Dairy chemistry

Food chemistry is a fundamental discipline that studies the composition and chemical reactions of food components during processing, contributing to the development of safer, higher-quality products. Cow’s milk is rich in nutrients: containing water, proteins (whey, casein, milk), fats (triglycerides, phospholipids, vitamins A, D, E, K), carbohydrates (lactose) and minerals (calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium). Lactic acid fermentation, carried out by bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Streptococcus, converts pyruvate into lactic acid. This process extends the shelf life and improves the taste of fermented products. In cheese production, milk is curdled with yeast and calcium dichloride, which provides a stable structure. The presence of chloride ions in the brine is proven with silver nitrate. Unsaturated fats are proven with iodine, and casein is isolated and identified by Biuret and Xanthoproteic reactions.