Pi /.77: SLOl/T ^ [H1@W1FD[U¥ DAIRY PRODUCTS ,.?Sn. united states 4 i DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE HOME AND GARDEN BULLETIN NUMBER 201 PREPARED BY AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE Before grading or inspection of a dairy product is provided , the processing plant must meet USDA's specifications for quality and sanitation. A USDA dairy inspector checks the plant , incom- ing raw products , and processing and packaging techniques. More information on the U.S. grades is given in the listings for butter , cheese , and instant nonfat dry milk in the dairy dictionary that follows. INTRODUCTION Milk available in stores today is usually pasteurized and homogenized. In pasteurizing, milk is heated briefly to kill harmful bacteria , and it is then chilled rapidly. Homogenized milk is processed to reduce the size of the milkfat globules so the cream does not separate and the product stays uniform throughout. Depending on its milkfat content, fluid milk is labeled milk, lowfat milk, or skim milk. Vitamin D may be added to any of these milks, and the milk is then so labeled. If added, the vitamin D content must be increased to at least 400 International Units (I.U.) per quart. Lowfat and skim milk are fortified with vitamin A (at least 2,000 I.U. per quart), usually providing more vitamin A than whole milk. The protein and other vitamin and mineral content of milks with reduced milkfat are equivalent to that of whole milk. Federal, State, and local laws or regulations control the composition, processing, and han- dling of milk. Federal laws apply when packaged or bottled milk is shipped interstate. The Pasteurized Milk Ordinance of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, requires that all packaged or bottled milk shipped interstate be pasteurized to protect consumers. Milk can be labeled "Grade A" if it meets FDA or State stand- ards under the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance. The Grade A rating designates wholesomeness rather than a level of quality. According to the standards recommended in the ordinance, Grade A pasteurized milk must come from healthy cows and be produced, pasteurized, and handled under strict sanitary controls which are enforced by State and local milk sanitation officials. In the definitions that follow, the composition or milkfat content given for a product (except for butter) is that required under FDA regulations. Your State laws or regulations may differ some- what from FDA's. The milkfat content of butter is set by a Federal law. MILK Whole Milk Whole milk is usually homogenized and fortified with vitamin D. For shipment in interstate com- merce , it must contain a minimum of 3.25 per- cent milkfat. The milk must also meet minimum milkfat requirements set by the State or municipality where it is sold. Lowfat Milk Lowfat milk has between 0.5 and 2 percent milkfat and is fortified with vitamin A. The addi- tion of vitamin D is optional. Tip on Lowfat Milk Lowfat milk can be made at home by mixing half whole milk with half skim milk or reconstituted in- stant nonfat dry milk. Skim Milk Skim milk must have less than 0.5 percent milkfat and must be fortified with vitamin A. The addition of vitamin D is optional. Tip on Skim Milk The flavor and food value of skim milk can be improved by adding a teaspoonful of instant non- fat dry milk to each glass. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from University of Florida, George A. Smathers Libraries with support from LYRASIS and the Sloan Foundation http://archive.org/details/buydairyproOOunit Sweetened Condensed Milk This concentrated canned milk is prepared by removing about half the water from whole milk. Often used in candy and dessert recipes, sweetened condensed milk has at least 40 per- cent sugar by weight. CREAM FDA sets standards of composition for milk and different types of cream. These standards give minimum milkfat requirements which must be met if the product is to be shipped in interstate com- merce. Light Cream (Table or Coffee) Light cream (Table or Coffee) must have at least 18 percent milkfat and less than 30 percent. Tip on Light Cream (Table or Coffee) • For maximum shelf life , do not return unused cream from a pitcher to its original container. Store it separately in the refrigerator. Try to pour only as much from the original container as you need at one time. Half-and-Half Half-and-Half is made by homogenizing a mix- ture of milk and cream. It must contain at least 10.5 percent milkfat, but not more than 18 per- cent. Tip on Half-and-Half • Half-and-half can be mixed at home using half homogenized whole milk and half light cream. Light Whipping Cream Light whipping cream must have at least 30 per- cent milkfat and less than 36 percent. Tip on Light Whipping Cream • To whip this kind of cream , have both the bowl and cream well chilled. 8 Heavy Cream Heavy cream must have at least 36 percent milkfat. Tip on Heavy Cream • Although heavy cream is more easily whipped than light whipping cream, it will whip still more easily if you have the cream and the bowl well chilled. Don't over-whip heavy cream; it may be- come grainy. Sour Cream Sour cream is usually made by adding a special bacterial culture to light cream. The bacteria pro- duce lactic acid, which sours the cream. Some- times manufacturers use food-grade acid instead of bacteria to make sour cream. The product must be labeled acidified sour cream if this process is used. Acidified sour cream has the same whole- someness as sour cream; the only difference is the manufacturing process. Both sour cream and acidi- fied sour cream are smooth and thick and meet the milkfat requirements for light cream. Sour Half-and-Half A bacterial culture or a food-grade acid is used to make sour half-and-half. FDA standards of iden- tity require the product to be labeled acidified sour half-and-half if food-grade acid is used. Tip on Sour Half-and-Half . Use sour half-and-half instead of sour cream if you prefer less fat. 9 Process Cheese Process cheese is a blend of cheeses which have been shredded , mixed , heated , and then molded. No further ripening occurs. Process cheese may contain pimentos, fruits, vegeta- bles , or meats. If the label says "process cheese food ," other ingredients such as nonfat dry milk or whey solids and water have been added , resulting in a lower milkfat content and more moisture than process cheese. "Process cheese spread" has an even higher moisture content and lower milkfat content than process cheese and cheese food. As a result , it's more spreadable. Process cheese products usually come packed in slices , loaves , and jars. Cottage Cheese Cottage cheese is a soft unripened cheese that comes in three styles: cottage cheese, dry curd cottage cheese, and lowfat cottage cheese. The milkfat content of each is defined in FDA stand- ards of identity. Dry curd cottage cheese must contain less than 0.5 percent milkfat. Cottage cheese must have a milkfat content of at least 4 percent. To make cottage cheese, curd is mixed with a creaming mixture to raise the milk- fat content to the required level. The milkfat content of lowfat cottage cheese must be between 0.5 and 2 percent. FDA regula- tion require that the milkfat content of lowfat cot- tage cheese be listed on the container to the nearest one-half percent. Cottage cheese may bear the USDA "Quality Approved" shield if it is of good quality and made under USDA supervi- sion. During processing, a USDA inspector keeps constant check on all aspects of product quality, right down to a final check on the product in con- sumer packages. 12 Tips on Cottage Cheese • No matter what kind of cottage cheese you buy, use it within a few days after purchase. • Cottage cheese is available in either large or small curd. YOGURT Milk is cultured with a special bacteria to make the custard-like product yogurt. The milk is usually homogenized and always pasteurized before the bacteria are added. Yogurt has a good nutritive value with no more milkfat than whole milk. Yogurt is available in the following forms: • Yogurt — must contain at least 3.25 percent milkfat. • Lowfat Yogurt — must contain at least 0.5 per- cent but not more than 2 percent milkfat. • Nonfat Yogurt — contains less than 0.5 per- cent milkfat. Tips on Yogurt • If separation occurs, just stir the liquid back into the yogurt. • Yogurt is commonly available in sundae-style (with the fruit on the bottom) and swiss-style (with the fruit distributed throughout the yogurt). Yogurt also may be found in a frozen and drinkable form. • Unopened fruit flavored yogurt may be frozen up to 6 weeks. To defrost, let the yogurt stand at room temperature about 3 hours. • If the word "sweetened" appears on the label, it means that a nutritive carbohydrate sweet- ner has been added. • If the yogurt has been heat treated, the words "heat treated after culturing" must appear on the label. FROZEN DESSERTS Ice Cream Ice cream is made from cream, milk, sweeteners, flavorings, stabilizers, and emulsifiers. To be shipped in interstate commerce, it must contain at least 10 percent milkfat. 13 UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA HOW TO I DAIRY PRODUCTS 3 1262 08582 9520 KNOW PRODUCT DIFFERENCES Fluid milk: whole, lowfat, skim. Dry milk: whole, nonfat. Butter: salted or sweet, regular or whipped. Cheese: natural, process LOOK FOR THE USDA GRADE USD4 U.S. EXTRA GRADE' PROCESSED AND PICKED UNDER INSPE CTION Of THE SPA AA I PACKED UNDER INSPECTION Oi \ ( THE U S OEM 01 *GRlCUHURE ) OFFICIALLY GRADED U.S. Grade Found on butter, AA&U.S. Cheddar cheese. Grade A Mean good flavor, texture,- high quality. U.S. Extra Found on instant non- Grade fat dry milk. Means pleasing flavor. Revised January 1978 Slightly Revised February 1983