Leon
Cow Dialect?
Hi, Cow fans
Yes, if you’re a real cow lover, you have always known that they have accents just like humans, right?
Confirm it here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/country/article/0,,1856067,00.html
Kind regards,
Leon the Milkman
Milkman mixes
Hi, Folks
I mixed some calibration standards for dairy composition testing yesterday. We made up a set of ten samples with butterfat ranging from skimmed to 5%.
The whole process starts off with me collecting different milks from nearby farms – by different I mean milk that comes from different races of cows that feed on different feeds.
Once the milk is mixed to give it a range of fat it is tested by internationally accepted methods and distributed to factories to calibrate their testing equipment.
Kind regards,
Leon the Milkman
Mozzarella not stretching?
Hi, Cheese lovers
If you have the above problem I would recommend that you taste the milk first to see if you can detect something that way. If the milk is not very sweet – chances are that water was added.  After doing a freezing point to eliminate that possibility, I would do solids, meaning fat and protein in this case.Â
I would also do a phosphatase test to see if the milk was not pasteurized previously, because that would denature the protein so that it will not stretch on a second heating.  You might have pasteurized at too high a temperature yourself as well.
The milk could have a high SCC(somatic cell count) which is an indication of mastitis and this would lower the casein protein in the milk, which would lead to lower yields of cheese and slower, weaker setting of the curd.
Kind regards,
Leon the Milkman
Louwrens Smit visits Elsenburg!
Hi, Dairy Friends
Louwrens Smit from our head office gave us a surprise visit this week and helped us to get the Elsenburg Dairy Lab. closer to our ISO 17025 accreditation goal.
Louwrens you are a great guy and thanks for your help!
Kind regards,
Leon the Milkman
Wensleydale cheese is unique.
Hi, Cheese Fans
Having had the privilege to have had real Wensleydale at a London Expo back in 2000, I must agree with this article on protecting uniqueness. Please read it here:
http://www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=55&ArticleID=1692337
Kind regards,
Leon the Milkman
Froth on your coffee?
Hi, Milk Fans
There is a new article posted on the homepage at http://www.dairy-info.org/ about the factors that prevent milk from frothing.  This will be of interest to coffee shop owners as well as the guys supplying them.
Kind regards,
Leon the Milkman
Does this mean the end of milk recording schemes?
Hi, Dairy People
If you are part of a milk recording scheme you should check out this new research:
http://www.farminguk.com/bsp/10130/ews.asp?DBID=103-281-013-098&iPage=1&id=4659
Kind regards,
Leon the Milkman
Alternative for Alfalfa
Hi, Dairy Farmers
Here is some research that you should keep an eye on:
http://www.kobtv.com/index.cfm?viewer=storyviewer&id=27166&cat=NMTOPSTORIES
Kind regards,
Leon the Milkman
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Report on UK market for value-added milk.
Hi, Milk Fans
British dairies are increasingly targeting the value-added milk for growth opportunities as they re-align their businesses and move away from commodity products. New product launches and increased investment are factors behind sales to expand by about 30% a year.This new report by Organic Monitor analyses the organic milk, functional milk, and flavoured milk segments. Although organic milk and flavoured milk comprise most revenues, the functional milk market is showing the highest percentage growth. Functional milk sales escalated in 2005 due to the successful launch of Saint Ivel Advance. Marketed as ‘clever milk’, the milk is fortified with omega acids from fish oil.
Organic milk comprises most revenues in the value-added milk market. Sales have been soaring since scientific research found organic milk to have superior nutrient content than non-organic milk. Some retailers have reported sales growth in excess of 50% in 2005 as consumers increasingly buy organic milk because of its health benefits.
Of all the product segments, flavoured milk has the highest retail penetration. Fresh flavoured milk sales are expanding as retailers launch new products under their private labels. Expanding sales channels is also a major driver as manufacturers target the catering & foodservice sector.
High growth rates are attracting new entrants into the value-added milk market. Apart from British dairies, large food companies like Nestlé and Unilever are coming into the market because of the growth potential and low barriers to market entry. The organic milk market is receiving low interest however because of supply-demand imbalances. Supply shortages is causing organic milk to be imported once again after years of oversupply.
This report gives market & competitive information on the value-added milk market. Market sizes, revenue forecasts, and market trends are given for each product segment. Competitive information includes market shares and profiles of leading producers and retailers.
For a complete index of this report click on:
http://www.researchandmarkets.com/product/f24e5c/the_uk_market_for_valueadded_milk Â
Kind regards, Leon the Milkman
Preservatives the enemy?
Hi, Food fans
Saw something on the tele last night about consumers going on about preservatives. Well, being in the food industry myself and knowing that the average food product in the USA travels about 1500 miles to its market, I would say preservatives are essential 😉
Also considering that daily we are destroying forrests to make place for agricultural land and offices and residential areas, we must realise that as we get to be more and more the quality of our food will suffer, right?    They have to stretch what we have, and that will bring down quality.  No, I’m not being dramatic, find some soil comparisons from the 60’s on micro-nutrients and compare them to the quality of agricultural soil today – and people – plants do not make micro-nutrients, they get them from the soil 😉
Yes, well, I can write a whole lot on this topic!
Goodday to you,
Leon the Milkman

