Milk: a liquid food

Mon, 12 Dec 2016 09:18:20 +0000

Man from ancient time has been a farmer because God gave him everything for him to have an easy and comfortable life and at the same time to have company by the beauty that surrounded him. Genesis 1:24 – 25…. And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds; cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds,” And it was so. And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the cattle according to their kinds…… and God saw that it was good.’

In the same book Chapter 2 verse 4, it is mentioned that Abel one of the sons of Adam was a keeper of sheep in other words a shepherd and Cain who was an older brother was a tiller of the land growing crops. It can then be seen that man domesticated animals from the early times when life was established on earth. It is from these activities from which we have taken serious production of the various food crops needed by man for his survival. From these animals he got skins for clothing, meat and milk which provided the necessary protein. Crops that were grown supplied man with vitamins and carbohydrates as well as minerals to balance the nutritional needs necessary in everyday living. All this was God’s plan.

Today after thousands of years and in practically every nation milk has been and is part of human diet. And mammals produce this, milk which is a complete food for the young. For human beings, although the female species is the one that produces this milk it comes from the mammary glands. Today this milk is enjoyed by many people especially here in Zambia. The dairy farmer has indeed contributed to good nutrition of the citizens. Milk is got from the animals kept, mostly from cattle and goats among the local and commercial livestock farmers of this country. Zambians are enjoying this most nourishing liquid food from the mentioned animals, in other countries it is from the sheep, camels and water buffaloes.

In Zambia we are very lucky that we have industries that are able to process this wonderful liquid food into a variety of other products such as butter, cheese, yogurt and ice-cream. The milk we drink contains about 87 percent water and 13 percent solids. The solids so mentioned include carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals such as calcium which is important for bone growth and maintenance. Of the two mentioned that is cattle and goats the goat has the richest of the milk out of the two animals and is easily digested by children it is this same goat milk which is the most highly nutritious liquid food out of the two.

Milk is a prime source of calcium and if there is insufficient calcium intake by any person this leads to the development of osteoporosis. Therefore, for those who are not comfortable with milk products such as ice cream, yogurt and other products like cheese should find alternative source of calcium such as eating cabbage, spinach and fish. This is in reference to people whose milk intake upsets their stomachs. Once the milk is taken, bacteria in the intestines especially the bacteria in the big intestine (colon) convert this into lactic acid and carbon dioxide.

People who are not used to taking milk or milk products would develop symptoms such as bloating and diarrhea. Such people do not have lacto – bacteria in their system which usually work on ingested milk. Doctors may call this “lactose intolerance” this will refer to the body’s inability to digest lactose which is the prominent sugar in milk which is absorbed into the blood stream. This lactose must be broken down into glucose and galactose. Lactase is an enzyme which works on the broken down sugars. From infancy the body produces less and less of this lactose and deficiency of this in adulthood makes a person to be lactose intolerant.

Taking of milk however, should still be encouraged as this gives a complete food for the body as already mentioned. For those who cannot manage to keep fresh milk there is always dried milk in powder form for those without refrigeration facilities. Making powdered milk by the dairy firms involves storing the fresh milk into separators where it is separated into skim milk and cream which later is remixed in specific quantities to give a mixture of correct standard or consistency. From these separators it goes to buffer storage before it can be turned into milk powder this is understood by those doing or engaged in the dairy processing.

How is long life milk made?

Long life milk is made by the process of pasteurization. This involves heating milk for a specified time and then cooling it quickly. This kind of process kills harmful bacteria and this extends the shelf life of milk. Not all bacteria are killed, milk products still have limited shelf life.

You might live in an area where fresh milk is readily available. But many people live in isolated areas where fresh milk is hard to obtain and is expensive. Especially in the very remote areas of the country. However, the alternative is the use of powdered milk, then their nutritional problems would be solved. It is a matter of mixing a few spoonful of powder with water then you have the reconstituted milk, though not as tasty as fresh milk.

For those not comfortable with milk it is available to consume small amounts of milk and other dairy products so as to build up lacto bacteria which help to digest this product. Yogurt and some aged cheese can usually be taken because these are more easily digested. Products that are lactose free can be made use of or alternatively take products that contain lactose. For those suffering from lactose intolerance, they may follow the suggestions mentioned above if they are to continue to take milk products in different forms this is to help achieve a balanced diet from milk products.

Goat milk is an alternative to cow milk, this is easily digested even by babies it is closer to human milk hence, the infants, are very comfortable.

Our dairy farmers are encouraged to rear or keep breeds that produce a lot of milk from which once milked would supply the processing factories with the required amounts that can be used to make powdered milk for the typical rural areas and also for those lacking refrigeration facilities in the per – urban areas of this nation. Everybody must have a complete meal through taking whole milk it is a complete product for everybody adult and the young.

Dairy farmers are therefore playing a very important role in feeding the nation through dairy products as a result of their dairy farming activities. This is the liquid food for every person.