Dairy products are derived from milk.
Dairy is that belonging to or relating to milk . The adjective , which comes from the Latin lactĕus , can be applied to a food to refer to the fact that it is derived from milk (as occurs with cheese or yogurt ).
For example: “Children should consume dairy products to have healthy growth,” “Cheese are my favorite dairy products,” “Producers promised not to increase the price of dairy products.”
Milk and derived foods (usually obtained from the processing and fermentation of milk) are highly perishable and must be kept refrigerated. Therefore, it is important that the cold chain is maintained until the product reaches the final consumer.
Types of dairy
There are many types of dairy products that exist on the market. However, in order to classify them, raw milk is taken as a starting point and, based on it, four large groups are established:
- Powdered milk.
- Skimmed or skimmed milk, within which there are caseins and skimmed milk powder.
- Milk cream. In this section, both dairy fats and butter are found.
- Cheese. In this case, caseins and whey are also included in the group. And thanks to the union of both, it is possible to produce the aforementioned product, which can be purchased in the market in a wide variety of proposals: fresh, cured, semi-cured, aged...
However, in another way, we have to emphasize that dairy products can also be classified into two groups:
- Dairy without fermentation.
- Dairy with fermentation
Milk , butter and cream are dairy products without fermentation, which are obtained from the addition of nutrients, the separation of their fat content or other processes. Among fermented dairy products, yogurt and cheese stand out.
Cheeses are dairy.
consumption
It is believed that the consumption of dairy products began about 8,500 years ago. The nomadic tribes of the Neolithic were responsible for domesticating sheep and goats and starting dairy production.
Within the field of cooking, today it is common to resort to the use of dairy products on many occasions. Specifically, it is common for chefs to resort to using them to be able to make everything from sauces to sweets of various kinds to desserts. All this without forgetting that they are also used to season dishes such as salads or that they become fundamental ingredients to prepare drinks such as Yak tea.
Today, most dairy products come from cows . In any case, milk from sheep , goats , buffaloes and other animals is also consumed. Due to its nutritional properties, dairy products are popular foods around the world.
Dairy and lactose
It should be noted that milk contains lactose , a disaccharide that is not tolerated by some people.
Specifically, lactose is not tolerated by those who have deficiencies in the production of an enzyme known as lactase. That is why these individuals are said to suffer from lactose intolerance .