When assessing the quality of milk fat content is one of the key criteria.
This indicator is important to know as the producers of the product - to adjust its value in the market, and the buyer - to select the most appropriate type of drink.
About what the indicator depends on, how to recognize it and in what ways you can change, is described below.
What determines the fat content
Fat can be relative and total. In everyday life, the first term is most often used. For example, if the package is 1.5% fat, this means that 1.5 g of fat is present in 100 ml of the product. This indicator can vary in a wide range: from 0.5% to 6%. It depends on many unchanging and changeable factors:
- Breed. This is one of the main factors determining the percentage of fat. For each dairy breed there is a certain standard of milk fat content, which will be extremely difficult to change, even correcting all other factors.
- Heredity. Fat milk is inherited from mother and father, therefore, for breeding livestock, only those females whose milk fat indicators were at a high level should be selected, as well as high-quality breeding bulls should be selected.
- Productivity. The higher the milk yield, the lower the fat content.
- The age of the animal. It is natural that with age the level of fat content falls, while sometimes even lower than the stated standards of the breed.
- Season and ambient temperatures. In the summer, fat content may decrease due to heat, high water consumption and juicy, fresh feed, greenery. In the summer months, the grazing content of the animal has a very favorable effect on the quality of the product, and in the winter time - walks in the fresh air.
- Lactation period. During the entire period of lactation, fat content may vary significantly. So, it is lower in the first months and higher in the last (8-9 months), when the number of milk yields decreases.
- Buryonka nutrition (including quantity and quality of feed). From overeating, the percentage drops. It may also change with the introduction or withdrawal from the diet of certain foods. So, hay and roots always increase this figure, and silage - reduces.
- The health of the cow.
- Number of calving. The fat index usually increases after the birth of the 4th calf.
What is the fat in cow's milk
Different types of dairy products will have different fat content. At the same time, indicators for home and store dairy products will also differ.
Did you know? A record milk fat content of 14% was recorded for Jersey breeds, while the average level for this variety is 4.5%.
Home
By homemade milk is usually meant steam or just a whole product. Steamed milk can be called within a few hours after milking. The percentage of fat in it is usually in the range from 3.5 to 4%. After some time, the level of fat in it begins to fall.
Shop
On the shelves you can find different types of milk, the indicator of fat in which will vary. This is done in order to meet the needs of people with different eating habits: diet food, sports, children, with certain ailments, etc.
Types of milk:
- whole - the product was not subjected to any type of processing, but was simply cleared of solid particles by straining. The fat content of this product ranges from 3.25-4%;
- non-greasy - the level ranges from 1-2%. Such milk is most often used in institutions of public catering, in food production, etc .;
- skim - fat indicator is 0.1-1%;
- fortified - this product contains an increased amount of ascorbic acid, but this does not affect the level of fat. Fortified product may contain as much as 3.5% fat, or less or more;
- melted - the percentage of fat content in a melted product can be from 3.2% to 6%;
- high fat - Fat level is in the range of 4.5-6%. Typically, such a product can be obtained from animals with high breed indicators of fat content.
Did you know? Every year, the population of the planet drinks nearly 600 million liters of milk, which makes up about 160 thousand liters per day.
How to determine the fat content at home
The most accurate percentage can be found only after laboratory analysis. In the factory, you can find out the amount of fat in milk with an accuracy of one thousandth of a percent. 
But even at home, without tricky devices, you can check how high-quality dairy product is before you.
Important! Need to understand that this method allows you to get only an approximate value, expressed in the whole number. In this way, it is impossible to know not only hundredths or thousandths, but even tenths of a percent.To measure the fat content you need a regular measuring cup with strictly vertical walls, without edges. Milk should be shaken up thoroughly before testing, poured into a glass to the 100 ml mark, and then left at room temperature overnight or at least 6-8 hours. After a specified time, the fat will begin to separate from other fractions, gathering at the top. It will have a more yellow tint, because it is not difficult to distinguish between factions.
Now you can measure the resulting layer with a ruler. Its value in millimeters will be a necessary indicator in percent. That is, roughly speaking, 1 mm layer of cream will be equal to one percent of fat. But it should be understood that in the cream gathered from above, there is no 100% fat, so this result can not be considered accurate.
How to check the quality of milk at home: video
Useful tips
Sometimes the fat content needs to be increased or decreased. This can be done in several simple but effective ways.
Good influence on the fat content of milk, adding to the diet of cow pulp.
How to increase
It is possible to increase the level of fat in the product in order to make it even more tasty and nutritious, as well as to increase its value when selling. Secrets of increasing the indicator:
- Diet. An increase in fat can be noted when feeding an animal with fresh green grass. In summer, the cow should be grazed to pasture.
- Massage udder. It must be carried out before each milking. This procedure will stimulate the release of stagnant milk, the level of fat in which is the highest.
- Surrender "front" milk. Milk produced in the first seconds of milking is usually less fatty. If you mix it into a separate container, then the amount of fat in the further product will automatically increase. In addition, this trick will increase the hygiene of the process.
- The animal must be carefully “finished” to the last drops. It is in residual milk that fat is highest.
Important! At increase of fat due to adjustment of a diet tastes of a product should not suffer! For example, beets, cabbage and silage will give milk a pronounced aftertaste, and molasses will increase starchiness. Adjust the diet to be very smooth.
How to reduce
To reduce the percentage of fat, milk should be poured into narrow dishes (it will be more convenient to work with it), and put in a place with a temperature not higher than 10 ° C for 8 hours. After this time, the fat layer will separate and float to the very top of the tank, where it can be easily removed. You can also drain 1/4 of the milk, and use the rest as lean.
To further reduce the rate, you can mix cold milk with a whisk - the cream will remain on the metal bars. However, the taste can change greatly.
Thus, the percentage of fat in milk is an important criterion that determines the benefit, taste, cost and overall quality of the product. Although the milk fat content for each cow is determined by its breed, this indicator can be slightly changed, and its independent change does not require much effort.
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