A proposal for the control of heat load of different types of milk within the European Community
1993
Glaeser, H. (Commission of the European Communities, Brussels (Belgium). Directorate-General for Agriculture)
The following types of heat-treated drinking milk are mentioned in EC-legislation: pasteurized milk, high-temperature pasteurized, UHT- and sterilized milk. While minimum conditions for heat-treatment and/or minimum keepability requirements have been specified, there are at present - with the exception of pasteurized milk - no upper limits for heat-treatment. Upper limits are a prerequisite for the analytical distinction of different types of heat-treated milk. Furthermore, a limitation of heat load may result in an improvement of product quality. A proposal for the distinction of UHT and sterilized milk based on the determination of lactulose and beta-lactoglobulin has been made by an IDF group of experts. Being a valuable basis for discussion, this proposal probably has to be revised. It should be supplemented by an upper limit for the heat treatment of in-bottle-sterilized milk. For quality reasons, heat treatment during pasteurization should be only slightly above the minimum conditions (71.1 degree Celsius per 15 s). Beta-lactoglobulin can probably be used to check whether this requirement is fulfilled. For high-temperature pasteurized milk, an upper limit for the heat treatment has to be defined; otherwise, ultra-pasteurized milk (110-125 degree Celsius per 2-5 s) could be placed on the market as high pasteurized milk, which would be misleading. Lactulose and/or beta-lactoglobulin are probably suitable parameters. A control of thermization is indispensable in order to prevent manipulations of raw milk. Furthermore, it is of considerable interest to know whether a cheese has been produced from raw, thermized or pasteurized milk. Protein-standardization of drinking milk is currently discussed within the EC. Control methods are urgently needed in order to prevent illegal actions. Possible ways for solving the problem mentioned above are discussed.
Show more [+] Less [-]AGROVOC Keywords
Bibliographic information
This bibliographic record has been provided by University of Liège