Chettinad Health City Medical Journal

Volume 12, Issue 1 - 2023, Pg. No. 3-9

Peer Reviewed & Open Access Journal
Research Article

A Comparative Study on Milk Obtained from

Various Sources
Neelaveni K1, Bhuvaneswari S1, Kalaiyarasi D2, Kapu Poojitha2, Mohana V2, Sukrutha V2,
Dharani N2, Ishwaryalakshmi S2
Assistant Professor, Department of Food Science and Nutrition, SRS Institute of Agriculture and Technology, Vedasandhur, India.
1

SRS Institute of Agriculture and Technology, Vedasandhur, India.

2

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I N F O A B S T R A C T

Corresponding Author: Introduction: Milk is classified as a complete food that contains

Neelaveni K, Department of Food Science essential vitamins and minerals as well as complete proteins, fats, and
and Nutrition, SRS Institute of Agriculture and carbohydrates that are crucial for supporting life and promoting good
Technology, Vedasandhur, India. health. Therefore, the main objectives of the study are to determine
E-mail Id: consumer preferences for milk and milk products, develop milk and
[email protected] curd from alternate sources, and assess their efficacy.
Orcid Id:
Materials and Methods: We investigated milk-oriented topics and the
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9208-105X
responders stated that indigenous milk had a high protein content,
How to cite this article:
calcium content, and other advantages. Even though milk is known
Neelaveni K, Bhuvaneswari S, Kalaiyarasi D,
for its nutritional value, advantages, and cost-effectiveness, some
Poojitha K, Mohana V, Sukrutha V, Dharani N,
individuals avoid it due to lactose intolerance, and hence it is important
Ishwaryalakshmi S. A Comparative Study on Milk
to develop lactose-free milk. We used indigenous cow milk, cross-
Obtained from Various Sources. Chettinad Health
breed milk, buffalo milk, soy milk, and coconut milk. All milk and curds
City Med J. 2023;12(1):3-9.
underwent sensory analysis.
Date of Submission: 2022-10-26 Results and Discussion: Indigenous cow milk scored high (24.84),
Date of Acceptance: 2022-12-17 followed by coconut milk (24.32), according to the data. Buffalo
curd (23.44) scored higher than standard curd (23.32). Protein and
calcium contents of standard and best-acceptable milk and curd were
determined. There is a strong desire to develop lactose-free milk and
milk products. 100 mL of coconut milk has 1.1 g of protein in it. The
curd obtained from cross-breed and buffaloes contains nearly the same
amount of nutrients, and the chosen products were also economical.
Conclusion: It was suggested that more plant-based milk alternatives
should be developed for lactose-intolerant people.
Keywords: Coconut Milk, Flavour, Lactose, Protein, Sensory
Characteristics

Chettinad Health City Medical Journal (P-ISSN: 2277-8845 & E-ISSN: 2278-2044)
Copyright (c) 2023: Author(s). Published by Advanced Research Publications
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Chettinad Health City Med. J. 2023; 12(1) 4

Introduction market. Non-dairy milk, including oat, coconut, rice and soy
milk, contains other simple sugars, such as fructose (fruit
India has such a long tradition of livestock husbandry
sugar), galactose, glucose, sucrose, and maltose.9 Therefore,
and dairying that it has become an integral part of its
the main objective of the study was to determine customer
cultural habits. In general, the dairy industry has witnessed
preferences for milk and dairy products, to develop milk and
considerable growth from 1970 onwards after the inception
curd from various sources, and simultaneously evaluate the
of the operation flood programme launched by the National
effectiveness of milk and curd for sensory characteristics
Dairy Development Board. World milk production had been
and nutritional content.
estimated at 557 million metric tonnes in 1998 in which the
share of buffalo milk was above 59 tonnes. Cows are major Materials And Method
contributors at about 85% of milk production followed by We selected our sample by suggesting sampling methods.
buffaloes at 11% and goats and sheep at 2% each. India We selected students and staff from our institute as
is the largest milk-producing country in the world with a panellists for our sensory assessment. A total of 25
production of 71 million tonnes in 1999.1India ranks first in members were selected as panellists for sensory evaluation
global milk production contributing 20.17% (2019-2020). and 90 people were selected as consumers to analyse the
With a daily output of 206 lakh litres, Tamil Nadu is one of perception of milk.10 The study was carried out from April
the top ten milk-producing states in the country. In 2021, 2022 to June 2022 for a period of 3 months. The adult age
India consumed the maximum cow’s milk in the world. This group was included who have good sensory skills.
number represents about 83 million tonnes. The annual
global consumption of liquid cow’s milk in 2021 was 1,000 Analysis of Consumer Perception of Milk
tonnes per country.2 We conducted a consumer survey on milk products through
Dairy was only very recently included in the human diet, at a online mode. The survey was about milk consumption,
time when it seemed to be advantageous to its consumers. monthly expenditure on milk, types of milk, nutrition and
Calcium, in particular, and other vitamins and minerals milk consumption, by-products of milk, and so on. We
are abundant in milk. It is crucial for maintaining strong used Google Forms to formulate the questionnaire which
bones. Insulin resistance does not develop as a result of contained 18 questions. It was shared on social media
calcium.3 About 87% of cow’s milk is water. All the vital applications like WhatsApp, mail, etc. The responses were
vitamins and minerals are present in the remaining 13%. recorded. This was performed to elicit beliefs regarding
The following nutrients may be found in 100 cc of milk: preferences for milk consumption among the consumers.
calories: 63 kcal; carbohydrates: 4.6 g; protein: 3.2 g; fat: 3.0 This survey facilitated us to develop milk and curd from
g; minerals: calcium: 125 mg; sodium: 50 mg; magnesium: different sources.
10 mg; potassium: 150 mg; phosphate: 210 mg; citrate:
Sensory Evaluation
200 mg; chloride: 100 mg; bicarbonate: 10 mg; and so
on. A variety of macro and micro constituents, including Cross-breed milk of Sindhu cow was purchased from a local
nutrients, organic and inorganic chemicals, enzymes, and farmers’ dairy unit. From the 2 litres of milk, 1 litre was
colours, are dispersed colloidal in milk, which is a complex boiled and sugar of 100 g was added. The milk was analysed
combination of emulsified fat.4 for sensory characteristics. The remaining 1 litre of milk
was cultured for curd at optimum temperature. Once the
Milk is considered a complete food because it is rich
curd was set, it was analysed for sensory characteristics.
in proteins (casein, albumin, and globulins), lipids,
carbohydrates, all known vitamins, and various minerals The same procedure was performed for indigenous and
needed to sustain life and maintain good health.5 A value of buffalo milk also and the sensory scores were recorded.
3.5% protein is often considered an average for milk. It has Soya milk was prepared from soya beans which were
been divided into two classes - casein and whey protein.6 purchased from the local market. Washing and cleaning
Natural sugar is the main carbohydrate in milk that tastes were done and they were soaked in water overnight (Figure
sweet, even when consumed whole, in the form of lactose. 1). The peel was removed to reduce the beany flavour
Lactose in milk often causes symptoms such as bloating, gas, and toxicity. It was ground to a paste consistency with the
or nausea after eating dairy products. This is called lactose addition of water. Then the soya bean paste was diluted
intolerance.7 In India, according to the 2022 census, about with water to extract the milk with the help of a muslin cloth
1,417,173,173 people are affected by lactose intolerance. filtrate (Figure 2). Once the milk was strained, it was boiled.
In some cases, switching to lactose-free alternatives can
help alleviate these side effects.8 The thick layer of solids formed on the top was removed.
After completing the boiling process, it was mixed with
Lactose-free milk has the same nutritional profile as regular cross-breed cow’s milk in a ratio of 50:50 i.e. one litre of
milk. Today, there are many dairy-free alternatives in the

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soya milk with one litre of cow’s milk. After that, 1 litre
was added with 100 g of sugar and sensory evaluation
was performed. The remaining one litre was cultured for
curd and it was also analysed for sensory characteristics.
Coconut milk was prepared from the extraction of coconuts.
Coconuts were purchased from local markets. They were
sliced and rinsed to remove any dirt and dust present in
them. The coconut pieces were blended with the use of a
mixer/ blender into a thin paste consistency by adding the
water. Then the milk extract was obtained from the coconut
using a muslin cloth. It was repeated 3 times to obtain the
complete extraction. The milk was double-boiled to avoid
curdling which happens in the direct boiling method. For
sensory evaluation of milk, sugar was added to one litre
of the milk. The remaining one litre of coconut milk was Figure 2.Extracting Milk from Soya Bean
cultured with cows using curd as a medium at optimum
temperature and sensory evaluation was performed. Table 1.Nutrient Composition in Milk
We had taken cross-breed milk as standard and four Ene- Pro- Carboh- Calc-
variations of milk considered were indigenous cow milk, Fat Iron
rgy tein ydrate ium
buffalo milk, soya milk, and coconut milk, which were (g) (mg)
(kcal) (g) (g) (mg)
named V1, V2, V3, and V4 respectively. A total of 25
Cow’s
panellists analysed the sensory characteristics of prepared 67 3.2 4.1 4.4 120 0.2
milk
milk and curd. It was analysed with a 5-point hedonic rating
scale. The sensory evaluation room was set up in a clean Buffalo’s
117 4.3 6.5 5.0 210 0.2
and neat environment without any interruptions. The milk
interpretation of scores of the five-point hedonic rating
scale is as follows: Nutrient Analysis
5 - Very Good, 4 - Good, 3 - Fairly Good, 2 - Fair, 1 - Poor The standard nutritional value of cow’s milk and buffalo’s
milk has been represented in Table 1 as given by the ICMR.13
The hedonic rating scale relates to pleasurable or
unpleasurable experiences. This test is used to measure The best acceptable milk and curd were chosen based on
the consumer’s acceptability of food products.11 When more the sensory evaluation scores. The standard milk (cow
than three samples need to be evaluated and accuracy milk) along with the best acceptable milk (buffalo milk)
is desired, then a scorecard is developed with all the were analysed for the protein and calcium content present
attributes. The sample is developed and marked against in them. These two components were chosen because
all the attributes in the scorecard. A number of samples of the respondents recorded in the consumer survey that
each food are presented to the evaluator and scored. The the milk was rich in calcium and protein. The protein
one which receives the highest score from the panellists content is determined from the organic nitrogen content
is taken as the most acceptable one.12 by the Kjeldahl method.14 FSSAI manual of methods for
milk products/ AOAC 18th edition is used to analyse the
calcium present in the selected products.15
Cost Calculation
The cost was also calculated for all kinds of milk. It
included the cost of the milk source, labour cost, fuel and
manufacturing, and so on. The cost was calculated for
one litre of milk.
Data Interpretation
The SPSS software was used to compare and analyse the
data. This was used to identify the difference among sensory
characteristics of milk and curd among various sources.
Figure 1.Soaking of Soya Bean The significance of nutrients was also analysed.

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Results and Discussion animal/ plant sources of milk, 65% chose cow’s milk for
the protein and calcium content and some other health
The results of the consumer survey, sensory attributes,
benefits present in it. Goat milk was also preferred by some
nutrient analysis, and cost calculation were discussed in
of the respondents.
this topic.
The following benefits of cow’s milk were listed by the
Consumer Survey on Milk
respondents:
The consumer survey results have been discussed below
• Contains a good amount of calcium and protein
as per the responses of 90 people.
• Strengthens the body
All the respondents belonged to the adolescent (43.3%) or • Reduces the risk of osteoporosis
adult (56.7%) age groups. Among 90 respondents, 77 were • Essential in day-to-day life
female and 13 were from the male category.
Beyond the above-mentioned benefits, some other benefits
Regarding the milk sources, 43.3% of them obtained milk are listed below:
from the cooperative society - milk booth and only 3.3%
• Acts as probiotics
preferred to buy milk from the local milk vendors (Figure 3).
• Maintains gut health
• Provides good quality protein for vegetarian people 17
Among the four variations of milk chosen by us - indigenous
cow milk, buffalo milk, soya milk, and coconut milk, 65.9%
of people liked to consume coconut milk and among these,
41.1% of them had tasted coconut milk already. 64.7% of
respondents liked to consume buffalo’s milk but only 12.2%
had tasted it. 61.2% of people showed interest in tasting
indigenous cow milk and 30% had already consumed it.
The least preference was for soya milk where only 31.5%
of participants showed interest in consumption and 15.5%
had already tasted/ consumed it.
When they were asked about nutritious milk, 36.6% of
people rated indigenous milk as the most nutritious one and
the least scored was cross-breed milk with 5.6% (Figure 4).

Figure 3.Various Sources of Milk

Regarding milk consumption in a day, 34 participants
consumed ¼ litre of milk, 17 did not prefer to take milk at
all, 7 consumed ½ litre of milk, and 32 consumed 1 litre of
milk per day. So, on average, ₹ 600 was spent on milk per
month by the respondents.
Seven members out of 90 had lactose intolerance.
A research study was conducted at a multicentre in India to
determine the incidence of lactose intolerance in healthy
volunteers from different parts of the country. It concluded
that the incidence was 66.6% in the subjects from two South
Indian centres in Trivandrum and Pondicherry.16 So it was Figure 4.Consumer’s Belief in Nutrition of
clear that many people suffer from lactose intolerance in Various Types of Milk
our country. The respondents recorded that 400 ml of milk along with
1 cup of curd is recommended for a daily diet.
The milk products preferred by the respondents were
curd, cheese, ghee, palkoa, butter, buttermilk, ice cream, During the first two or three days after delivery, thick and
desserts, etc. yellowish fluid is secreted from the mammary gland. This
differs from regular milk and is called colostrum.18
When they were asked to give milk preferences, i.e. the

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All the respondents had knowledge about colostrum and its In the same way, Table 3 showsan analysisofcurd. When
health benefits. Even though they knew that it is beneficial the results were compared, coconut milk was determined to
to health, only 58% of them prefer it. be the most suitable option for lactose-intolerant people.22
A research study on colostrum stated that the concentration Here the buffalo curd scored high in overall sensory attributes.
of many nutrients and biologically active substances The quantity of buffalo milk production in the world had
(immunoglobulin, enzymes, hormones, growth factors, increased from 5.4% in 1961 to 15.7% in 2018.23
etc.) are many times higher in colostrum than in milk.19
Nutrient Analysis of Milk and Curd
Raw milk consumption was preferred only by 56% of people
and the remaining regretted consuming milk in raw form. The nutritional content of the best-scored milk and curd
Research findings concluded that raw milk does not meet was analysed along with the standard. The protein and
the microbial safety and quality aspects and hence it may calcium contents were analysed because the consumer
act as a carrier for milk-borne diseases and illnesses.20 survey clearly explained that all of them consumed milk
because of its protein and calcium content. The results
So from the above findings, it was concluded that all have been shown in Table 4.
consumers expect safe, hygienic, and nutritious milk for
consumption and lactose intolerant people expect it from There is a strong desire to develop lactose-free milk and milk
a plant source. products, but it is not possible to meet the nutritional aspects
too. However, the dietary recommendation for Indians is 1
Sensory Scores for Milk and Curd g of protein per kg of body weight, and hence it is sufficient
Standard milk (cross-breed milk) along with four variations that 100 ml of coconut milk provides 1.1 g of protein.24
(indigenous milk-1, buffalo milk-2, soya milk-3, and coconut Table 5, shows the nutrient analysis of curd.The curd
milk-4) were evaluated for sensory scores. About 25 obtained from cross-breed cows and buffaloes contains
products were evaluated and the average scores have more or less similar nutrient contents.
been given in Table 2.
Cost Calculation
Similarly, a study performed on the sensory characteristics
of yoghurt was done and tabulated to find the differences The cost differences between the best-scored and standard
among variations at 5% level. Sensory analysis of the tests curd and milk have been listed in Table 6.
indicated that the use of carbohydrate-based fat substitutes So the chosen products were acceptable in economic
could successfully resemble full-fat products.21 aspects also.
Table 2.Sensory Scores for Milk

Choices of Milk Appearance Colour Flavour Texture Taste Overall

Standard* 4.88 4.8 4.8 4.64 4.68 23.84
Variation 1** 5 5 4.92 4.96 4.96 24.84
Variation 2* 4.64 4.4 4.84 4.72 4.6 23.24
Variation 3* 4.64 4.44 3.9 4.08 4.04 21.3
Variation 4* 4.92 4.88 4.88 4.86 4.8 24.32
*p < 0.10. The result is significant at 10% level.
**p > 0.10. The result is not significant at 10% level.
Table 3.Sensory Scores for Curd
Choices of Milk Appearance Colour Flavour Texture Taste Overall
Standard *
4.68 4.72 4.52 4.88 4.48 23.32
Variation 1** 4.68 4.64 4.68 4.68 4.56 23.2
Variation 2** 4.84 4.52 4.72 4.72 4.64 23.44
Variation 3* 4.24 3.84 3.92 3.96 3.92 20.48
Variation 4* 4.56 4.36 4.28 4.16 4.12 21.48
*p < 0.10. The result is significant at 10% level.
**p > 0.10. The result is not significant at 10% level.

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Table 4.Nutrient Analysis of Milk

Source of Funding: None
Conflict of Interest: None
Per 100 ml Standard* Variation 4*
Protein (g) 3.2 g 1.1 g
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