How Dairy Manufacturers preserve the Unique Taste of Dairy Products?

There must be someone in your group who doesn’t like the taste and aroma of milk but loves butter and cheese like anything. Have you ever wondered why although they are made from milk, yet, their taste and aroma are far away from that of milk?

Major conceptions are that there must be some type of addition done during the production process. Some of you may also think that the high-fat content of butter is due to the addition of fat during its production that removes the taste and aroma of milk from it. The greatest misconception is that butter is made from low-quality ingredients that are deprived of any goodness of milk.

All these are mere misconceptions and light years away from the truth. The secret behind the unique taste of butter, cheese, ghee, or any dairy product is deeply embedded in the production process. Before we move into the details, note the following points to avoid any kind of misguidance regarding dairy products in the future:

• Be it butter, cheese, margarine, or ghee, all dairy products are made out of milk without the addition of any external agent apart from permitted food flavors as per ISO, FSSAI, HACCP & GMP standards.
• The difference in the taste of different dairy products is due to the difference in the dairy manufacturing process and not due to the influence of any external agents.
• Be it butter, margarine, or spread, all are healthy with differences in the respective proportions of trans fats and saturated fats. It all depends on how much your body can take - not how much the producers can make!

Keeping your interest alive, let us quickly check out the production factors that give your favorite dairy products the unique taste - shedding away all the taste and aroma of milk.

Deodorization: Process to Remove Milk Taste and Aroma

There are cases where we have seen that kids are not liking the milk from the cowshed or farm, but, they are comfortable with the milk in tetra packs or pouches that are sold in dairy stores or supermarkets. 

Is it that the milk in these packs is not from the cow we all know about - Bos Taurus?

No! 

The reason is that the milk that you obtain from the cowshed or straight from the farm undergoes only one step of processing - that’s boiling in your kitchen. Whereas, the processing of milk in a plant undergoes numerous stages to maintain its purity, quality, and safety for health. 

One such stage is Deodorization. This process is responsible for the removal of any type of unwanted taste or aroma from milk and milk products processed.

Process in brief: The purpose of deodorization of milk is to remove or reduce unwanted flavors and odors from the milk, resulting in a more neutral and palatable taste. This process is primarily used in the dairy industry to improve the sensory qualities of the milk and make it more appealing to consumers.

Deodorization involves the removal of volatile compounds that can contribute to off-flavors and odors in milk.

The deodorization process typically involves heating the milk to a specific temperature and holding it at that temperature for a certain period. This helps to drive off volatile compounds responsible for off-flavors and odors. The treated milk is then cooled and often subjected to additional processing steps, such as homogenization and pasteurization, to ensure its safety and quality.

Deodorization is especially important in the production of dairy products like butter, cheese, and powdered milk, where the milk's flavor can strongly influence the final product.

Cleaning-In-Place (CIP): To Maintain the Signature Taste of Every Dairy Products

A dairy processing plant manufactures at least 20-25 varieties of unique dairy products daily. Most of the stages of manufacturing these products use the same parts of the manufacturing line. But then also, these products carry their signature taste when you consume them. 

The reason behind the conservation of the taste of dairy products is Cleaning-In-Place or CIP done regularly in dairy plants. It is a stringent and mandatory cleaning process that dairy manufacturers have to follow as per regulatory mandates. This process is repeated every time in between every batch of production so that every product that is produced carries its unique taste.

Instead of digging deep into the technicalities of the process, here is a simplified graphical illustration of the CIP process - 

To know more about the CIP Process, you may click on the image to get redirected to our exclusive article on the same.

These are the two crucial steps that ensure that every dairy product is free from the unwanted taste and odor of milk and that the entire production process is done in hygienic conditions.

Milk and dairy products are an integral part of our daily diet. Therefore, it becomes the greatest responsibility of every dairy manufacturer to maintain the quality and purity of the same. There are governing regulations that are applicable to all dairy manufacturers enforcing them to do the same. 

Have you ever eaten butter that tastes like peanut spread or any other dairy product? If yes, do let us know about your experience in the comments!

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Created on Oct 27th 2023 04:45. Viewed 95 times.

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