Cow’s milk

Introduction:

Milk is defined as "the product obtained by milking the normal udder secretion of animal species kept for milk production". A distinction is made between different types of cow's milk, such as untreated raw milk and pre-pasteurised milk, fresh milk (pasteurised raw milk), whole milk (3.5% fat), low-fat milk (1.5% to 1.8% fat) and skimmed milk (max. 0.3% fat), UHT milk (ultra-high temperature), ESL milk (pasteurisation at higher temperatures), homogenised milk (processed under pressure), condensed milk (reduced water content) and milk powder (drying of milk).

Use/Preparation:

Cow's milk has many uses in cooking and is found obviously or hidden in many foods. It can be drunk pure or used as a base for other drinks, is the main ingredient in yoghurt and cheese making and many other dairy products such as butter, cream and curd.

Health:

Cow's milk is rich in protein, calcium, phosphorus and vitamins D and B12. For people who suffer from lactose intolerance or cow's milk allergy, consuming cow's milk can cause unpleasant symptoms such as diarrhoea, flatulence and abdominal pain. Lactose intolerance is due to a deficiency of the enzyme lactase, which is needed to digest the milk sugar lactose. In the case of an intolerance to milk protein, the immune system reacts to the substance milk protein, which is harmless in itself. This is an allergy. The most common proteins are casein and whey protein. Casein is also found in sour milk products (yoghurt, quark, etc.), cheese and in the milk of other animals such as sheep, goats, mares and camels. Therefore, in case of an allergy to casein, all dairy products, not only from cow's milk, but also from the milk of these animals are often not tolerated. Butter and cream may be more tolerable because of their low protein content. Whey protein separates with the whey and is hardly found in cheese and cream cheese.

Alternatives:

If you are allergic to casein, you can also use milk substitutes such as oat milk, rice milk, soy milk, coconut milk, sesame milk or almond milk. People allergic to whey protein may tolerate milk from other animals without any problems. Butter and cream are also often easily digestible due to their low protein content. Calcium, which is found in large quantities in milk, is also abundant in vegetables such as kale, rocket, spinach, in seeds and nuts, dried fruits, amaranth and teff.

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Average nutritional values	per 100 g