Milk is a natural food that accompanies us throughout our lives and is an important source of protein, calcium, vitamins and minerals. It contributes to bone and muscle health and general well-being. However, there are often myths about milk that are not based on scientific facts.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is homogenized milk dangerous?
Homogenized milk is not dangerous and is completely safe to consume. Homogenization is a mechanical process that evenly distributes milk fat and prevents its separation. Professional research confirms that homogenized fat is even easier to digest.
How does the body digest milk fat?
Milk fat is broken down in the digestive tract into fatty acids and glycerol. These are absorbed through the intestinal wall and reassembled in the body into the forms the body needs. Fat globules cannot be deposited directly in the bloodstream.
Can milk be recycled?
Dairy products cannot be produced from poor-quality milk or from expired products. Returning such products to production is prohibited by law. Quality products can only be produced from fresh and carefully controlled milk.
What do the numbers on the bottom of the packaging mean?
The numbers on the bottom of the packaging indicate the production line on which the packaging was printed. They are intended for traceability in production. They do not represent the date or quality of the product.
PROCESSING PROCEDURES
PASTEURIZATION
Using pasteurization techniques, we extend the longevity and preserve the quality of milk. It is a thermal processing procedure at a temperature up to 76 °C that lasts 45 seconds. This procedure decreases the content of harmful or pathogenic microorganisms in milk, which could cause diseases, deterioration or unwanted fermentation, and at the same time activates the enzymes in milk. Pasteurization has been known since the 19th century – the process is named after Louis Pasteur, who used thermal processing to prevent the deterioration of wine and milk.
HOMOGENIZATION
The main purpose of homogenization is to prevent or decelerate the surfacing of balls of fat in milk. Milk fat is present in milk in the form of balls of fat of various sizes (from 0.1 to 20 micrometres). Their specific density (0.93 g/ml) is less than water, causing them to surface. Consequently, a layer of milk fat, also known as cream, forms on the surface of non-homogenized milk. We can prevent this through homogenization – we mechanically break down the balls of fat into smaller ones with a diameter up to one micrometre (one millionth of a metre).
STERILIZATION
Sterilization enable us to store dairy products for a longer time, even at a room temperature. It is a thermal processing of milk with which we destroy all microorganisms and their spores, and we inactivate the enzymes. Scientific literature defines short-life sterilized milk as UHT (ultra-high temperature) milk, which means that milk is thermally processed for a very short time (4-8 seconds) at very high temperatures ranging from 135 to 150 °C.
MICROFILTRATION
Milk on the shelves must be completely safe and at the same time delicious to taste. Using microfiltration, we remove the microorganisms from milk and thus extend its expiration date, while keeping its flavour unaltered. The process is carried out using membranes that have suitably-sized pores. Only skimmed milk is microfiltrated, which means that before processing it we remove all the fat and then reinsert it in a precise percentage. With this process we remove 99.5% of bacteria and up to 99.9% of spores, thus providing completely safe milk to the customer.
LACTOSE INTOLERANCE
WHAT IS LACTOSE INTOLERANCE?
Milk is very beneficial to our health and provides us with many good substances. Despite this, some people have problems with digesting dairy products. This is caused by lactose intolerance (hypolactation), a condition that prevents the normal metabolism of the milk sugar (lactose). It is one of the most frequent disorders of metabolisms in humans, but this disease is not well-known to the general public.
Perhaps, many are not even aware that they can consume a suitable milk, despite their problems, and simply exclude all dairy products from their diet. This could be harmful to health, since milk and dairy products contain several vitamins and minerals, such as A, B1, B2, B6, B12, D, E and others, which prevent various diseases, of which osteoporosis is the most common. This is not recommended due to the many benefits of milk and it is also why Ljubljanske Mlekarne offers dairy products that do not contain milk sugar.
There are various factors that affect the metabolism of lactose in the human body. One of the most important is the quality of consumed lactose (i.e. cow’s milk contains 50 g/l, while breast milk contains 75 g/l), and the quantity of consumed lactose that remained in the digestive tract in adults. Beside these two factors, the time of food travelling from consumption to secretion and the ability of the intestinal microflora to metabolise lactose are also important.
THE OCCURRENCE OF LACTOSE INTOLERANCE
We know several types of lactose intolerance that have different symptoms. After being born, most children develop the ability to secrete the lactase enzyme, which enables lactose in breast milk to break down to glucose and galactose. A child needs increasingly more energy for healthy growth and development. For this reason, children have to obtain several nutrients, and breast milk quickly becomes insufficient for this purpose. Eventually, a child’s diet will require many other types of food (fruit, vegetable, meat, fish, cereals, etc.).
With changed eating habits, the ability of the lactase enzyme to break down into glucose and galactose decreases, but not in the same way for everyone. In some people, the activity of the lactase enzyme decreases to such an extent that intestinal problems are caused. Physicians often diagnose such symptoms as lactose intolerance.
Some people also cannot metabolize lactose due to the deficiency for the enzyme ß-galactosidase, which breaks down lactose, and have problems from their childhood on. In those individuals, the activity of this enzyme increases to the highest level after birth and keeps increasing for a few days after, when the digestive surface is expanding. In late childhood, the activity of the enzyme ß-galactosidase decreases, in 70% of the world population even to the level which causes lactose intolerance in adults.
