Dairy products are foodstuffs that are produced from milk. Usually these products will be derived from cow’s milk, although other types of milk, such as goat, sheep or buffalo are also used. The most common dairy products include milk, butter and cheese.
Milk will usually be processed in a dairy factory after being collected from dairy farms, although some dairy farms will do their own processing on-site.
Milk
Probably the most common dairy derivatives of milk is simply the milk itself. It can be pasteurized to help preserve the milk and extend its shelf life and graded to ensure the correct level of fat remains in the milk. It can then be sold as milk, or further processed to create products such as cream, milk powder or condensed milk.
Butter
Butter is produced by churning milk or cream which agitates the molecular structure of the milk and allows the fats within the milk to join and separate from the other parts of the milk. The liquid left by the churning process is called buttermilk and can be used as a dairy product itself.
Cheese
Cheese is formed when milk is coagulated, or curdled, by the addition of the enzyme rennet. This separates the milk into liquid called whey and a solid material called curds. The curds are removed and will be processed in a number of different ways to form cheese.
There are a number of varieties of cheese which take on individual flavours and textures according to how they are treated, which includes how they are aged, how much they are dried and the specific ways that they are flavoured.
Dairy products are a good source of calcium and protein and parents are encouraged to make sure their children get plenty of dairy in their diet to help promote healthy bone growth. People who are lactose intolerant however will not be able to enjoy dairy produce.