Milk, the noble raw material of many dairy products
 

Milk transfers its nutritional benefits to other dairy products. However cheese, yoghurt, fermented milk, butter and cream also possess specific qualities of their own.

 

Cheeses
 

Cheese is the champion in providing calcium. Cheeses with pressed cooked rinds (emmenthal, comté, beaufort, etc.) contain over 1g of calcium per 100 grams, which is a record level!
Cheeses are also rich in B group vitamins. This is particularly true of ‘blue’ cheeses and those from the camembert family, since these vitamins are created during the fermentation process.


Fromage frais
 

Fromage frais is a very good source of protein with 7 to 8.5g per 100g. It is also rich in calcium: 70 to 140mg per 100g, i.e. 10%. It is also made up of between 3% and 18% of carbohydrates depending on the quantity of lactose or saccharose when sugar or fruit is added during manufacture as well as the quantity of fructose present when the fromage frais is combined with pieces of fruit, a fruit coulis or fruit pulp.

 

 

 
 
 
Soft rind cheeses such as Camembert. The cheese is poured into moulds after curdling and the draining process occurs naturally
Fresh cheeses such as Mozzarella. The curd is heated when it is in the protein matrix stage, which gives it its particular texture. These cheeses belong to the ‘pasta filata’ family due to the ‘stringing of the curd’
Pressed cheeses such as Emmenthal or St Paulin. The curd is pressed to expel the moisture, and heated beforehand for Emmenthal. Generally speaking these cheeses are formed in large moulds (i.e. 80 to 100kg for Emmethal). This is the most common type of cheese and accounts for 40% of global production.
Veined or marbled cheeses such as Roquefort: Fermentation of roqueforti penicillium leads to the formation of mould within the cheese which gives it its characteristic blue or black veined aspect.
 




Yoghurts and fermented milks
 

Yoghurt and fermented milk contain lactic ferments that have "pre-directed" the milk. As a result these products are very easy to digest and have a beneficial effect on the intestinal flora.

 
 
 
Firm yoghurts
Stirred yoghurt
Drinking yoghurt
 

 

 


Butter
 

Butter has been around for over 3000 years but for a very long time it remained a rare product that was produced locally and using traditional methods.
In 1859, centrifugation by CJ FUCHS made it possible to separate fat from milk. In 1864, the first cream separator or ‘creamer’ appeared. This machine contributed to the rise in butter production, which also led to major developments in the dairy industry and large-scale manufacture.
Butter is produced from the cream obtained from skimming milk to remove the cream.
Ten litres of milk are required to produce a litre of cream. This is then pumped through maturing tanks and then lactic leavens are added.
Crystals of butter are formed during the maturing process. The saturated cream is then beaten vigorously during the process known as churning.
The fatty globules coagulate into butter grains. The liquid expelled during the churning process is known as buttermilk.
 
 
 
Classic pasteurised butter, 82% fat
Raw butter made from raw cream (unprocessed/unpasteurised dairy)
Margarine or ‘spreads’ (butters that can be spread straight from the fridge)
Butter with reduced fat content
- Reduced fat butter (60-62%)
- Low-fat or ‘light’ butter (39-41%)
 


Cream
 

Cream also provides vitamins A and D but with fat content of 15 to 30% it is the least fatty natural dairy product.