Types of Milk: Understanding the Different Varieties Available in the Market

When we go to a supermarket, we usually spot various milk brands and types of milk labeled as full cream milk, toned milk, A2 milk, organic milk, and many more. Do you know what these milks are and how they are different from each other? In this article, we will discuss various kinds of milk available in the Indian market, so that the next time you pick a milk packet, you exactly know ‘What you are picking’.

When we talk about market milk, by default it is a mixer of cow or buffalo milk or both, which has been standardized to desired fat and SNF content, undergoes homogenization, pasteurization & has a negative phosphate test (a test to ensure proper pasteurization of milk).

1. 
   

   Types of milk as per Fat & SNF content:

FSSAI has laid down limits for Fat & SNF% for each type of milk, which every food business operator has to follow:

                                                                (Source: FSSAI Regulations, 2011)

 You can check out more on Market Milk: A Complete Guide

2. 
   

   Type of milk as per heat treatment given/ processing:

Milk is subjected to heat treatment to ensure the destruction of all pathogenic microorganisms from milk and hence making it safe for human consumption.

•   Pasteurized milk: Milk is subjected to heat treatment not less than 630C/30 min or 720C/15 sec and cooled immediately to or less than 40C.
• Sterilized milk: Milk is packed in bottles and heated at a temperature of 1150C/15 min, such milk should be stable at room temperature for at least 30 days from the manufacturing date.
•   UHT milk: UHT stands for Ultra High Temperature, in which milk is heated at 135-1500C for a few seconds and then packed in an aseptic container under aseptic conditions. Such milk should be stable at room temperature for at least 15 days from the manufacturing date.
•   Homogenized milk: Milk that undergoes homogenization to reduce creaming in the milk. Milk fat tends to form a layer on the milk surface due to its lower density than milk, to prevent such creaming of milk, homogenization is done. Homogenization is the process of reducing the particle size of milk to less than 2 μm.

3. 
   

   Type of milk as per lactose content:

Such milk is generally for lactose intolerant people, who are not able to digest lactose present in milk owing to low lactase enzymes in the body.

•   Low-lactose milk: Milk that has less than 1% of lactose.
•   Lactose-free milk: Milk that has less than 0.1% of lactose.

4. 
   

   Types of milk based on different Species:

Milk is obtained from different species like cows, buffalo, sheep, goats, etc. These can be processed further in various ways such as pasteurization, homogenization, UHT, etc.

                                                                (Source: FSSAI Regulations, 2011)

5. Other types of milk:

•   Organic milk: Milk that is obtained from milking animals that are raised using organic farming methods, such as grazing animals on pasture, feeding organic certified feeds, not treating animals with drugs (necessary drugs for sick animals is an exception), etc.
•   Vegan milk: It is also popular as plant-based milk, non-dairy milk, or nut milk, etc. Such type of milk is made from a plant source and free from animal milk. FSSAI has laid down regulations and vegan logos to ensure clear practices. To know more, read the article: Vegan Food 
•   Fortified milk:  Fortification means deliberately increasing the content of essential micronutrients in food to improve the nutritional quality of food and to provide public health benefits with minimal health risks. Such milk in which vitamins and minerals are added externally is termed as fortified milk and the procedure is known as fortification. To know in detail, check out the article: Fortified Milk
•   A2 Milk: Basically, cow milk that contains the A2 variant of beta-casein protein is termed as A2 milk. A1 & A2 variants differ by only one amino acid and they are genetic variants of beta-casein. To have a more clear understanding on difference between A1 & A2 milk checkout : A1 & A2 Milk

References:

FSSAI Regulations, 2011 (2.1.1 General standards for milk & milk products).

Market Milk: A Complete Guide

Fortified Milk in India

Rise of  Vegan Food in India