A dairy product or milk product is food produced from the milk of mammals. Dairy products are
usually high energy-yielding food products. A production plant for the processing of milk
is called a dairy or a dairy factory. Apart from breastfed infants, the human consumption
of dairy products is sourced primarily from the milk of cows, yet goats, sheep, yaks,
horses, camels, domestic buffaloes, and other mammals are other sources of dairy products
consumed by humans. Dairy products are commonly found in European, Middle Eastern, and Indian
cuisine, whereas aside from Mongolian cuisine they are little-known in traditional Asian
cuisines.
Types of dairy products
Milk after optional homogenization, pasteurization, in several grades after standardization of
the fat level, and possible addition of the bacteria Streptococcus lactis and Leuconostoc
citrovorum Crème fraîche, slightly fermented cream
Clotted cream, thick, spoonable cream made by heating milk
Single cream, double cream and whipping cream Smetana, Central and Eastern European variety
of sour cream
Cultured milk resembling buttermilk, but uses different yeast and bacterial cultures
Kefir, fermented milk drink from the Northern Caucasus
Kumis/Airag, slightly fermented mares' milk popular in Central Asia
Powdered milk, produced by removing thehi water from milk
Whole milk products Buttermilk products
Skim milk Whey products
High milk-fat and nutritional products Cultured and confectionery products
Condensed milk, milk which has been concentrated by evaporation, with sugar added for reduced
process time and longer life in an opened can
Khoa, milk which has been completely concentrated by evaporation, used in Indian cuisine including
gulab jamun, peda, etc.) Evaporated milk, milk without added sugar
Ricotta, acidified whey, reduced in volume Infant formula, dried milk powder with specific
additives for feeding human infants Baked milk, a variety of boiled milk that
has been particularly popular in Russia
Butter, mostly milk fat, produced by churning cream
Buttermilk, the liquid left over after producing butter from cream, often dried as livestock
feed Ghee, clarified butter, by gentle heating
of butter and removal of the solid matter Smen, a fermented, clarified butter used in
Moroccan cooking Anhydrous milkfat
Cheese, produced by coagulating milk, separating from whey and letting it ripen, generally
with bacteria and sometimes also with certain molds
Curds, the soft, curdled part of milk used to make cheese
Paneer Whey, the liquid drained from curds and used
for further processing or as a livestock feed Cottage cheese
Quark Cream cheese, produced by the addition of
cream to milk and then curdled to form a rich curd or cheese
Fromage frais
Caseinare Caseinates, sodium or calcium salts of casein
Milk protein concentrates and isolates Whey protein concentrates and isolates, reduced
lactose whey Hydrolysates, milk treated with proteolytic
enzymes to alter functionality Mineral concentrates, byproduct of demineralizing
whey
Yogurt, milk fermented by Streptococcus salivarius ssp. thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii
ssp. bulgaricus sometimes with additional bacteria, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus
Ayran Lassi, Indian subcontinent
Leben
Clabber, milk naturally fermented to a yogurt-like state
Gelato, slowly frozen milk and water, lesser fat than ice cream
Ice cream, slowly frozen cream, milk, flavors and emulsifying additives
Ice milk, low-fat version of ice cream Frozen custard
Frozen yogurt, yogurt with emulsifiers
Other Viili
Kajmak Filmjölk
Piimä Vla
Dulce de leche Skyr
Junket, milk solidified with rennet
Health Dairy products can cause health issues for
individuals who have lactose intolerance or a milk allergy.
Avoidance Some groups avoid dairy products for non-health
related reasons: Religious - Some religions restrict or do
not allow for the consumption of dairy products. For example, some scholars of Jainism advocate
not consuming any dairy products because dairy is perceived to involve violence against cows.
Strict Judaism requires that meat and dairy products not be served at the same meal, served
or cooked in the same utensils, or stored together, as prescribed in Deuteronomy 14:21.
Ethical - Veganism is the avoidance of all animal products, including dairy products,
most often due to the ethics regarding how dairy products are produced. The ethical reasons
for avoiding dairy include how dairy is produced, how the animals are handled, and the environmental
effect of dairy production. See also
Fermented milk products List of dairy products
List of foods Plant milk
References
Further reading Rankin, H. F. Imbucase: the Story of the B.
C. I. C. of the Ministry of Food. Edinburgh: Edinburgh Press
External links Questions and Answers on dairy products