________
 Comparative profitability of
two systems of goat farming
_________________________________________________________________________________________
FRANCE Milk sold from farm Cheese sold from milk on farm
_____________________________________________________________________
Milk production/goat/year, kg 553 461
Price/kg milk, $ 0.40 0.94

Gross return/goat, $ 243.83 584.00

Production cost/goat/year, $ 118.17 190.83

Net return/goat/year, $ 125.66 393.17
_____________________________________________________________________
ITALY
Net return/goat/year, $ 74.93 112.00
_____________________________________________________________________
USA Average herd production,
kg milk/goat/year Break-even price/kg milk
_____________________________________________________________________
680 0.52
907 0.39
_____________________________________________________________________
 CONCLUSIONS
1. The basic principle for production of quality dairy
products is the better the original milk, the better the
processed products.

2. Milk is highly perishable, and its quality is easily

deteriorated by improper handling of feeding, animals
prior and during milking, handling of the milk during
and after milking, cooling and transportation,
pasteurization, processing, packaging, and processing
utensils, etc.
 CONCLUSIONS Contd
3. Each processing plant should establish appropriate
quality control systems for each point of manufacturing
facilities.

4. All personnel involved (farm level, transport, dairy

plants) in production, processing, distribution, and
marketing of dairy products must follow the required
regulations (PMO) enforced by appropriate regulatory
agencies (e.g. FDA, APHA).

5. Four important requirements for Grade A dairy products

are: i) safe to drink, ii) good flavor, iii) relatively free
from spoilage bacteria and somatic cells, and iv)
composition.
THANK YOU!!