Introduction & Milk composition

8 important questions on Introduction & Milk composition

What is the concentration of proteins in milk in % of total protein

Total Protein -- 100

Total Caseins -- 79.5
  • alfa s1 -- 30.6
  • alfa s2 -- 8.0
  • beta -- 28.4
  • kapla -- 10.1


Total Whey Proteins -- 19.3
  • alfa-lactalbumin -- 3.7
  • beta-lactoglobulin --9.8
  • BSA -- 1.2
  • Immunoglobulins -- 2.4
  • NPN and prothese peptone -- 2.4

What are the proteins present in Serum?

  • Alfa-lactalbumin
  • Beta-lactoglobulin
  • Blood serum albumin (BSA)
  • Immunoglobulin (A, G, M)
  • Many other proteins in low concentrations


- serum proteins are globular proteins, like most other proteins in nature
- Denatured during heating, precipitation on casein micelles

What is the most important function of lactose in dairy processing?

Its utilisation as a fermentation substrate in the production of many fermented dairy products.

(Het wordt gebruikt als fermentatiesubstraat bij de productie van veel gefermenteerde zuivelproducten.)
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What kind of fat and water soluble vitamins includes milk?

Fat soluble
  • A
    • derived from retinal and beta-carotene
  • D
  • E
  • K

Water soluble
  • B1 - thiamine
  • B2 - riboflavin
  • B3 - niacin
  • B5 - pantothenic acid
  • B6 - pyridoxine
  • B12 - cyanocobalamin


There is also a small amount of vitamine C (ascorbic acid) present in raw milk, but that is very heat-labile and is therefore easily destroyed during pasteurisation.

Fatty acids composition of milk. Is there a specific melting point?

No there is not a specific melting point, because every fatty acid has a different melting point. It has a melting range.

What are the characteristics of fatty acid patterns of bovine (runder) milk fat?

  • Fatty acid composition very wide
  • high proportion (15-20%) of short-chain fatty acids, with 4-10 -carbon atoms (typical for ruminants)
  • high proportion of saturated acids (60+ mol%)
  • Oleic acid (is the most important) (unsaturated)
  • Wide variety of unsaturated acids

There is variation in composition between breeds

  • Friesian (in the Netherlands)
  • "Friesian" (other sources)
  • Brown Swiss
  • Jersey

The are 3 main variations in different components

  1. Protein/fat/lactose
  2. Casein
    1. whah ratio rather constant, composition whey proteins much more variable
  3. milk isotonic with blood
    1. osmotic pressure through lactose and dissolved salts

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