What are the varieties of milk

Milk is one of the daily health drinks for many people. When you see a wide range of milk brands on the supermarket, can you find the right milk for your body. Let's learn about the varieties of milk, their respective preservation methods and nutritional characteristics.

Pasteurized milk

Pasteurized milk is sterilized using the pasteurization method and needs to be refrigerated at 4°C to 10°C throughout. Milk with a short shelf life is mostly pasteurized "homogenized" milk, which is one of the most advanced methods of milk sterilization in the world today, as it allows the nutrients in milk to be ideally preserved. The so-called "homogenization" refers to a process in milk processing that crushes the fat globules in the milk so that the fat is fully dissolved into the protein, thus preventing fat adhesion and coagulation, and making it easier for the body to absorb. The shelf life of this milk is generally within 48 hours, their nutritional value does not differ much from fresh milk, the loss of B vitamins is only about 10%, but some physiologically active substances may be inactivated.

Ambient milk

Ultra-high temperature sterilization is used to kill all harmful bacteria, and the shelf life is extended to 6-12 months without refrigeration. However, the nutrients in this milk will be greatly lost.

Reduced milk

Milk powder is not allowed to be used for pasteurized milk, but room temperature milk, yogurt and other dairy products can be used, provided that the raw material is marked as "recovered milk" or "water and milk powder".

Raw milk

In many developed countries, raw, unpasteurized milk is the most popular and most expensive milk available to consumers. Fresh milk contains antibacterial active substances such as lysozyme and can be stored at 4°C for 24 to 36 hours. This milk does not need to be heated and is not only nutritious, but also retains some of the trace physiologically active components of milk, which are beneficial for children's growth.

Sterilized milk

Many manufacturers produce Baileys packets with a longer shelf life to meet the needs of office workers. The longer preserved Baileys milk has been fully sterilized during processing, and the beneficial strains of bacteria are basically "wiped out", thus destroying the nutrients of the milk. This milk is packaged much like fresh milk and has a shelf life of 30 days or more, with some sterilized milk having a shelf life of 6 months or more. Sterilized milk generally has a stronger flavor, but there is some loss of nutrients, with a 20% to 30% loss of B vitamins.

Antibiotic-free milk

This term has been recognized by most people, but it does not appear on the outer packaging of milk because it is one of the indicators of milk leaving the factory, and generally milk from well-known manufacturers should meet this standard. Antibiotic-free milk is milk that is produced from raw materials that do not contain antibiotics. The "anti" refers to the various types of antibiotics used to treat sick cows, commonly penicillin, streptomycin, etc. The cows are susceptible to mastitis during the annual change of season, and the use of mechanical milking also makes them more susceptible to mastitis than manual milking, so the cows can recover as soon as possible by injecting antibiotics directly into the udder area. Cows treated with antibiotics will produce milk with a small amount of antibiotics remaining for a certain period of time, and this milk cannot be used as raw material for processing and production of edible milk.

Buffalo milk

Although the yield of buffalo milk is lower, the milk contains higher protein, amino acids, milk fat, vitamins, trace elements, etc. than black and white flower milk. According to the national scientific research department, the quality of buffalo milk is very good and can be called the best milk, its value is equivalent to twice the value of black and white flower milk, the most suitable for children's growth and development. Anti-aging zinc, iron, calcium content is particularly high, amino acids, vitamin content is very rich, is a nutritious food for both young and old.