Milk products are foods that are made out of cow, buffalo and sometimes sheep and goat milk. Milk products have been part of people’s diet and every day supply of nutrients since the early times when people started taming the wild animals and develop herding. The milk industry today is very big in many countries, with large variety of milk products that differ in quality and price. Countries like Switzerland, Denmark, Belgium, Germany and Austria are world wide famous for their great milk products made from cow milk. These days, modern milk products contain bacteria Streptococcus Lactis, which is highly beneficial for the health of the stomach. Milk products are diverse and can be made out of full fat milk, semi skimmed milk or fatless milk.
- Milk products are used as creams or sauces like sour cream, kefir, Smetana;
- Milk products for drinking like chocolate milk, flavoured milk drinks, yoghurt, fruit yogurt, ayran, lassi;
- Different types of cheese, hard cheese , cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, processed cheese, cream cheese, quark; butter, ghee, butter milk;
- Condensed milk, kava, powdered milk;
- Milk deserts like ice cream, gelato, milk shakes etc.
Many different milk products are typical for a specific country and others are spread and used around the world. Milk is probably the milk product which is widely used every where in the world. Yoghurt has its own variations in different countries, and some drinks and milk products like Lassi are typical for the regions of India, Pakistan and Nepal. Ghee is clarified butter and it is widely used in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, and some North African cuisines. Other milk products like different types of cheese are common for the European and American countries, while Asian countries do not use cheese in their national cuisines and if used than it is in western foods like pizza, macaroni and similar dishes.
Milk and milk products if produced under controlled conditions and technologies are very healthy for people’s health especially for children and adolescents that are growing and developing fast. Milk and milk products are rich source of calcium, as well as vitamins D, E and other vitamins that are contained in smaller amounts. Milk products are rich in minerals like phosphorus and zinc. Milk and milk products are beneficial for the health on different levels. They are important for healthy bones, teeth, reducing high blood pressure, reducing the risk of cardio vascular diseases and cancer as well as for good hydration of the body and the skin. On the opposite side of the benefits milk products can cause issues with people who have low tolerance of lactose and milk allergies. Some milk products like the blue cheese during the process of preparation can be contaminated with some types of fungus which can cause respiratory issues and asthma in people that are prone to this kind of health problems.
