Milk contains many components. Combined, these afford milk a healthy, nutritious profile that is key to its value as a globally recognized food. Foremost to all dairy processors is how to ensure that this goodness is maintained throughout the value chain. The effective use of analytical science as part of a recognized quality system contributes markedly. Techniques for measurement of fat, protein, lactose, minerals and micronutrients have been developed over many years, using a variety of analytical technologies. The status of these and future developments is reviewed in this presentation.

The measurement of raw milk as part of the milk collection process is well established in most countries.  Traditional wet chemistry quality tests have increasingly given way to rapid methods for assessing composition and microbiological quality. These are typically applied, to samples gathered at collection, in large automated central milk testing laboratories. Increasingly, technology that allows rapid accurate testing of milk in developing countries, where the collection hierarchy is less centralized, is being brought to market. The ability to test for milk composition at levels of detail beyond total fat, protein and lactose has also benefited from significant developments in recent years and is clearly an area of great future value.

Milk arrives at a processing facility and is typically split into component streams and then recombined into a range of products. Rapid in-line measurement is central to the ability to perform this efficiently in large automated dairy plants. Products are measured both during and after production. Depending on the nature of the product, effective sampling and accurate measurement can be challenging. Analysis then provides results that underpin the quality specifications of each product batch. Adherence to international standards in the application of testing is also a crucial factor that ensures the maintenance of quality across the dairy value chain.