Dairy Times October-November 2020

TURKEY

IDF

Vol.04, Issue 05, October- November 2020 20/-

Inside Lactoferrin :

A Possible Solution against COVID-19

Olden Food And Current Neutraceutical

Bovine Colostrum Paraprobiotic

as a functional ingredient in the dairy industry

Innovation in Paneer Production

Technology

New President for

International Dairy Federation

Piercristiano Brazzale

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CONTENTS

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• Amul Dairy digitalizes all AI • Farm To Fork: Dairy Unit Makes Foodies Say Cheese 13

• Keventer Agro Expands Milk Col lection Centers In West Bengal 14

• Is Your Packaged Milk Safe from the COVID Virus?

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• Milk Mantra Plans Expansion, In Talks To Acquire Dairy Plant In Kolkata • Cattle Feed At Subsidised Rates For Farmers 16

• FSSAI Clarifies the A1/A2 Milk and Organic Foods Concepts 17

• FSSAI moves to stop use of word ‘milk’ on non-dairy products • Seven Listed Dairy Stocks Doubled their Investor’s Wealth 18

• Mega Dairy To Come Up In Rangareddy District • Agna Desi Cow Ghee is made from the Milk of Gir Cows 19

• Milky War: Amul Takes On Peers In Southern States • CBI searches against dairy prod ucts firm over Rs. 1,400-crore 20

• India Must Stop Misusing Antibi otics In Dairy Sector • Dairy farmers criticize Aavin Dairy for lessening procurement 21

• You Can Thank The Indus Valley Civilization For Cheese 22

• Prabhat dairy asked to deposit Rs.1292 crore 23

• Food not a source for transmis sion of corona virus • Sale Of Dairy Products Down Due To Demand Slump After Lockdown 24

• Demand for dairy products has not yet reached pre-Covid levels • Joint Venture For Dairy Sector In Bundelkhand 25

• Rs. 150-cr aid to help milk coop eratives export milk powder • Indian Dairy Sector To Turn Covid-19 Crisis Into Opportunity

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• Mcg Plans To Shift Dairies Outside City • Karnataka launches immunity boosting milk products 28

• Save Dairy Animals From Hyper thermia: Gadvasu Professor • Jiva Ayurveda launches A2 Ghee 29

• The Worst Is Yet To Come In Indian Dairy Sector 30

• Dairy industry witness an innovation galore during Covid times 31

• Festive demand in milk & rising prices Help dairy farmers • Tata Has Entered Into Milk Products -Tata Nq 32

• FSSAI Directs ‘Date of Mfg’ & ‘Best Before Date’ for Sweets • FSSAI to Place Food Safety on Wheels at Khoya Mandi 33

• Amul Forays Into Camel Milk Ice-Cream, Milk Powder • Relief for Amul in restrain orders on illegal export of milk 35

Enhancing the quality of milkwith bacteria-removing clarifiers from GEA 36

IN SEARCH OF SAFE MILK 38

Dairy Products: Potential Sources for Immune Boosting 41

Five Investment Opportunities In Dairy Between Rs 125 And Rs. 140 Crore

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An Article by Nitin Puri from YES Bank 50

Prospects of Exporting Dairy Machinery and Equipment 53

Say cheese, says the organised dairy sector 55

The Science and Art of Dairy Farming: Godrej 58

An Article by Dr. R.S Sodhi, Amul 60

Mr. Atul Chaturvedi by Dr. J.V. Parekh 61

• Dairy has been one of the retail bright spots during pandemic 62

• U.s. Dairy Consumption At A 60-Year High 63

• Fonterra collaborate with land o lakes • Hygiene system checks for Covid-19 64

• US exports report gains in early 2020 • Fonterra sells China farms • Danone to sell stake in Yakult 65

Paraprobiotic as a functional ingredient in the dairy industry 67

September Milk Production Up 2.3% In U. S. 69

Sowing the seeds of a dairy revival 71

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Lactoferrin : A Possible Solution against COVID-19

Technological Innovation In Paneer Production 73

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Olden Food And Current Neutraceutical - Bovine Colostrum

Dairy Times

Technological Innovation In Paneer Production • New President for International Dairy Federation

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veryone is worried about the fate of dairy farmers in the coming winters. This year the farmers could not trade their animals as replacement stocks. They were also not able to inseminate their animals in time at least during the lockdown period as well as in the containment zones thereafter.

IDF

Vol.04, Issue 04, August- September 2020 20/-

Editor In Chief Dr. J.V. Parekh Group Editor Firoz H. Naqvi firoz@advanceinfomedia.com Sales Executive S.H.Hasni hasan@advanceinfomedia.com Production Manager Syed Shahnawaz General Manager Gyanendra Trivedi Graphic Designer Naved naved@advanceinfomedia.com Circulation Sakshi sakshi@advanceinfomedia.com Regd. Office, Marketing & Circulation Office MashAd MultiCom P Ltd. 121, 1st floor, Rassaz Multiplex, Station Road, Mira Road (E), Dist. Thane- 401107 Tel : +91-22-28555069 /28115068 Mob.: +91-9867992299 E-mail: info@agronfoodprocessing.com sub@advanceinfomedia.com Vol. 04 Issue 05, October -November 2020

Dr. J.V. Parekh Editor in Chief

context.

NDRI Karnal sets the limit for Somatic cell count (SCC) for cows and buffaloes which would probably be the best in its category in the whole of the Universe. I am not sure whether the scientists have decided to set those limits from an Indian

The FSSAI has made it mandatory that in case of non-packaged/loose sweets, the containers/trays holding sweets at the outlet for sale should display “Best before Date” of these products with effect from 1 October 2020. In addition, the FSSAI has also stated that the FBO may also display the ‘Date of Manufacturing” which is purely voluntary and non-binding, which is highly appreciated.

The Gujarat govt will provide an assistance of Rs. 150 crore to milk cooperatives in the state to help them export milk powder. The government will provide Rs. 50 for every kilogram of milk powder exported by the cooperatives that currently have a massive stock of 90,000 metric tons. In Gujarat, about two crore liters of milk is produced daily.

After selling milk and using it for making value-added products, the milk cooperatives convert the extra milk into milk powder. The national and international prices of this milk powder have fallen and due to this, the Amul Federation and its unions currently have a stock of more than 90,000 metric tons of milk powder with a price worth Rs. 1,850 crore. This type of assistance should also, be provided to private & co-operative sectors in different states of India.

The negative campaign against milk and milk products must be dealt with firmly by all the stakeholders. Dairy products have a complex nutrient matrix. Relatively lower biological value, and have low micronutrient content.

Printed, Published & Owned by Firoz H. Naqvi RNI No. MAHENG13830

Recently, Shri. Shamalbhai B. Patel was elected unopposed as the Chairman of GCMMF. Earlier, he was the Chairman of the Sabarkantha Dist Co-op Milk Producers Union. Shri. Valamji Humbal has been elected as the Vice Chairman of GCMMF. Previously, he was the Chairman of the Kutch District Co-op Milk Producers Union. We wish them all the success. Our PM has launched E-Gopala App on 10 September, 2020 will provide information to the dairy farmers for animal feed, vaccination, disease control, Ayurvedic treatment, etc.

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Advisory Board Mr. R.P. Banerjee Chairman, SSP Pvt. Ltd, Faridabad

Dr. K.R. Rao Former CGM, NABARD, Hyderabad

Dr. Rakesh Mohan Joshi, Professor & Chairperson, IIFT, New Delhi

Mr. B.M. Vyas Former MD Gujarat Milk Marketing Federation, Anand

Mr. Subhash Vaidya CEO Dairy Tech Consultancy Mumbai

Dr. Jagjit Singh Punjrath Sr. Strategy Account Director, Stellapps, Chandigarh

Mr. Amit Aggarwal Director, Creamy Foods, New Delhi

Dr. Satish Kulkarni Consultant, Bengaluru

Mr. Rahul Kumar M D, Lactalis India, Chennai

Mr. H. R. Dave Former Deputy MD, NABARD

Mr. V.K. Ghoda Sr. Consultant-Perfect Solution, Ahmedabad

Dr. Mukund Naware Consultant, Mumbai

Dr. J.B. Prajapati Principal & Dean, SMC College of Dairy Science, Anand

Dr. A. K. Tyagi Executive Director, Haldiram Snacks Pvt.Ltd., New Delhi

Dr. G.S. Rajorhia President, Indian Dairy Association, New Delhi

Mr. Vijay Jailkhani Former Team Leader, Schreiber Dynamix, Baramati

Mr. Devendrabhai Shah Chairman, Parag Milk Foods, Mumbai

Dr. Suresh B. Gokhale Former Director Research, BAIF UruliKanchan, Pune

Dr. B.N. Mathur Former Director, NDRI, Karnal

Mr. Rakesh Chopra MD, REIL, Jaipur

Dr. Tanweer Alam Director, Indian Institute of Packaging, Mumbai Dr. T. K. Walli Former Head, Dairy Nutritional Division NDRI Karnal Dr. P. R. Patel Excutive Director, Mansinhbhai Institute of Dairy and Food Technology (MIDFT), Mehsana.

The views expressed in this issue are those of the contributors and are not necessarily those of the magazine. Though every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy and authenticity of the infomation,"Dairy Times" is however not responsible for damages caused by misinterpretation of information expressed and implied within the pages of this issue. All disputes are to be referred to Mumbai Jurisdiction.

Dairy Times

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Amul Dairy digitalizes all AI

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mul Dairy has become the first milk union in the country which has digitalized artificial insemination (AI) services.

notified through sms. If the animal is pregnant, the information is updated in the mobile application system.

After starting it on an experimental basis in 25 village-level milk societies last year, the project has covered all the 1,200 societies of Amul Dairy’s milkshed area.

After nine months, calving related information like sex of calf is also registered in the application along with its date of birth,” said Vyas. The next step will include de-worming and vaccination for the newborns.

Through the project, when any milk producer, who is member of the milk union, registers at Amul call center for AI, an automatic message is sent to him as well as AI technician on their cell phones.

“The AI technician immediately reaches the milk producer’s house and performs AI. He updates all the information in the

mobile on the spot. When AI is completed, the message of completion is received at Amul call center as well as the milk producer,” said Amul Dairy’s managing director Amit Vyas. Amul Dairy performs more than one million AI per annum in its milkshed area. “Pregnancy diagnosis is done after 2.5 month for which AI is

“It is one of the revolutionary steps to enhance rural milk producers income by breeding innovation in India,” said R. S. Sodhi, managing director of the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation.

Farm To Fork: Dairy Unit Makes Foodies Say Cheese

Cheese being packed for deliveries at Vallamborsa Cheese Shop

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he pandemic has seen many dons the chefs hats, and it’s no surprise that home chefs are on the rise.

“So, a lot of them have been asking me for recommendations, and I have been suggesting what is often used at hotels,” says Prashant Puttaswamy, executive chef at Cantan and Fatty Bao. He is referring to the cheese of Vallamborsa Cheese Shop in KR Puram, which is run by Father Michael. While they previously only sold to businesses, including the Taj the Group of Hotels, The Oberoi and Olive Beach, they have now started

the B2C model. People can place orders on the phone via call or WhatsApp, and have it delivered by Dunzo.

Some of the varieties include homemade parmesan, grated buffalo mozzarella, burrata (which has a molten centre and should be consumed at one go), fresh olive-stuffed bocconcini, ricotta cheese and mascarpone cheese.

But the situation is grim for Father Michael whose company used to manufacture 100 kg of cheese, which has now come down to 10 kg, thanks to the pandemic.

They make 11 varieties of cheese and have dropped one of their popular choices, goat cheese. “Karnataka focuses on goat meat and not milk hence, we depend on Kerala for supply.

However, with borders having been affected, we had to drop the production of goat cheese,” he explains. They now plan to start their own goat farm near Hosur.

Dairy Times

“The inclusion of the B2C model is to sustain business and the farm that we plan to start is because of the issues we have been facing. To make 100 kg of cheese, we require about 400-500 litres of milk.

It has not only been difficult to procure buffalo milk during this pandemic but quality too has been inconsistent. The feed is important as taste and aroma depend on that,” he says.

He is no newcomer to the business, having travelled to Italy to learn the art of cheese making. Each variety of cheese, he believes, has a character and needs to be treated accordingly.

Even as the ride may be rough, Father Michael after starting the B2C option, is certain that they are back on track.

Tanmoy Savardekar, chef consultant who has worked on international cruises and has experienced an array of authentic Italian cheeses, finds the cheese – his favourite being Bocconcini – authentic in terms of flavour and texture. “I even use the whey in making dal, chapatti dough, etc as it has milk solids and enhances the flavour,” he says.

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Keventer Agro Expands Milk Collection Centers In West Bengal To Ramp Up Production

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he company launched of its ninth bulk milk collection centre (BMC) in Vidyasagar Industrial Park at Kharagpur and plans to open more in the coming months to ramp up its supply chain, it said.

City-based food and beverage major Keventer Agro that owns the dairy brand Metro is expanding its fresh milk collection centres in West Bengal in a bid to raise its processing capacity from 2.5 lakh liters to 4 lakh liters per day, the company said.

The company launched of its ninth bulk milk collection centre (BMC) in Vidyasagar Industrial Park at Kharagpur and plans to open more in the coming months to ramp up its supply chain, it said.

farmers in the cooperative sector. Milch animals were distributed to about 58,000 of total 2.13 lakh dairy farmers in the cooperative sector. Further, an incentive of Rs 4 per litre is being provided to dairy farmers in cooperative societies for which the State government spent about

With this, Keventer Agri that has two dairy brands Metro Dairy and Keventer Milk has reached milk procurement capacity of 170,000 litres per day (LPD).

The total capex in the nine collection centers is about Rs six crore across the state.

The centers now cover five districts – Burdwan, Hooghly, Midnapur, North 24 Parganas, and Nadia and work with 18,000 farmers on a daily basis.

We have witnessed an increase in household consumption of dairy products and believe that the trend will continue even when normalcy resumes.

In such a scenario, having a network of collection centres is an important step for creating an eco-system where the company can play a significant part in the states dairy space and be ready to meet the consumer demand, Keventer Agro chairman and managing director, Mayank Jalan said.

Besides facilitating subsidised loans through banks and other financial institutions, the State government launched a cattle distribution scheme for dairy

Dairy Times

Rs 350 crore. As per the State Socio-Economic Outlook 2020, Telangana’s livestock sector supports about 25.82 lakh families with the value of Rs 66,403 crore at current prices. Within the agricultural and allied sectors, livestock is a large contributor with 7.6 per cent to the State Gross Domestic Product (2019-20 AE) and this share has been increasing in recent years.

The share of contribution of livestock grew from 5.6 per cent of total Gross Value Added (GVA) in current prices in 2010-11 to 7.6 per cent of the total GVA in 2019-20.

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Pricing Trends in Dairy Products: 2020 National Pricelist

International Pricelist

Domestic milk and milk products Price:

International milk and milk products Price:

Source: USDA Source: Market watch

Source: USDA

Source: Market watch

Source: USDA

Source: Market watch Source: USDA

Is Your Packaged Milk Safe from the COVID Virus?

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RE YOU SURE your milk packet does not contain any traces of COVID virus? No matter how much hygiene and health conscious you are, this question will certainly leave you in a dilemma. Well, if you too have been worried about those store bought milk packets and their chances of affecting you with the virus, then you must read on!

As FSSAI has shared a few simple steps to ensure that the packaged milk is virus free.

There is no denying the fact that milk is a quintessential element of our lives and it gives our body the much needed boost of calcium and minerals. Ever since the world started battling the COVID virus, people came up with bizarre ideas of ensuring hygiene and some of these weird ideas went viral such as washing milk packets with detergent or even washing veggies with soap bars! To put a stop to these myths FSSAI has issued a few tips

sure you wash your hands thoroughly and rinse the milk packet under running water.

You don’t need to spray sanitizers or wash them with a detergent. Water is enough!

and tricks to ensure that the packaged milk is fit to consume and is virus free.

Tips to ensure safety by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

• While taking the milk from the milkman, make sure you maintain the basic safety measures and the right distance.

Ensure that the milk seller is wearing a mask.

• After you pick the milk packets, make

Dairy Times

• Next, keep the packet aside so that the water droplets do not seep into the milk vessel. Do not use a kitchen towel to dry.

• Then wash your hands and pick the packet, cut it carefully and pour into the vessel.

• Allow the milk to boil and pasteurisation ensures that the milk is safe to drink.

These easy tips will help in ensuring that milk you use is fit to drink. Also the use of chemical based sanitizer sprays or detergent is not good, especially; it can be hazardous for health if the chemicals leach into the milk.

Thus it is always a great idea to follow the right tips to stay safe and healthy.

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Milk Mantra Plans Expansion, In Talks To Acquire Dairy Plant In Kolkata

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ilk Mantra has also introduced milk shakes and dairy desserts in the market.

At present, the company has two dairy plants at Puri and Sambalpur in Odisha with a processing capacity of 300,000 litres per day.

Dairy firm Milk Mantra is planning to acquire a plant in Kolkata and set up a new plant for curd at its existing facility in Odisha at an estimated investment of around Rs. 70 crore as part of its strategy to expand business, a top company official has said.

investment in acquiring the plant and then modernising with state of the art equipments is estimated at around Rs. 40 crore, he said.

at a premium rate of Rs 50 per litre. Our focus is on first making the company profitable instead of growing revenue, he said.

That apart, Misra said, Milk Mantra will set up a curd manufacturing plant at its existing factory in Odisha at an investment of Rs. 30 crore.

Milk Mantra has also introduced milk shakes and dairy desserts in the market.

On the outlook for this fiscal, Misra said the business has been impacted due to Covid-19 but the same would get compensated in the second half of this fiscal year.

Overall, we see similar revenue number or marginal growth in this financial year, he said. Misra noted that the company did not reduce the price it pays to farmers for milk procurement.

In an interview its founder Srikumar Misra said the company is in discussion with a few players to acquire a dairy plant in Kolkata.

We are a new-age Indian dairy startup and our vision since inception was to solve the problem of trust deficit between consumers and food in India’s large $50 billion dairy industry, Misra said.

At present, the company has two dairy plants at Puri and Sambalpur in Odisha with a processing capacity of 300,000 litres per day.

It sells around 100,000 litres of pouched milk per day in the state under Milky Moo brand.

The dairy products like curd and paneer are also sold in neighbouring a West Bengal, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh states.

On funding, he said the company has raised around Rs. 250 crore so far as equity and debt, which includes $10 million or Rs. 75 crore from the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) as structured debt.

We are looking to expand presence in new markets in eastern states. We are in talks with few dairy owners to acquire an existing plant with up to 100,000 litre processing capacity, Misra said. The total

Asked about the turnover, Misra said the company’s revenue grew to Rs.226 crore last fiscal from Rs. 200 crore in the previous year. About 70 per cent of revenue came from fresh cow milk, which it sells

Milk Mantra was founded in August 2009 by the former director of Tetley Srikumar Misra along with Rashima Misra and started operations in 2012.

Its milk sourcing network has grown to over 60,000 farmers.

Milk Mantra has raised venture capital funding from investors like Eight Roads (previously Fidelity Growth Partners), Neev Fund, and Aavishkar VC.

Cattle Feed At Subsidised Rates For Farmers

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airy Development Minister K Raju inaugurated the initiative through a live programme on Facebook.

velopment Department has started distribution of cattle feed at subsidised rates.

As an emergency aid to the dairy farmers who are suffering due to the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak, the Dairy De-

The cattle feed from Kerala Feeds Ltd and Milma will be distributed to the farmers.

Dairy Times

Around 1.82 lakh dairy farmers will benefit from the initiative which is being carried out on a budget of `11.83 crore.

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FSSAI Clarifies the A1/A2 Milk and Organic Foods Concepts under its FAQ

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of A1 and A2 types.

Although the issue regarding adverse/beneficial effects of A1 and A2 types of milk have been discussed in various meetings of Scientific Panel on Milk and Milk Products, the panel did not come to any conclusion on this issue due to lack of clinical data and risk assessment.

ARGE number of dairy products are available in the market having labels like A2/organic/ natural milk and milk products. The consumer does not have any clarity over the same. Even the sellers never try to conduct a deep research before labelling their products with such endorsements.

FSSAI website has given a clear verdict on such popular labelling captions like A2, organic, etc. Marketers are publicising the benefits of A2 over A1 on social media as well as on product’s label without any scientific evidence.

Such acts by the marketers are actually a case of mislabelling and food frauds.

Standards of milk as specified in Food

Safety and Standards (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 do not mention or recognise any differentiation of milk on the basis

Organic food regulations Organic foods are classified under section 22 of the Food safety Standards Act 2006. Food Safety and Standards (organic foods) Regulations 2017 regulates these foods, notified under the provision of the Act. This regulation recognise two systems of certification for organic foods. The first one is Participatory Guarantee System (PGS India).

Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare implements PGS-India scheme.

The second one is National Program for Organic Production (NPOP) which is implemented by Ministry of Commerce and Industry. All organic foods must be certified by any one of the systems.

Exemption from Organic Certification Small original producer or producer organisation can sell these products directly to consumers without any certification.

Small producer or producer organisations are the one whose annual turnover is less than `12 lakhs.

Smart marketers have used this exemption as an opportunity by creating farmer’s market in high end localities of all metros .

They bring farm produce from different sources and sell them at hefty premium as A2/ organic produce in dairy food categories.

Strict rules must be there to safeguard consumers against premium charging practices of FBO in the name of A2/organic.

Dairy Times

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FSSAI moves to stop use of word ‘milk’ on non-dairy products

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rands selling soya and almond milk and non-dairy cheese and icecream may soon have to stop using the word ‘milk’ on their pack labels.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a new draft notification, proposing to prevent the use of the word on the pack of non-dairy and plant-based dairy products. Its notification says the word milk should apply exclusively to animal-derived milk and its products.

Dozens of brands in India, including well-known ones such as Hershey and Raw Pressery, and smaller ones like Urban Platter, Eat Soya and NatureVit sell packaged soya and almond milk, cheeses and soya-based milk powders in retail shops as well as on ecommerce grocery platforms.

The Indian unit of The Hershey Company, one of the world’s biggest chocolate makers, sells a range of plant-protein based products including Sofit soy milk and almond milk. In June this year, Hershey India, which also sells bite-sized chocolate candies Kisses, released a new ad film focused on ‘health and wellbeing’ for Sofit to push sales during the lockdown. Coldpressed juice maker Raw Pressery too has upped marketing for its almond milk in recent months, aimed at broad-basing its

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portfolio beyond the core juice franchise.

The national foods regulator’s move hasn’t gone down well with national animal protection entity Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisation (FIAPO), which has written to FSSAI CEO Arun Singhal seeking withdrawal of the draft notification.

FIAPO executive director Varda Mehrotra called it “regressive and detrimental” to the interest of industries producing plant-based milk and cheese. “The term milk has been used to refer to both dairy and plant-based milk in India since ancient ages,” she said in a statement.

FSSAI’s Singhal said the notification has been prepared after extensive research.

“It’s not possible for us to react to every viewpoint. The notification is open for seeking comments for 30 days, after which it will be sent to a scientific panel for comments,” Singhal said.

FIAPO, who’s website says it has 160 members and over 200 supporter organisations across the country, said it has raised the concerns on behalf of industries, consumers and stakeholders who will be affected by the notification.

The letter to the FSSAI chief said consumers allergic to dairy products have

choices in plant-based milk options such as almond, flax and soy milk, and that “excluding the term milk from plant-based products does not serve any purpose”. Dr. R.S. Sodhi, said FIAPO’s objection was “based on certain industry lobbies”. He added: “The move by the national food regulator is both consumer-friendly and farmer-friendly, and in line with international definitions of dairy-based products.”

A report by ratings and research firm Crisil said revenue growth of the Indian dairy industry would be flat this year on account of low sales of value-added products, which got aggravated because of the Covid-19 pandemic-driven lockdown. The industry had logged a 10% compound annual growth rate in the past decade.

Sales of value-added products like ice cream, cheese, flavoured milk, curd and yogurt, which are more profitable than liquid milk and account for over a third of the organised dairy sector’s revenue, are expected to shrink 2-3% this fiscal year, the report said.

The two-month-long closure of hotels and restaurants because of the lockdown halted institutional sales of value-added products, which account for almost 20% of the organised dairy segment’s revenue.

Seven Listed Dairy Stocks Almost Doubled their Investor’s Wealth During Covid

HE WHOLE WORLD is facing the wrath of Covid-pandemic since early this year. Most businesses were shut down during the lock down and have not been in a position to recover till now. During the same period, essential products witness higher demand. Milk and milk products emerged as the least impacted sector during the pandemic at domestic consumption levels. Moneycontrol.com did a crisp analysis on dairy product companies’ share price performance during this pandemic. Most dairy companies have given a reasonable return and seven companies on this list have given a remarkable 50 percent plus return from March 23 till now (Data Source: ACE Equity).

• Modern Dairies share price has risen 113 percent in the last four months. The share price on July 27 was `4.05. On March 23, it was `1.90.

• Kwality Dairy share price has surged 106 percent in the last four months. The share price on July 27 was `3.24. On March 23, it was `1.57. It is interesting to note that this company is under NCLT and not fully operational.

• Heritage Foods share price has gone up 72 percent in the last four months. The share price on July 27 was `293.50 and on March 23, it was `170.35.

• Parag Milk Foods share price has in-

Dairy Times

creased by 68 percent in the last four months. The share price on July 27 was `88.40. It was `52.65 on March 23.

• Hindustan Foods share price has risen by 64 percent in the last four months. The share price on July 27 was `705.25 and `429.10 on March 23.

• Hatsun Agro Products’ share price has gone up 64 percent in the last four months. The share price on July 27 was `674.30 and on March 23, it was `412.20.

• Vadilal Industries’ share price has gone up by 48 percent in the last four months.

The share price on July 27 was `627.30 and `423.75 on March 23.

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Mega Dairy To Come Up In Rangareddy District

Talasani says the unit will be built at a cost of Rs 245 cr; 500 Vijaya parlours to be set up in TS.

TRS Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav MINISTER for Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Talasani Srinivas Yadav told the Assembly recently that the State government would build a mega

dairy at Raviryal in Rangareddy district at an estimated cost of `245 crore, in a bid to boost milk production in Telangana.

Talasani further said that the State would undertake an extensive branding of Vijaya products, in addition to setting up around 500 Vijaya parlours across Telangana in the next one year.

Stating that this would be one of the best and biggest modern dairies to be developed in the country, the Minister said, “The mega dairy will serve as a model for other States. The land for the unit has been taken on lease for 99 years, and the best technology will be used for the dairy’s construction.” He added that his department has applied for requisite permissions.

“There is a substantial demand for Vijaya products. The parlours will be established in tourist places, temples and other important landmarks,” he said.

Pending dues Responding to a question raised in the Assembly, the Minister said that the pending dues of `109 crore would be released to farmers soon.

“The dues will be released soon. This is the assurance of the government. We were not able to because of the pandemic,” Talasani said.

The Minister said that the State government has introduced Milch Animals Distribution scheme for the benefit of 2.13 lakh farmers. “The government is providing `4 per litre to dairy farmers for procuring milk for the four cooperative dairies in the State. An amount of `248 crore was released for the scheme,” he said.

Agna Desi Cow Ghee is made from the Milk of Gir Cows

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GNA DESI COW ghee is made from the milk of Gir cows. Cow Farm is a safe house for these cows, which are treated like family members. The most nutritious and chemical-free fodder is fed to the cows, which makes the milk the purest.

Milk is made into curd, butter, and finally ghee. Making ghee from curd and not cream is considered the best way to make ghee, according to Ayurveda.

Ghee or Grita is a pacifier of the doshas and will make your body healthier from the inside.

Dairy Times

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Milky War: Amul Takes On Peers In Southern States

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opular regional dairy brands in the south, Karnataka’s Nandini, Kerala’s Milma and Tamil Nadu’s Aavin among others, were all once formed as farmers’ cooperatives emulating the roaring success of Amul.

For decades, legacy dairy cooperatives have dominated the southern states and made a profitable business selling milk.

But with India’s largest dairy brand Amul’s new push to sell milk across five southern states, the dairy industry

is headed for a possible shakeup. Amul, which has been selling its other dairy products such as cheese and butter, will soon start selling around 30-40 lakh litres of milk across the region, making Andhra Pradesh its hub.

The aim is to get around Rs.10,000 crore business, said R.S. Sodhi, in an interview.

The company will invest Rs.200-300 crore over the next two years for this purpose, he added.

“We started with the west, then went to north, and east… Somehow we had not gone to the south, said Sodhi. “(But) we realise in the past 10 years, a lot of private players have come and some of them are not giving good prices to the market.

So, we thought this is the best opportunity. Now if we don’t enter into the south, we will be losing and we will be giving a cakewalk to the other players.

Amul currently has an annual turnover of Rs.52,000 crore. Its quest into south Indian towns, which has seen an influx of outof-towners from northern parts for work in recent times, will be a tale of the giant colliding with others, who were largely created by their own legacy. Regional dairy cooperatives are however not sitting idle. “Since we came to know that Amul

is doing surveys in southern towns recently, we have been creating our own plans, said Rajesh Nair, marketing manager at Milma, owned by Kerala Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation. Brands like Milma think the winner may be decided by marketing since there is no clear way to distinguish oneself in the milk business.

“It has forced us to do bigger and newer ways to market ourselves. From spending Rs.1-3 crore, we are now spending Rs.10-15 crore on advertising.

Soon, we are also empaneling a national agency for advertising, he said.

The entry also foreshadows a political fight. The Andhra Pradesh government, led by chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, recently signed an agreement with Amul, extending support to start its milk business. The state’s dominant dairy company Heritage Foods Limited (HFL), a multi-crore enterprise, is run by the family of N Chandrababu Naidu, main political rival and predecessor.

Andhra Pradesh is already one of India’s largest milk-producing states, churning out an estimated four crore litres every day. But before the winner is decided, the milky war promises to flood the streets with a lot of milk, and probably ice creams. The company has done extensive surveys and has seen that there is also a good demand for milk-based products like ice cream, Sodhi said.

“Geographically, it (Andhra Pradesh) is a large market, which is connected to various good markets like Chennai, Hyderabad, Vizag. So, we thought we can make Andhra a hub and enter fresh markets of the south, said Sodhi. Nandini, owned by Karnataka Co-operative Milk Federation, has been aggressively increasing its presence.

“It is now setting up more cafes, that serve coffee or tea or sweets or snacks made of milk-products to attract youngsters and highway riders, said a person associated with the brand. The brand, he said, is also pinning its hopes on something that players like Amul cannot take away from it —

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government subsidies. Sodhi disagreed that local cooperatives will suffer due Amul’s entry. “Wherever we have gone, we have seen that with our entry, local cooperatives have also flourished.

It has impacted the small private players, who have exploited the gaps where the local cooperatives have not been able to reach. So, if we go to the south, it will complement the local cooperatives, said Sodhi.

CBI searches against dairy products firm over Rs. 1,400-crore bank fraud

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he CBI conducted searches at eight locations after booking Delhi-based dairy products company Kwality Ltd and its directors for allegedly cheating a Bank of India-led consortium, causing a loss of over Rs 1,400 crore, officials said.

The CBI has registered the case against Kwality Ltd and its directors Sanjay Dhingra, Siddhant Gupta, Arun Srivastava besides other unidentified persons, they said.

“It was alleged in the complaint that the said accused had cheated the Bank of India-led consortium comprising BOI (lead bank), Canara Bank, BoB, Andhra Bank, Corporation Bank, IDBI, Central Bank of India, Dhanlaxmi Bank, Syndicate Bank to the tune of Rs.1400.62 core (approx.),” CBI spokesperson RK Gaur said.

They allegedly cheated the banks by way of “diversion of bank funds, sham transactions with related parties, fabricated documents/receipts, falsified books of accounts” and created false assets and liabilities etc, Gaur said.

The searches were conducted at eight locations including at Delhi, Saharanpur, Bulandshahr (Uttar Pradesh), Ajmer (Rajasthan), Palwal (Haryana) etc on the premises of the private company and other accused.

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India Must Stop Misusing Antibiotics In Dairy Sector, According To CSE Report

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he CSE has expressed concern over antibiotic misuse by the world’s biggest milk producer, India, and says urgent and collaborative action must be taken.

and all voices are now together in expressing that concern.”

As such he believes further (and necessary) action will be taken.

“We must ramp up surveillance and testing, put a complete stop to the use of critically important antibiotics and penalise their use,” he added, “and work with farmers and the agriculture-dairy sectors to innovate on solutions.”

Is the milk we consume safe? According to the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), not really…

In July, the CSE hosted a virtual meeting to discuss the use of antibiotics within the world’s largest milk producer, Indian.

Between 2018-19, the country produced a whopping 188 million tonnes. However, a recent assessment conducted by the CSE has unearthed some “disturbing findings”.

“We have found that antibiotics are extensively misused in the dairy sector; antibiotic residues remain largely untested in milk, an integral part of Indian diets, particularly of children,” said CSE Director General Sunita Narain.

“While we continue to struggle against COVID-19, we are staring at another pandemic like situation – that of antibiotic resistance fuelled by the way we are producing our food, which has become chemical-intensive.”

The assessment, CSE said, demonstrates that dairy farmers are “indiscriminately” using antibiotics such as aminoglycosides, penicillins and third-generation cephalosporins and fluroquinolones for common cattle diseases like mastitis.

These drugs are among some of the most important for humans. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that such antibiotics should be preserved in light of the growing resistance crisis.

Despite the law dictating that such antibiotics should only be available with via the prescription of registered veterinarian, the CSE said that some farmers are accessing them illegally and injecting animals on their own judgement and without any veterinary supervision.

CSE researchers have also pointed towards inadequate focus on testing for antibiotic residues in the milk collected by some state milk federations, which process it and sell packaged milk and dairy products under popular brands.

“Farmers often sell milk while the animal is under treatment, which increases the chances of antibiotic residues in the milk,” explained Amit Khurana, the CSE’s Food Safety and Toxins Programme Director.

“While milk sold directly to consumers is not tested, contrary to what one would expect, processed milk sold in packets is also largely unchecked for antibiotic residues.

“This explains why, despite pooling and processing, packed milk samples from several states had antibiotic residues in the FSSAI’s milk quality survey of 2018.”

However, the CSE has said that the online consultation in July has brought forth promising signs of action from the industry.“The issues highlighted by the CSE assessment have been well recognised by the experts and stakeholders. These experts have also recommended several measures for minimising antibiotic misuse in the Indian dairy sector.”

He noted that “preventative aspects” are showing some success. “Information shared by various organisations, agencies and experts suggest that ethno-veterinary medicines, better management of sub-clinical mastitis, and good farm management are contributing towards reducing antibiotic misuse.”

Along with limiting the misuse of critical antibiotics such as penicillin, the CSE has recommended the modification of existing standards for antibiotic resides in milk and routine surveillance of these residues.

“India is now talking about antibiotic resistance in the one-health perspective,” noted Narain, who described the change in attitude as “remarkable” progress.

He continued: “There is a shared concern,

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Dairy farmers criticize Aavin Dairy for lessening procurement

A ment.

group of farmers from Tirupur poured milk on the streets in protest against the Aavin manage-

Accompanied with 60 other farmers, six farmers of the Tamil Nadu Vivaisaigal Sangam in a protest poured litres of milk in front of an Aavin cooperative office at Veerapandi Pirivu.

“Aavin has reduced procurement by 50% and also reduced the payment for each litre claiming that fat content in milk is low. Since fat content is low, instead of paying the fixed Rs. 31 per litre, they pay us only Rs. 21 to Rs. 22 per litre,” said district president Eashwaran. “This reduced payment also has been delayed for all farmers. Those who have one to two cows have outstanding payments of Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 25,000 and some farmers are yet to receive more than Rs. 60,000,” he added.

Aavin has reportedly claimed about low revenues for low procurement and delayed payments, while farmers informed that the hundreds of outlets belonging to Aavin in the district are functioning as tea shops instead of milk stores. Yet another group of farmers have forwarded a petition to the collector, requesting the authorities to divert the high-tension power-line being laid from Virudhunagar to Coimbatore right over agriculture fields.

This passing of high electric tension cables will drastically affect cultivation and productivity, they fear.

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Do You Like Cheese? You Can Thank The Indus Valley Civilization For It

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he Indus Valley Civilization was the earliest known producer of dairy and dairy products, according to new research.

food cooked or stored inside during its lifetime.

Chakraborty looked for fats (lipids) because they don’t dissolve in water, which makes them more resistant through time.

The lands that make up modern-day Pakistan and India have been producing dairy for almost five thousand years now, according to researchers at the University of Toronto Mississauga.

The team explains that dairy has been produced and consumed by the people of the Indus Valley Civilization from as far back as 2500 BCE. Original cheese “We found that dairy was an integral part of their diet at a site that dates to about 2500 BCE,” says Chakraborty, who is conducting his post-doctoral research with Heather Miller, an anthropology professor at UTM.

It is an opportunity for different economic specializations to develop,” he explains.

The analysis was possible because pottery is porous and absorbs some of the

The Indus Valley Civilizations, also known as the Harappans, built one of the greatest empires of the ancient world.

Much of the foundations of their success have been lost to time — for example, we don’t have a great idea of how they managed to feed so many people. The study goes some way towards helping us understand the Harappan diet.

According to the findings, dairy was an important part of their diet. It helped fill hungry bellies at home, and likely greased the wheels of commerce.

Chakraborty used a technique called stable isotope analysis to examine food residue from shards of ancient pottery recovered in the area. The analysis reveals that dairy wasn’t only present in diets at the time, but it was in fact quite common (as judging from the available pottery).

Out of 59 shards he analyzed, Chakraborty found 21 with traces of dairy fats. “This [consumption of dairy] would have allowed the accumulation of a surplus of animal protein, without affecting the number of animals in your herd.

The question becomes the role of dairy.

Why is it so important in this ancient settlement? It is something that could be exchanged between settlements and regions.

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Chakraborty worked with Professor Greg Slater of McMaster University to analyze these compounds.

Their origin can be determined based on the ratio of carbon isotopes they contain. Based on the chemical composition of these fats, they were also able to determine what food the animals who produced them ate.

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Sebi asks Prabhat dairy to deposit Rs.1292 crore amid allegations of manipulations

• Sebi is probing the company on charges whether it is deliberately depressing its book value • Sebi also received several complaints from minority investors citing delay in delisting and manipulation of books of accounts

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he Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) which is probing Prabhat Dairy Ltd for alleged manipulation directed it to deposit Rs.1,292 crore in an escrow for failing to cooperate with the forensic auditors.

Sebi is probing the company on charges whether it is deliberately depressing its book value and short-changing minority investors during the voluntary delisting process. Sebi started the probe and subsequent forensic audit basis a preliminary examination by the two bourses.

In their preliminary report both BSE and NSE in 2019 said that the cases warranted a detailed scrutiny and that they would not approve a voluntary delisting. They also recommended a forensic audit.

Sebi also received several complaints from minority investors citing delay in delisting and manipulation of books of accounts.

The matter pertains to Prabhat Dairy entering into a definitive sale agreement on 21 January 2019 with Tirumala Milk Products to sell the entire dairy business and sale of its subsidiary Sunfresh Agro by way of a slump sale on a going concern basis for a total consideration of Rs.1700 Crore.

An amount of Rs.1316.79 Crore was received during the FY 2019-20 post certain adjustments.

Sebi commissioned the forensic audit to Grant Thornton Bharat LLP in July this year to ascertain financials of the firm for years ending March 31, 2019, and March 31, 2020.

The auditor was appointed to ascertain manipulation of books of accounts of the firm, misrepresentation of financials or business operations by the company, wrongful diversion of funds by promoters, directors or key managerial persons and business transfer and share purchase agreements.

Sebi in the order noted that the promoters and managing director repeatedly failed in cooperating with the forensic auditor.

Of 27 documents sought the promoters provided only three, Sebi noted.

However, basis preliminary assessment the forensic auditor said that it was not able to directly ascertain the sale proceeds of Rs.1,316.79 crore.

“Unless the forensic audit is conducted, Sebi will not be in a position to determine whether or not the company has indulged in mis-statement of accounts, diversion of

funds to its subsidiaries/associates, etc. which money belongs to its shareholders,” Sebi said. Taking a grim view of the conduct of promoters and directors Sebi moved to secure the transaction amount.

“The conduct of the Company and its Promoters/Directors does not inspire confidence in investors and exhibits blatant unwillingness to be transparent about the financial dealings.

The stark opaqueness on the side of the Company and its Promoters/Directors as regards the availability of the Transaction proceeds for distribution to the shareholders of the Company (as had been publicly announced earlier) has aroused suspicion and anxiety in the minds of investors and other stakeholders,” said Sebi in the order.

Sebi directed the company to transfer Rs.1292.46 Crore. Payment of Rs.1316.79 Crore received from the Transaction during the FY 2019-20 post adjusting for payment of Rs.24.33 Crore paid to Advisors to the transaction.

Sebi also prevented the promoters and directors from disposing or alienating such amounts till the conclusion of the forensic audit/investigation.

Nestle launches dairy, plant-based accelerator

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ONOLFINGEN, SWITZERLAND – Nestle SA has launched a research and development accelerator in Konolfingen focused on dairy and plant-based dairy alternatives.

The accelerator will serve startups, students and scientists and help bring products from ideation to commercialization.

“Innovation in milk products and plantbased dairy alternatives is core to Nestle’s portfolio strategy, as well as our sustainability agenda,” said Mark Schneider, chief executive officer. “As a company, we have set ambitious climate goals. This is part of our promise to develop products

The project is part of Nestle’s global R&D accelerator initiative that was launched in April 2019.

that are good for you and good for the planet.”

Through the accelerator, researchers will have access to Nestle’s expertise and equipment to facilitate the upscaling of products for a test launch in a retail environment, according to the company.

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“Our goal is to provide startups, students and Nestle scientists with key resources to quickly explore new ideas through a six-month test and learn approach,” said Thomas Hauser, head of global product and technology development at Nestle.

“By tapping into our expertise in food science, food safety, regulatory, manufacturing processes, and packaging, they can rapidly upscale and test new products in real market conditions.”

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Food not a source for transmission of corona virus

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UROPEAN FOOD SAFETY AUTHORITY (EFSA) is closely monitoring the situation regarding the outbreak of corona virus disease (COVID-19) that is affecting a large number of countries across the globe. There is no evidence that food is a likely source or route of transmission of the virus.

Marta Hugas, Chief Scientist, EFSA, said, “Experiences from previous outbreaks of related corona viruses, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus (SARS-CoV) and Middle-East respiratory syndrome corona virus (MERS-CoV), show that transmission through food consumption did not occur. At the moment, there is no evidence to suggest that corona virus is any different in this respect.”

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has said that while animals in China were the likely source of the initial infection, the virus is spreading from person to person - mainly via respiratory droplets that people sneeze, cough, or exhale.

Scientists and authorities across the world are monitoring the spread of the virus, and there have not been any reports of transmission through food.

Sale Of Dairy Products Down Due To Demand Slump After Lockdown

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slump in demand due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown has led to dwindling sales of dairy products in Maharashtras Aurangabad district, an association of milk producers said .

Nandlal Kale said. He said the slump in demand has also adversely affected the sale of milk products.

Earlier, we used to utilise about 7,000 litres of milk everyday to prepare 11 products. But, we are now using only 1,000-1,200 litres of milk for preparing dairy products, Kale said.

He said Mahanand in Mumbai buys around 15,000 litres of milk every day at the rate of Rs. 25 per litre.

The Aurangabad district Cooperative Milk Producers Union (ADCMPU) said the sale of milk packets has come down as hotels are out of business now.

We generally collect 80,000-85,000 litres of milk everyday directly from farmers.

Prior to the lockdown, we were selling 50,000 litres of milk in packets. This sale has now fallen to 30,000 litres (per day) in the district, ADCMPU vice president

Remaining milk is currently sold to private firms at the rate of Rs. 21 per litre, Kale explained.

Mahanand Dairy is a venture of the Maharashtra Rajya Sahakari Dudh Mahasangh Maryadit.

He said the ADCMPU is currently suffering the loss of Rs. 1 lakh per day, after the state government stopped paying grant since July 27.

For this reason, EFSA is not currently involved in the response to the COVID-19 outbreaks. Regarding food safety, the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued precautionary recommendations, including advice on following good hygiene practices during food handling and preparation, such as washing hands, cooking meat thoroughly and avoiding potential cross-contamination between cooked and uncooked foods.

Rolling information on the outbreak and risks assessments used by the EU (European Union) member states and the European Commission in their response activities are being updated continuously by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). WHO is coordinating global efforts.

• Milk Chilling Plants • Bulk Milk Cooler • RMRD Section • Milk Silo • Milking Cans

• SS & MS Pipe Fitting • Dairy Trunky Projects • Ghee Plant • Road Milk Tanker • Milking Machine

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• Dairy Machinery Spares • On Site Installation of Machinery • Milk Processing Plant • CIP System • Packaging Machines

• Milk Storage Tank • Milks Pumps • On Site Piping Works • AMC • Paneer Plant

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Demand for dairy products has not yet reached pre-Covid levels

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he success of the ‘Operation Flood’ led to India emerging as the highest milk producing nation in the world more than two decades back. From a milk deficient country, India became self-sufficient in milk production mainly attributed to the role played by dairy cooperatives such as Amul, Nandini (Karnataka Milk Federation) etc.

After the announcement of lockdown in March to curb spread of the COVID19, it resulted in disruption of supply chains associated with the various sectors of Indian economy. However, the dairy cooperatives continued with their operations of procuring milk from the members (as well as non-members) and distributions of dairy products to consumers notwithstanding operational challenges faced.

While many private sectors organised dairy players stopped or reduced milk procurement from farmers because of decline in demand, majority of the co-opera-

tive dairies have continued to collect milk from dairy farmers to ensure best possible financial support in spite of lower sales.

This has resulted in surplus stock of Skimmed Milk Powder (SMP) and butter with the co-operative dairies. On one hand the milk procurement has increased and on other the demand for the dairy products is yet to reach the pre-COVID level.

It is estimated that the dairy cooperatives currently have around 1.5 lakh ton of SMP stocks, which implies around 1.5 million ton of milk stock (conversion ratio of SMP to liquid milk 1:10). This stock is far more than the SMP stocks held with the cooperatives a year ago.

With the onset of flush season (milk production goes up) from October, dairy cooperatives have been asking the government to provide incentives under the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme

so that around 50,000 tonne of SMP could be exported. A number of countries which imports large quantity of dairy products are not permitting import of dairy from India applying various tariff and non-tariff barriers. The European Union (EU) does not approve dairy imports from India under the pretext of various issues like pesticide and antibiotic residue etc.

The United States had a high import duty of 40 to 60% on dairy products. China, the world’s largest importer of dairy products does not permit import from India after it imposed a ban on the imports of milk and milk products from China years back because of presence of toxic chemical – melamine in Chinese dairy products.

Russia’s guidelines stipulate that their own veterinary control team approves dairy plants in India prior to imports. In the last four years, Russia has not granted any approval for Indian dairy plants.

Joint Venture For Dairy Sector In Bundelkhand

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under any other head to do away with the possibility of duplicity.

he Centre and the state government have joined hands to give an initial financial boost of nearly Rs 70 lakh to the dairy industry in Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh.

The grant is being proposed to be infused into the dairy value chain development, which according to officials, would lend a fillip to employment opportunities in times of coronavirus pandemic. Value chain involves the host of activities carried out to deliver final product to consumers.

According to officials at rural development department, dairy value chain development project is proposed to be carried out by women self-help groups (SHGs) under the State Rural Livelihood Mission (SRLM). The department, in a letter to rural development commissioner K Ravindra Naik on September 18, said the Centre and the state governments would bear financial burden of the project in 60:40 ratio. The letter said that ensuring the validity of expenditure would be at the discretion of rural development com-

missioner and mission director, SRLM. The department said the funds would be utilised in phases. “Funds allocated for the project will not be spent without the approval of the designated authority,” the letter added.

The state government has authorised the rural development commissioner and mission director (SRLM) to ensure proper utilization of funds.

Officials of rural development department will also be required to furnish fund utilization certificates and ensure that funds utilised for the project are not allocated

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Researches show that Bundelkhand region records an average production of around 22 lakh kg milk per day which is only 5% of the total production in UP. Banda and Jalaun districts have the highest milk production in the region due to high bovine population.

According to industry standards, unless two-third of the herd is in milking, returns will always be negative. Experts said that in Bundelkhand only one-third of the cattle and half the buffaloes are in reproductive stage.

Earlier, women from Bundelkhand region had come together to form Balinee Milk Producer Company, a project funded by the National Rural Livelihood Mission and SRLM. The project mobilized over 9,000 women in about 230 villages and put in place an efficient system of milk procurement.

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4th

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Rs. 150-cr aid to help milk cooperatives export milk powder “In Gujarat, about two crore litres of milk is produced daily. After selling milk and using it for making value-added products, the milk cooperatives convert the extra milk into milk powder,” said Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel.

Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel The Gujarat government will provide an assistance of Rs. 150 crore to milk cooperatives in the state to help them export

milk powder. The government will provide Rs. 50 for every kilogram of milk powder exported by the cooperatives who currently have a massive stock of 90,000 metric tonnes.

“In Gujarat, about two crore litres of milk is produced daily. After selling milk and using it for making value-added products, the milk cooperatives convert the extra milk into milk powder.

The national and international prices of this milk powder has fallen and due to this, the Amul Federation and its unions currently have a stock of more than 90,000 metric tonnes of milk powder,” said Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel. This stock of milk powder is worth Rs. 1,850 crore. Patel said that if the milk powder is sold at the current prices, then the milk cooperatives will have to bear a

loss of Rs. 80-90 per kilogram. “Any loss for the cooperatives will have a direct impact on cattle-rearers.

They will get less prices for milk,” Patel said while announcing the financial assistance. Patel said officials of GCMMF and the milk cooperative unions had met the chief minister and him on the issue.

The deputy CM said that the financial assistance will help milk powder exports despite the low prices prevailing in the international markets for skimmed milk powder. This financial assistance will be given for six months from November 1, 2020.

He said there was a similar situation two years ago when the government provided Rs 260 crore to give Rs. 50 as assistance for every kilogram of milk powder exported by the milk cooperatives, in a move that helped the farmers.

Indian Dairy Sector To Turn Covid-19 Crisis Into Opportunity

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ndian dairy sector is an important source of income for millions of rural families and has the most vital role in providing employment and income-generating opportunities.

sides focussing on improving cattle productivity, measures are also being taken to strengthen rural milk procurement infrastructure as well as provide superior market linkages to the dairy farmers.

In pursuance of the recently-announced Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan stimulus package for ensuring growth in several sectors, the government has approved setting up of Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) worth Rs 15,000 crore.

The industry is shifting its focus towards value-added products such as cheese, paneer, ghee, yogurt, and other innovative products, keeping in mind the requirements of the consumers. The government has been implementing various initiatives aimed at developing the dairy sector. Be-

With a thrust for better productivity, reduced input cost, and better quality milk and milk product, the competitiveness, and profitability in the Indian dairy sector will get enhanced, leading to improved demand for dairy products in the domestic and international market.

It’s also likely to fetch private invest-

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ments in the sector to lift the growth in rural income as well as employment. The growing demand for different dairy products is expected to provide an opportunity for industry players to expand a range of value-added products.

Therefore, in the coming time, the outlook for the dairy sector is favourable on the back of government support, increasing population, per capita consumption, and expenditure on value-added products.

However, more focus on modern processing techniques, building a modern supply chain, and marketing infrastructure, will be important for meeting international quality requirements.

Besides, the dairy sector, which was facing headwinds before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, may turn this crisis into an opportunity as the supply and consumption of milk have risen.

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MCG Plans To Shift Dairies Outside City MCG officials said around 320 dairies are currently operating in the city The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) is going to identify dairies in the city and allocate them space to shift outside Gurugram.

dumped into drains, choking them. “We are going to identify diaries inside the city and allocate them space somewhere outside the city. We will make sure that their cow dung-based garbage is not thrown into sewer and stormwater drains.

A lot of garbage is generated by the dairy industry, which lands in drains,” said MCG commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh.

This is being done so that cow dung and garbage produced by these dairies doesn’t end up in the city’s drains. MCG officials said around 320 dairies are currently operating in the city. The corporation will work on a mechanism to collect and dispose of cow dung and other waste produced by dairies. Such waste is generally

He added, “Moreover, it is a health hazard for the nearby residents. A survey is going on to identify dairies in the city and will be completed in a week.”

Officials from the sanitation department said the survey is near completion. “We are identifying and geo-tagging dairies.

There are around 70 dairies in zones 3 and 4 and around 250 dairies in zones 1 and 2. We have issued challans to diaries time and again for improper disposal of garbage,” said Rishi Malik, senior sanitary inspector of zones 3 and 4, MCG. Officials said MCG is in talks with the district administration to allocate land for the diaries.

“We have sent a proposal to the district administration to allocate us land out of city limits to shift dairies. Once they are shifted, we will establish a mechanism to collect their garbage,” added Malik.

MCG may use cow dung for composting and making biogas. “The norms for disposal of waste from dairy farms suggest that the waste should not go into drains and a penalty should be imposed on those who are not disposing of waste in a proper way.

It can be utilised for biomethanation (producing biogas) and can also be used for composting,” said Sonia Duhan, MCG consultant for solid waste management and Swachh Bharat Mission.

Covid-19: Karnataka launches immunityboosting Tulsi, Ashwagandha milk products

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Turmeric Milk’, to help people develop their immunity. Turmeric milk is used as a traditional remedy for respiratory infections like cough and cold,” Jarkiholi said.

he ayurveda-based drinks have been priced at Rs. 25 per 200 ml bottle.

According to KMF, as an introductory offer, the products are being sold for Rs. 20.

The Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) has launched a range of immunity-boosting milk products amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The KMF has launched Tulasi milk, ashwagandha milk, pepper milk, clove milk, and ginger milk, which the federation claims are immunity boosters.

KMF chairman Balachandra Jarkiholi said, “Since there are no vaccines available for the coronavirus right now, improving immunity is one of the methods to stay safe from the infection. According to Ayurveda, herbs used in these new milk flavours help boost immunity.”

Apart from milk products, the KMF also launched millet products such as Khara Pongal, sweet Pongal, and payasa.

The ayurveda-based drinks have been priced at Rs. 25 per 200 ml bottle. According to KMF, as an introductory offer, the products are being sold for Rs. 20.

KMF is a leading dairy player and the second-largest dairy cooperative in India, with more than 18 lakh milk producers registered.

Earlier, on June 1, which is celebrated as ‘World Milk Day’, the KMF, south India’s largest milk union, had launched its first immunity-boosting milk product, ‘turmeric milk’.

“In June this year, we launched ‘Nandini

It manufactures markets and sells milk and milk products, including cultured products, ice creams, paneer, ghee, and authentic Karnataka-based sweet products under the ‘Nandini’ brand.

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Save Dairy Animals From Hyperthermia: Gadvasu Professor

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omestic animals and poultry birds are particularly vulnerable to the heat wave.

The condition occurs due to high environmental temperature and humidity.

Like humans, animals too suffer from heat intolerance, particularly when they are left in the direct sun and do not get adequate water.

Domestic animals and poultry birds are particularly vulnerable to the heatwave.

Hyperthermia (heat intolerance syndrome) is one of the commonly encountered problems among dairy animals in Punjab. The problem is most common in exotic and crossbred animals as said by Dr Charanjit Singh, professor-cum-head, department of veterinary medicine, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), Ludhiana.

The condition occurs due to high environmental temperature and humidity.

During the weather conditions, heat loss is reduced leading to an increase in body temperature called hyperthermia. Panting (marked increase in respiration rate), reduced appetite and milk production are the common manifestations.

The most common initiating factor is poor ventilation and also sometimes in animals

that have suffered from foot and mouth disease in the past as a result of damage to the heat regulation system in the brain.

This condition is cannot be treated with antibiotics.

Senior scientist in the department of veterinary medicine, Dr Sushma Chhabra said that hyperthermia is mostly observed during months of May to September with maximum cases recorded from July to September. Farmers remain cautious in July and August, while in September as the heatwave begins to recede, it has been observed that farmers become casual in their approach which triggers the problem, she said.

During humid weather, the ambient temperature and relative humidity frequently exceed the critical comfort level of the temperature-humidity index (72), resulting in elevated body temperature and panting.

The temperature-humidity index describes the effect of the environment on the animal’s ability to lose heat. Dr Charanjit Singh revealed that a study conducted by Dr Sushma Chhabra, and Dr SNS Randhawa, on dairy animals, showed that subcutaneous administration of 5 ml iodized oil ( containing 750 mg of elemental iodine) for three consecutive days may prove helpful in its management. More than 95% of the hyperthermic dairy ani-

mals recovered with this therapeutic regimen and no relapse was recorded during the post-treatment period of two months.

He advised farmers to provide an ample quantity of water to animals, keep them away from direct sunlight in well-ventilated places, and give bath to dairy animals 2-3 times a day.

He said that often farmers treat such animals with antibiotics and other drugs (diminazene or buparvacone). “This is absolutely not required unless the tick-related diseases have been confirmed by blood tests. If high fever persists or there is a loss of appetite and milk yield, get the blood of your animal examined at GADVASU for tick-borne diseases or other infections. Self-medication should be avoided by farmers. Contact only qualified veterinarians for treatment,” he added.

BOX: Hyperthermia occurs due to high environmental temperature and humidity It is one of the commonly encountered problems among dairy animals in Punjab Panting, reduced appetite and milk production are the common manifestations This condition is cannot be treated with antibiotics Experts advised farmers to provide an ample water to animals, keep them away from direct sunlight

Jiva Ayurveda launches A2 Ghee made with nutrient-preserving process

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iva Ayurveda has unveiled the new A2 ghee made with the nutrient-preserving ‘Bilona Churning Process’.

The churning being bidirectional enhances the medicinal properties of ghee.

risk of neurological problems such as ADHD and other behavioural problems in growing children. It is also helpful in reducing blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels.

Ayurveda has been known for herbs/ foods that help in boosting immunity. The company has come up with a vital nutritional support for the entire family. The new product is made from the highest quality A2 milk of gir cows, according to the company. The ghee is a source of healthy amino acids, vitamins such as B2, B12, B6, C, E and K. It also possesses

According to the reports, the product has essential macro and micro nutrients that fulfil the daily dietary requirement of the body and provides rejuvenation support for better cognitive and neurological functions. It is available in packs of 300ml and 1,000ml across all leading stores and online at store.jiva.com for Rs. 725 and Rs. 1,999.

Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty-acids, which are beneficial in making the brain, heart, nervous system and eyes healthier. Omega-3 and -6 have been known to reduce

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The Worst Is Yet To Come In Indian Dairy Sector hen it comes to dairy farming one of the biggest enigmas is India.

As we are going through the huge inventory of Skim Milk Powder (SMP), it alarms us to learn from the similar situation aroused in near past (2018). However, it’s observed that we haven’t learned anything form the experience of 2018.

Let’s look at the comparative analysis and root cause of both the situations of 2018 and 2020.

Situation in 2018 In mid-2018, Cooperatives (mainly GCMMF popularly known as AMUL) saddled with the stock of more than 150 thousand tons of Skim Milk Powder (SMP). During the same time, SMP rates in domestic market touched the rock bottom of Rs. 130 per kg due to distress sell by few players.

litical hold) had increased/stable the milk procurement rates despite knowing what will be the consequences of this. Finally, this led to spurt in milk procurement

by Gujarat cooperatives from within and outside Gujarat.

This led to the huge pile up of SMP with cooperatives (mainly GCMMF- had more than 100 thousand tonnes of SMP).

To do support in return, Government of Gujarat provided Rs. 300 crore export subsidy (Rs. 50 per kg) which allowed GCMMF to clear the excess stock of SMP to mainly neighbouring countries.

This was the first time GCMMF took help from the State government to clear the SMP stock.

With the help of subsidy, India could able to export about 50 thousand tons of SMP in 2018-19. Of this 85% was exported to neighbouring countries (Bangladesh, Malaysia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and UAE).

The situation was fuelled by many factors but the key factors are given below:

Situation in 2020 Currently, India has burdened with more than 250 thousand tonnes of SMP, mainly cooperatives (of which Amul has more than 60%). The stock is almost twice than 2018 level. We need to remember that the situation was arose during flush months of 2018 while in 2020, it has happened during first 4 months of lean season.

World Powder Market: It was hit by the lowest due to sluggish demand by the importing countries like China, Russia and other South East Asian countries. This led to reach the SMP price at Rs 135 per Kg internationally.

The major factors are given below: Covid-19: Due to stringent lockdown in the beginning, closure of HORECA business & Sweet shops and limited procurement by private players, the excess milk was procured by cooperatives.

Milk Procurement by Private players: They stopped or reduced the milk procurement as they find it non-viable to convert the milk into powder and sell it domestically or in international market.

Bottleneck in disposal of milk: Though the cooperatives had procured the excess milk but due to restricted movements in

Milk Procurement by Cooperatives: They have received excess milk due to Private players’ decision and they responded lately to the flush procurement.

lockdown, the milk and milk products sale was hit hardest. The cooperative is forced to convert the excess milk procured into butter and SMP. Still the situation is improving but not reached normalcy.

Election in Gujarat cooperatives: As the election is going on in Gujarat cooperatives, the procurement price level is remain unchanged. Due to this, it may be possible that staus quo position will be maintained till Diwali (Nov-2020). This will also increase in the procurement levels in cooperatives and forced to convert surplus stock into SMP and Butter.

What’s next?

In a few media interviews, Mr Sodhi (MD, GCMMF) indicated the need of export subsidy so that the current stock situation can be eased. The both State and Central leaderships are yet to take any concrete steps to deal with the current stock condition.

After the election in different cooperatives of Gujarat will over (by Nov 2020), the procurement price will badly hit by the current inventory as Amul plays crucial role in benchmarking the prices at producer as well as consumer levels. This will have deep impact of the rural economy as dairying has been played important role in managing the day to day affairs where everyone is betting on Rural India.

Despite huge inventory with cooperatives, the SMP is trading at near Rs 200 per kg locally as India is approaching big festive season in a short run. This gives us the hope that the situation may improve. Also the latest GDT auction rate of SMP (USD 2,889/MT translates into Rs. 212/kg ) shows hope for the improvement in the World Market and make India competitive. However, we have seen the decline of about 40% in the dairy export during the first quarter of financial year 2020-21.

The flush season is yet to start which is backed by good monsoon, sowing and abundance of fodder availability.

This indicates that what we are currently facing is just a tip of iceberg.

Election in Gujarat: Election commission had declared dates for assembly election in December 2017. Due to this, the cooperative dairies in Gujarat (having po-

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Dairy industry witness an innovation galore during Covid times

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airy farming is a crucial component of rural economy, which has the highest potential of generating income and employment through augmenting productivity of milch animals. It is an effective instrument of social and economic change. In the last three decades, world milk production has increased by more than 59 per cent, from 530 million tonne in 1988 to 843 million tonne in 2018. India is the world’s largest milk producer, with 22 per cent of global production, followed by the United States of America, China, Pakistan and Brazil.

The state of Uttar Pradesh produced the highest amount of milk in India at about 30.5 million metric tons, followed by Rajasthan in the financial year 2019.

The projected milk production by 202122 is 254.5 million tons as per the vision 2022 document. In the case of availability of the dairy products, the per capita milk available pan India is 355 gram per day.

Income growth in India has led to strong increases in dairy consumption and production in the last decades. In recent years, dairy consumption has grown at an average rate of 6–8% per annum and experts expect that demand growth may increase to 8–10% annually in the coming years. With increasing urbanisation, Indian households increasingly rely on markets to buy milk, rather than keeping their own cows or buffaloes. Milk quality Demand growth may provide incentives for adulteration. For example, excessive demand growth contributed to milk adulteration and the “milk scandal” in China in the late 2000s.

A series of food scandals in India in the early 2000s increased national awareness of food safety and caused debates on safety quality standards for milk. Anticipation regarding the impending implementation of the legislation – in conjunction with increasing pressure from consumers – may spur the emergence of private food standards in the Indian dairy industry.

Interviews with dairy businesses in Andhra Pradesh revealed that Indian dairy processors decided to pursue different levels of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certification as a ‘competitive’ strategy,

in an attempt to convince consumers that their milk is of high quality.

Crossbred cows and graded buffaloes The traditional DA in India is local (desi) cows and buffaloes with low milk yields.

For cows, cross breeding has been the main method to increase animal productivity. Crossbred cows are the result of inseminating local desi cows with a foreign cow breed (exotic) – usually the Holstein-Friesian (H.F.) and Jersey breeds.

With proper feeding, they yield considerably more milk than local desi cows. For buffaloes, local types can be “graded up” with better breeds, usually of the Murrah type, which originate from Haryana and Punjab. While Murrah type buffaloes are not a technology adoption in Punjab, given that this breed is native to this state, they are in AP where graded buffaloes produce more milk than local buffaloes.

New launches during lockdown The health benefits of milk are widely recognised as an attractive source of natural proteins and many other dairy items are functional foods and beverages including its contribution to digestive wellness and the high in proteins. Due to lockdown there has been an increase in protein-based diets which includes dairy items – paneer, milk, cheese, raita and immunity boosters.

Spiced Milk Golden milk and golden milk mix were launched by Milma with the support of Indian Institute of Spices Research, Kozhikode. The Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (KCMMF) or Milma has introduced two new products.

Haldi Ice cream Amul has introduced ‘Haldi ice cream’ sold in tamper-proof 125 ml cups. Haldi ice cream also has super ingredients like honey, pepper and dry fruits such as dates, almonds and cashews.

Tulsi and Ginger Milk Amul launches ‘Tulsi’ and ‘Ginger’ milk to boost immunity amid coronavirus. The milk brand is launching ‘Ginger’ and ‘Tulsi’ variants in order to boost the community amid Covid-19. As coronavirus vaccine is still to come, their new milk variants will ensure people have enough

Dairy Times

immunity to fight the deadly virus.

Traditional Sweets from Milk Mother Dairy has launched 5 types of sweets available in close vicinity of Delhi – including famed milk cake and orange mawa barfi, the demand has increased with the introduction of frozen rasmalai during the lockdown period. In addition to the already existing sweets on public demand, the company has relaunched hygienically packed gulab jamun and rasgullas for the consumers.

Turmeric Latte A popular leading milk maker and supplier in the Delhi-NCR, Mother Dairy, recently launched butterscotch flavoured haldi milk (turmeric latte) that will boost immunity of consumers to fight the current crisis engulfing the nation. “Made with concentrated turmeric extract, each bottle delivers the same benefit as taking one teaspoon of haldi powder in milk,” narrated data from Mother Dairy.

Packaged Lassi by ITC ITC’s Dairy & Beverages Div has launched lassi under Aashirvaad Svasti brand. As launching lassi as this dairybased traditional drink can help beat the soaring heat and quench the thirst. Pride of Cows Curd – Premium category Parag Milk Foods -Pride of Cows Curd is made from pure Pride of Cows milk and is derived from the company’s own farm. The curd will be delivered to the consumer’s doorstep through a completely contact-free process that involves a full automated milking and production system and a cold chain network that maintains a constant temperature throughout in order to retain the curd’s flavour and aroma.

Patanjali launches dairy products Patanjali announced its entry into dairy products like cow milk, curd, buttermilk and cheese, and said it will soon start selling its dairy products in tetra packs and will launch flavoured milk too Hisar Dist of Haryana plans First Donkey Milk Dairy It’s common to hear people drinking Cow, Buffalo and Goat’s milk. Even Yak milk is consumed in mountainous regions. But, Donkey’s milk is something new. To everyone’s surprise, the first ever donkey’s

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milk dairy in India will be opened in the northern state of Haryana. Various innovations have helped consumers to fulfil their needs, some consumers are shifting towards nutritious food, which will boost their immune system .The implementation of various dairy development technologies /programmes-better feed, new

adoption technologies, better hygiene standards by Government of India has changed the scenario tremendously and helped the dairy farmers to obtain higher profits. Sustainability of dairy however largely depends on new technologies, innovations and the best benefits towards healthy side that are developed by various

organisations from time to time.

Report by Norina Fernandes (The author is senior quality assurance executive (F&B) at Café Coffee Day Global, Mumbai. She can be contacted at norinafernz1004@gmail.com)

Festive demand in milk & rising prices Help dairy farmers to recover post- covid

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he price rise is being attributed to demand slowly returning, as Covid-19 cases are showing a deceleration worldwide and most countries have relaxed lockdown restrictions.

International skimmed milk powder (SMP) prices have hit a seven-month high. That’s good news for Indian dairy producers, with the ‘flush season’ (when animals, particularly buffaloes, calve and produce more milk) taking off and domestic demand also improving ahead of the main festival period in October-Novembe. Prices of SMP at Global Dairy Trade (GDT), the fortnightly auction platform of New Zealand’s Fonterra Cooperative, averaged $2,889 per tons.

This was a 8.5 per cent jump over the previous auction rate of $2,663 on September 1 and the highest since $2,907 on February 4. The price rise is being attributed to demand slowly returning, as Covid-19 cases are showing a deceleration worldwide and most countries have relaxed lockdown restrictions. There is also talk of large-scale imports by China, which has, of late, been stocking up oth-

er farm commodities too, including soyabean, corn, wheat, barley and sunflower oil. “This is encouraging, but we need to see a couple of more auction results.

Only then can a clear trend of recovery be established” said Rahul Kumar, CEO of Lactalis India, which owns Prabhat Dairy in Mumbai and Chennai-based Tirumala Milk Products Pvt Ltd. SMP prices at the GDT auctions had crossed $3,000 per tonne in December-January, levels that were last seen in August 2014. The latest global price of $2,889 translates into around Rs 213 per kg, which is above the Rs 180-190/ kg rates for SMP now being realised by Indian dairies. Domestic SMP prices have already recovered from their lows of Rs 140-150 per kg barely two months ago.

So have ex-dairy prices of butter (from Rs 200-225 to Rs 260-270) and ghee (from Rs 280-290 to Rs 340-350/kg).

“The market has somewhat picked up after Janmashtami (August 12) and also with hotels, restaurants and tea shops gradually resuming operations. This uptick should continue at least till Dussehra

(October 25) and Diwali (November 14).

And with global SMP prices going up, there would be opportunities for exports from India as well,” Ganesan Palaniappan, a leading Chennai-based dairy commodities trader noted.

All this should help dairy farmers, who had seen procurement prices of cow milk (with 3.5 per cent fat and 8.5 per cent solids-not-fat content) slide from Rs 31-32 per litre in March (just before lockdown) to Rs. 18-20 till a month ago. Those prices have since improved to Rs 24-25 per litre.

The current demand recovery, both domestic and global, comes at an opportune time for farmers. Good monsoon rains have significantly boosted fodder availability. Calvings also generally start from late August, leading to milk production rising and peaking during the winter, while remaining high right till MarchApril. If milk procurement prices are better than what they were till recently, it would be a twin blessing for farmers.

Tata Has Entered Into Milk Products Under The Brand Name Tata Nq

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ATA NQ is a venture of TATA (Nutritional Science division of Tata Chemicals Ltd), the oldest most trusted and diversified brand of India. It offers nature-inspired and science-backed ingredient and formulation solutions catering to human and animal health. Under the name of TATA NQ, it has started selling Skimmed Milk Powder (SMP) in a pack of 25 Kgs to Institutional Customers. SMP is processed at Real Dairy Industries Ltd, Baramati, Maharashtra which is known for its high-quality standards of milk and food safety.

The entry of TATA NQ will change the dynamics of the SMP market

What does this entry mean?

• SMP is mainly used for reconstitution in Dairies and also in Confectionery, Bakery and other areas. Therefore, it is widely used by institutional players.

• The major SMP suppliers in India are big cooperatives (AMUL, KMF, RCDF, COMFED, etc.) and Private players as India is a net exporter of Milk Powders (HS Code: 0402).

These players especially in and around Maharashtra will face the competition from the TATA NQ as its target to the institutional market.

• Currently the Powder stock with cooperative and private has crossed 2 Lakh tons mark, this

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new entry in the segment will increase the heat in already stressed SMP Market.

• As TATA is known for its quality products, it is required for cooperatives and private players to match the quality standards and positioned their products accordingly.

• With this entry, it increases the market share of organized players in the segment and will have limited bargaining power to small players.

As per the latest data available, the price of TATA NQ SMP is around Rs 200 per Kg which is at par with current market rate.

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FSSAI Directions Regarding ‘Date of Manufacturing’ and ‘Best Before Date’ for Sweets

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SSAI Directions Regarding ‘Date of Manufacturing’ and ‘Best Before Date’ for Sweets Through its Order dated 25 September 2020 FSSAI has issued directions regarding display of “Date of Manufacturing” and “Best Before Date” in case of sweets.

public interest and to ensure food safety.

As the festive seasoning is approaching the food regulator wants to ensure the

Through an order dated 24 February 2020, the FSSAI had issued directions regarding the display of “Date of Manufacturing” and “Best before Date” for non-packaged/sweets sold loose by sweet sellers.

Now in suppression of their order of 24 February 2020, the FSSAI has made it mandatory that in case of non-packaged/ loose sweets, the containers/trays holding sweets at the outlet for sale should display “Best before Date” of these products with effect from 1 October 2020. In addition, the FSSAI has also stated that the FBO may also display the ‘Date of Manufacturing” which is purely voluntary and non-binding.

The FSSAI has based this decision on

quality of sweets so consumers are safe from any kind of health hazards from contaminated or adulterated sweets sold loose by various sweet sellers.

The display of ‘Best Before Date’ of the sweets shall be decided by the FBO depending on the nature of the products they are selling loose and the local conditions. FSSAI has also provided an indicative list of shelf life of various types of sweets in their Guidance Note on Safety

of Tradition Milk Products which is available on the FSSAI website through the link https://fssai.gov.in/upload/uploadfiles/files/Guidance_Note_Milk_Products_24_02_2020.pdf The shelf life of various sweets can also be assessed at https://foodsafetyhelpline. com/fssai-directions- a bout-labelling-requirements-for-sweets/ The indicative shelf life given in the FSSAI Guidance Note can be anywhere from same day, two days, one week and to 30 days for various types of sweets.

The FSSAI has directed all FBOs dealing in sweets to comply with this direction and the Commissioners of Food Safety of all States and UTs shall ensure the compliance of these directions.

Packaged food products display best before and manufacturing dates to inform consumers that the products are safe to eat. With the mandatory ‘Best Before Date’ on loose and non-packaged traditional sweets, consumers will be able to make an informative choice about the sweets they are buying.

FSSAI to Place Food Safety on Wheels at Khoya Mandi for Testing Adulteration in Khoya

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SSAI has issued a direction dated 25th September 2020 regarding placing of Food Safety on Wheels (FSW) at Khoya Mandi for testing of adulteration in Khoya on the request of various traditional sweet manufacturers.

The FSSAI has written to the Commissioners of Food Safety of all the States and UTs as FSSAI has received representations from various sweet manufactures requesting the Food Authority to check the adulteration of khoya.

They want that only khoya and similar loose products like paneer, milk chap etc. that are free from adulteration should be permitted to be sold. In this regard, the FSSAI took up the issue with the CoPS, Delhi and it has been decided by the FSSAI to place the Food Safety on Wheels (FSW) in prominent Khoya Mandis of Delhi as a pilot project.

FSSAI has received a positive feedback on this exercise and accordingly, it has been decided to replicate the same across the country so as to boost consumer confidence about these products.

The FSSAI has requested Commissioners of Food Safety to carry out the similar exercise of positioning Food Safety Wheels (FSW) where available, on fortnightly or monthly basis in a random manner in all the prominent Khoya Mandis in all the States and UTs or on the basis of specific intelligent input, especially in view of the ensuing festive season.

The FSSAI has also requested the Food Safety Commissioners to share an action taken report with the Executive Director Compliance Strategy from time to time, preferably at the end of the month. About Adulteration in Khoya Authentic food testing for adulterants in khoya is a must

Dairy Times

for value assessment of khoya and for consumer protection. Concerns about food safety and compliance of food regulations have led to the development of various methods for testing and the Food Safety on Wheels will ensure immediate detection of adulterants.

Any addition of adulterants in raw materials and food items can be hazardous to human health and also lead to deprivation of essential nutrients in foods. Just for quick economic gains during festive season fraudsters carry out khoya adulteration.

Most people are unaware that any kind of food adulteration is punishable under the FSS Act, 2006. If a food product is found unsafe, then the adulterant may be levied with a maximum fine of Rs.10 lakhs along with imprisonment.

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Amul Forays Into Camel Milk Ice-Cream, Milk Powder

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he humped ship of the desert will now help you remain cool in scorching heat.

chocolate plant at Mogar in Anand district, Modi had narrated how he was ridiculed for describing camel milk as nutritious once. It was during his stint as chief minister of Gujarat that he had tried promoting camel milk for its nutritive value and was “scoffed at” by people around him, he had revealed.

GCMMF had entered into a MoU with the Kutch District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Limited or Sarhad Dairy, Sahjeevan Trust and the Kutch Unt Uccherak Maldhari Sangathan for procurement, processing and marketing of camel milk in April 2018. Kutch milk union is currently collecting nearly 70,000 litres of camel milk every month. There are

“Amul camel milk powder will enable lakhs of individuals to try the goodness of camel milk across the country for the first time,” said R. S. Sodhi.

After introducing fresh and long-life camel milk apart from chocolates, homegrown dairy giant – Amul – has forayed further into value-added products with the launch of camel milk ice-cream and milk powder.

A first even for India’s dairy major, camel milk has remained in the news since last two years. In September 2018 Prime Minister Narendra Modi had hailed its virtue.

Addressing a gathering at Amul Dairy’s

“The milk powder made from natural camel milk procured from camel herders in Kutch will have shelf life of eight months,” he said.

“This will be real boon to the milk producers of Kutch as it will help extend the shelf life of milk and extend its availability through Amul’s nation-wide distribution network,” Sodhi said, adding that since Amul launched camel milk products, rates of camel milk in Gujarat have doubled, leading to revival of the sector.

around 30,000 camels in Gujarat, mostly of Kutchi and Kharai breeds. The state is home to around 1,000 camel breeders mainly from Rabari, Fakirani Jat, Sama and Sodha communities.

Relief for Amul in restrain orders on illegal export of milk, milk products

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n a big relief to the country’s biggest dairy brand ‘Amul’ (Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation), which had filed a suit against one of the exporters namely Capital Ventures Pvt. Ltd seeking restrain orders for illegal and unauthorised export of Amul’s milk and milk products, the Delhi High Court has directed the Custom Authorities to mandatorily seek the requisite certificates/ approvals issued by Export Inspection Council prior to such consignments being permitted from all the exporters of milk and milk products.

The company, through its advocate Abhishek Singh, had filed a suit against exporter Capital Ventures Pvt. Ltd before the Delhi High Court seeking to restrain the illegal and parallel export of ‘Amul’ products carried out by the said entity. It

had been contended in the suit that Amul in order to ensure quality check and compliance with all necessary laws, rules and regulations, carries out all the exports of its products by itself in strict compliance of all statutory prerequisites and does not allow the export of its milk and milk products to be carried out by any exporter.

Inspection & Monitoring) Rules, 2000.

This order comes as a major relief for the company as there had been a huge illegal and parallel export of the products, which products were meant for sale within the territory of India only and without any authorisation, approvals or certificates, same were exported abroad.

Capital Ventures conceded that it did not have the statutory approvals and gave an undertaking to the effect that it shall not export ‘Amul’ milk and milk products without obtaining the necessary approvals and certificates. The Delhi High Court has passed specific directions to the Custom Authorities to mandatorily seek from exporters of milk and milk products all requisite certificates/approvals before allowing the consignment for export as per Export of Milk Products (Quality Control,

The company states that it is in receipt of names of many such export houses which have been illegally exporting its products.

The organisation, in order to completely uproot such illegal and parallel exports, is determined to take necessary action against such exporters under the Customs Act which would include launching of prosecution against such exporters under such provisions which would invite imprisonment up to 3 years.

Dairy Times

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Self-cleaning clarifiers with integrated direct drive for the efficient separation of impurities and bacteria GEA’s 3-phase bacteria-removing clarifiers significantly

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Enhancing the quality of milk with bacteria-removing clarifiers from GEA

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Kianusch Javadinejad – Product Sales Manager, GEA Westfalia Separator Group GmbH Germany

ntroduction India is the world’s largest producer and consumer of milk,producing over 22% (196 million metric ton production in 2019) of the total milk supply globally. Milk is the single largest agriculture commodity in terms of value.The Indian Dairy Industry has shown consistent growth over last two decades and will continue to grow at a rate of6% CAGR over the next few years.

Country’s total milk processing capacity stands at 90 MMT. With such a huge magnitude of dairy infrastructure, there is an upward demand for sustainable and advanced technologies for milk processing with major focus on optimizing the yield and minimizing environmental impact. Apart from this, the hygienic quality of milk is of crucial importance in producing milk and milk products that are safe and best in quality. To achieve this, good hygiene practices should be applied throughout the supply chain.

However, here are some of thechallenges faced by the Indian dairy industry today: • Inadequate cold chain infrastructure at collection centers • Inadequate milk testing facilitiesand equipment •Low awareness on milk hygiene • Wide-spread collection base and limited processing capacities The above factors are creating ideal atmosphere for germs to breed exponentially.

Raw milk usually carries undesirable con-

Pankaj Jain – Assistant manager Sales, GEA India

stituents like dirt, blood udder cells (somatic cells) and the entire bacteria flora.

The high bacterial load and pathogens in the milk not only lead to diarrheal diseases or vomiting, but also decreasethe shelf life of the milk and milk-basedproducts.

Furthermore, heat resistant spores may cause product defect and spoilage, especially in Ultra High Temperature (UHT) milk, dairy powders and cheese.

Therefore, the focus should not be only to kill the germs but also remove the germ-loaded mass from the milk. With simple heating, the killed biomass will remain in the milk. The heat-resistant spores, that are not eliminated, cangrow further. Incheese production, those spores are thereason of quality issues during ripening.

Since 1970s, the bacteria removing clarifier (BRC) from GEA has been the most suitable and widely acceptedtechnology by dairy industry worldwide.The BRC not onlyremoves bacteria from the raw milk but alsoimproves milk quality and product safety.

Bacterial clarification process Bacterial clarification is a process in which milk is subjected to a centrifugal force in order to remove micro-organismsbased on their density difference (skim milk – 1.036 g/cm3; bacteria – 1.07 – 1.13 g/cm3). Usually, this process is carried out at temperatures ranging between 52 to 580C.A higher temperaturerange will result in removal of protein from the milk and a lower temperature range will decrease the efficiency since there is no significant difference in density.

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The need for bacteria clarification in the dairy industry The dairy industry is using milk pasteurization process since ageswhich is insufficient to remove heat resistant bacteria forms. Also, some of thevalue-added products like cheese, low heat milk products require low heat treatment. Aerobic spores reduce the quality of drinking milk while anaerobic spore formers could spoil the finished products.

The bacteria clarification is very important when whey protein concentrates (WPC) are separated from the clarified and separated whey.The WPC process conditions (long periods, optimal temperatures) allow a high rate of bacterial growth which only can be avoided using bacterial clarifiers.

Furthermore, BRCs have a major role to play in the processing of Extended Shelf Life (ESL) milk. Here, two bacterial clarifiers are arranged in series. The first clarifier reduces the bacterial count by 90 % and the second clarifier further brings it to 99.9 %. This is a patented GEA prolong process.

GEA’sbacterial removing clarifiers separates spore formers The BRC separates spore formers such as Bacillus cereus, that is heat-resistant up to 128 °C and cold-tolerant at the same time, which negatively impacts the shelf life of the drinking milk due to sweet coagulation. Many cheese defects can likewise be prevented effectively through the application of bacteria-removing centrifuges.

Benefits of using BRC’s • Reduces the chances of spoilage of products • Non-thermal method, reduces negative effects of heat on milk • Improves efficiency and downtime of pasteurizers by reducing bacterial load in upstream milk • Lower chance of reinfection as cell mass is removed from the milk • Increased shelf life with lower cell counts • Better taste • Achievement of quality standards, product specifications or legal requirements

36 • Salient features of BRC’s by Gentle product treatment as low feed pressure is required • Solid bowl spindle that firmly holds the high-speed rotating separator bowl, giving greater stability to the machines • Advantages of belt drive over gear drive- that have better dynamic and static balancing leading to a safe working environment for the operating staff and need for less spare parts for replacement.

Moreover, energy transmission is better in belt driven machines with fewer losses.

• Hydro-hermetic design helps the air entrapped in the milk to beejected from the bowl. This design does not require any special/ mechanical seals and helps in saving spare costs. Cooling water for seals is also eliminated in our machines.

• Easy to maintain desludging system are based on hydraulics that requires lesser number of components.

• Recirculation design increases the bacterial clarification efficiencies Increased protein yield with GEA proplus The bacteriaremoving separators can be optionally equipped with the proplus system. With proplus it is possible to extend the ejection intervals during production up to six-fold compared to conventional bacteria-removing separators. The result is a significant boost in protein yield from the raw milk used by means of consistent loss minimization of up to 75%. In addition,there is a decrease in costs for wastewater, maintenance and wear.

GEA BRC experience in India GEA BRC machines are well proven and trusted by Indian dairy industry. By conducting various product trials and analysis, we have found the following results achievable under the optimum process conditions – • Bacterial count reduction ranging from minimum 75-90% (upto 95%) • Spores reduction up to 99% • Somatic cell reduction up to 95% • Increased shelf life of milk and milk product • Increasing the acceptability of milk Conclusion Bacterial spores are present in raw milk and any negligence on the part of the producers and processorscan create quality problems, especially inthe production of high value dairy products like cheese and UHT milk.

The bacteria-removing clarifiersfrom GEA can provide an optimal solution to avoid such problems associated with spores, bacteria etc. Use GEA’srichexperience for bacterial clarification under Indian conditionsand get optimal performance. The sophisticatedproplustechnology will further help to reduce thelossesandensuremaximum profits.

IN SEARCH OF SAFE MILK

Generic capital of the world and today the Indian Pharma Industry ranks extremely high on a global quality scale.

A

lmost 25 years ago, Indian Pharma Industry changed their manufacturing and Quality monitoring strategies to monitor the presence of 0.1% impurities in drugs – a drastic change from the established norms of manufacturing drugs with 99%+ purity.

Purity was a given thing. Performing tasks of identifying impurities allowed the Indian Pharma Industry to meet global quality standards and export their produce. With allied skills, Indian Pharma became the

The Dairy Industry today is in a similar phase as was the Pharma Industry in the 90’s. Screening, Monitoring, Qualifying and Quantifying impurities in Milk is now a necessity than just monitoring Milk Purity. Supplying clean, pure. and healthy milk to Indian consumers as well as earning dollars through dairy exports to developed countries will also help farmers to double their income.

Milk cooperatives and Private Dairies are churning their product portfolios to expand their product range to make it more

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About GEA “Engineering for a better world” is the driving and energizing principle connecting GEA’s total workforce of approximately 18,500 employees. As one of the largest systems suppliers, generating group revenues in the amount of 4.9 billion euros in 2019, GEA makes an important contribution to a sustainable future with its solutions and services, particularly in the food, beverage and pharmaceutical sectors. Across the globe, GEA’s plants, processes and components contribute significantly to the reduction of CO2 emissions, plastic use as well as food waste in production.

GEA is listed on the German MDAX and the STOXX® Europe 600 Index and also included in the DAX 50 ESG and MSCI Global Sustainability indexes.

Your contact details are stored in our central CRM-system exclusively for sending press releases. In our data protection notice we inform you about the GEA data protection guidelines.If you do not want to receive any further information from GEA.

exciting for the consumers and become more profitable. The competition between brands is fierce and marketing expenditure spent by dairies to impress the consumer is going through the roof.

With an increasing demand for Milk and Milk products, both cooperatives and private players are focussing on increasing milk collection and processing. New private players and International giants are entering the lucrative Dairy market.

As volumes grow – an underlying responsibility and accountability to improve the Quality of Milk being collected, processed, packed, and delivered to the consumer cannot be ignored. With increasing

37 consumer awareness through various social media platforms, there is an impertinent need to focus upon various aspects of milk hygiene, various drugimpurities, adulterants and toxins present in raw and processed milk.

FSSAI – India’s apex regulator has initiated a series of efforts to ensure dairies procure, process, and deliver high quality milk. Various regulations and procedures have been put in place and it is expected of dairy operators and food manufacturers to follow these norms regularly.

Ideally, monitoring of Milk Quality should be a personal SOP for every milk producer, aggregator, supplier, transporter, chiller, processor, and packer. Regulations should be referred to as a guideline to regularly monitor milk hygiene. However, there seems to be a big gap between preaching Quality and practicing Quality.

CHALLENGES MILK FROM INFECTED CATTLE Milk collected from infected cattle generally have higher bacterial and somatic cell counts. Therefore bacterial, and somatic cell counts are defined to be one of the many indexes of Raw Milk Quality. Monitoring raw milk quality for these two parameters are essential for producing Top Grade Consumer Milk. In general, higher the counts – lower is the milk Quality.

Regular monitoring of Raw Milk Quality for Bacterial and Somatic cell infection is now possible with Flow Cytometry based instruments, like BacSomatic, which can perform about 15-40 samples in one hour.

Cattle infections like Mastitis, FMD, Brucellosis now can be regularly screened and monitored easily with Rapid Testing kits and PCR based methods.

Infected cattle are also exposed to regular medication. After medication, it is expected that the milk producer does not deliver milk from such cattle for a recommended withdrawal period – the period of which can be different for different veterinary drugs.

However, in real life, it is quite challenging for the milk aggregators to monitor and control milk producers from delivering such drug induced milk at a village collection centre. Ideally, every milk supplier, every tanker should be monitored regularlyfor the milk he/she pours into

the Bulk Milk Cooler or that is supplied to the Dairy.

Today the presence of Antibiotics in Raw Milk is one of the biggest challenges faced by the Dairy Industry. These antibiotics – if present – cannot be removed from Milk at any milk processing stages undertaken at the Dairy. Once, antibiotics are found in the milk, they will be ingested by the consumers, either through liquid milk or through milk products.

Another, issue with Raw Milk is the presence of a dangerous Mycotoxin – Aflatoxin M1. This mycotoxin is regularly found in Raw Milk in India – which is seriously a huge health risk to milk and dairy product consumers. As with antibiotics or adulterants, Aflatoxin M1 – if found in milk, cannot be eliminated from milk through any of the processes.

Toxicological studies have implicated Aflatoxin M1 to be carcinogenic and has been recommended to be avoided. However, due to the nature and process of its occurrence, regulatory bodies world over have specified and restricted its limits to ppb levels in raw milk.

Occurrence of Aflatoxin M1 is attributed to the presence of Aflatoxin B1 in cattle feeds. There are four aflatoxins: B1, B2, G1, and G2. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is the most potent carcinogen. Aflatoxin M1 is a hydroxylated metabolite of Aflatoxin B1.

Aflatoxin M1 is produced in the liver of animals following ingestion of high levels of Aflatoxin B1, and it may be excreted in the milk and urine of animals.

Monsoon season increases the humidity levels in feed storage areas, which results in development of molds (Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus). These molds produce Aflatoxins.

In addition to the presence of Bacteria, Somatic Cells, Antibiotics, Aflatoxins in raw milk, human greed is one of the many other reasons, which results in unhealthy adulteration of raw milk. Instances of addition of Melamine, Maltodextrin, Urea, Sucrose, Non-Milk Fats, etc. and many more non-edible and harmful substances are to milk for commercial reasons have been found in plenty across India.

Melamine, a banned substance is added to milk to increase its Protein value. Recent observations have also discovered

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the presence of Melamine in milk – not by external addition – but that has been routed through cattle feed. FSSAI recently added Melamine specifications for its presence in milk – as its presence was noted in raw milk and the source was tracked to feed stocks.

Pesticides occurring in Milk is also a result of pesticides being sprayed on feedstocks and found in drinking water.

Laboratory methods to detect the presence of these unwanted substances in Milk include LC, LCMS, GC, GC-MS etc. All these instruments perform Qualitative and Quantitative estimations and are used as confirmatory tests. These instruments need right kind of laboratory premises, infrastructure, and well-trained operators to extract the best from these instruments.

Instruments like Milkoscreen, can be effectively used to screen milk for the presence of adulterants at Raw Milk collection stage. This helps dairies to avoid collecting bad milk and entering their system.

Rapid Testing Kits and PCR tests are available for screening the - presence of Melamine, Antibiotics, Aflatoxins in raw milk - Foot & Mouth Disease, Mastitis, Brucellosis These Rapid Test Kits are low cost rapid screening technologies which can be performed at site and do not need specialized central laboratories. The technique is based on lateral flow chromatography or also referred as immuno-chromatography technique where the sample travels against gravity on an immobilized stationary surface creating chromatographic bands in the process.

Different bands denote, presence, absence of the target component. These kits can be used for Qualitative screening and be used for Quantitative screening in some instances.

The kits are now supported by small instruments like Micro-heater, Reader etc. to expedite work and submit accurate results.

Indifoss is a supplier of Bioeasy Rapid Testing Kits, PCR and ELISA test kits and FOSS products including Milkoscan, Milkoscreen, Bacsomatic

38

Dairy Products:

Potential Sources for Immune Boosting stituents of well balanced and nourishing human diet. Milk nutrients also complement and supplement the nutrients available from cereals, legumes, vegetables, fruits, meat, sea food and poultry.

Milk, besides having all the nutrients namely, proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins, contains numerous biological substances such as immunoglobulins, enzymes, functional peptides, oligosaccharides, hormones and growth factors. Fresh milk contains a mixture of antimicrobial agents that exhibit bacteriostatic and even bactericidal activities.

Dr. Surendra Nath Battula Former Principal Scientist, SRS, ICAR-NDRI, Bengaluru

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he present COVID-19 pandemic presents an exceptional and unprecedented challenge for the people all over the world with respect to adjusting to anew and difficult life style. In addition to practicing safe and hygiene measures, consumption of safe and wholesome foods for a better nutrition and immune boosting has become a necessity to combat the pandemic.

Mammalian milk contains more than 60 different enzymes including those with antioxidant and antimicrobial characteristics (lysozyme, catalase, superoxide dismutase, lactoperoxidase, xanthine oxidase, ribonuclease etc.) that are important in terms of milk stability and protection of humans against pathogenic agents.

Milk is a rich source of several functional components, which significantly contribute to the prevention and or control of hypertension, coronary vascular diseases, obesity, osteoporosis, cancer, diabetes, dental decay etc.

Consumption of a balanced diet comprising nutrient rich vegetables, fruits, cereals, pulses, milk and milk products and other wholesome foods is the key to boost the immune system, which has become a focal point in the fight against Corona virus.

Dairy products provide an inexpensive source of animal protein and other nutrients. In situations like the present pandemic, dairy products like UHT milk, milk powder and ghee with a relatively high shelf-life help the consumers to stock the products when the movement is restricted due to lockdown.

Nutritional and Immunological Constituents of Milk Milk and milk products, since time immemorial, have formed an important part of our diet. Milk is naturally designed as a nutrient dense food source that nourishes and provides immunological protection for mammalian offspring. Milk and milk products are recognised as important con-

Lacteal secretion (colostrum) is the first food to provide immunological protection to the newborn.It lays foundation stone for long life immunity.The mammalian neonate is unable to collect, chew, or digest solid food, relying entirely on the colostrum of its mother and subsequently on milk for its survival. In addition to providing a complete diet with all the essen-

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tial nutrients for the neonate during the initial phase of its life,colostrum also provides essential immunological protection.

The colostrum immunoglobulins, in conjunction with the ability of the neonatal gut to allow unrestricted passage of the large immunoglobulin molecules, provide the young one with passive immunization. However, both the concentration of immunoglobulins in colostrum and the permeability of the gut decrease rapidly and progressively over the first 48 h after birth.

Therefore, an adequate supply of colostrum, with abundant immunoglobulins, is essential during this brief period of time for the neonate to gain sufficient passive immunity to be able to survive until its own immune system is fully developed.

That’s why colostrum is considered as ‘Elixir of Life’.

Some of the immunological factors present in colostrum include biological cells such as neutrophils, macrophages, lymphocytes and mammary epithelial cells and molecules namely, immunoglobulins, lactoferrin, oligosaccharides, gangliosides, acute phase proteins, reactive oxygen species, cytokines, RNAse, antimicrobial proteins and peptides, and enzymes such as lysozyme and lactoperoxidase. Considering the importance of colostrum and its components in immunological boosting, they are being marketed commercially in the form of powders, tablets as health foods and pharma products all over the world.

While colostrum has a plethora of immunological and antimicrobiological factors, their level decrease during lactation with the development of the innate immunity by the neonate. However, milk is also a very good source of many immunological substances.

Today it is largely forgotten that the immune properties of milk helped to lay the foundation of modern immunology.

In 1892, Paul Ehrlich demonstrated that mice immunized against plant toxins passed immunity to the foetus in utero as well as via the milk.

These observations were subsequently shown to be due to an ammonium sulphate perceptible substance, termed an antibody. Ehrlich extended this work to develop the concept of passive and active immunization via antibodies, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1908.

39 In milk, the main categories of compounds related to immune stimulation are caseins and whey proteins and their derived peptides.Beta-casein of milk was shown to inhibit chemotaxis and whey proteins enhance cell mediated immune response.

Lactoferrin, a minor whey protein, has established anitimicrobial, antiviral (HIV and CMV) and giardicidal activities.

It removes LPS from cell membrane of Gram –ve bacteria, which are subsequently subjected to lysis by lysozyme, another factor present in milk. Lactoperoxidase produces T-cell cytokines, thiocyanate, clears bacteria from airway and has a potential preventing pulmonary infection.

Tryptic hydrolysate of α-lactalbumin was shown to possessantimicrobial activity against Escherichiacoli, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidisand Klebsiella pneumonia.Peptides from casein, β-lactoglobulin, and α-lactalbumin also enhance immune cell function.

Factions of αs1-casein f(194-199),and β-casein f(60-66) and f(193-202) have shown to have both angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory activity and immune stimulatory effect.Peptide fractions of αs1-casein f(158-162) and f(194199), lactoferrin f(17-41) and f(17-26), α-lactalbumin f(18-20) and f(193-202), andβ-casein f(1-25), f(54-59), f(60-66), f(63-68), f(114-118) and f(191-193) were shown to be potent with respect to immunomodulatory activity. Oligosaccharides of milk inhibit pathogens such as Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcuspneumoniae, Vibrio cholerae, E.coliandCampylobacter jejuni.

It was shown that nucleotides present in milk prevent malnutrition and starvation induced immunosuppression,resists S.aureus and Candida albicans,enhances T-cell maturation and function, and stimulates gastrointestinal growth and maturation.

Nucleotide supplemented infant formulae were shown to have higher antibody titers against H.influenzae and diphtheria.

SIgA, the fraction of immunoglobulin A was reported to have antimicrobial (H.influenzae, S.pneumoniae) and antiviral (rotavirus, HIV, CMV, influenza virus) properties. Lipids of milk such as sphingomyelin, conjugated linoleic acid, butyric acid, carotene, polar lipids and vitamins A and Daccord immunological protection.

A literature report of 1985 claims that the milk lipid products may prevent Corona

virus infection in the intestinal tract. Milk fat globule membrane components were shown to have antiviral, anticarcinogenic, and antimicrobial properties, as well as synergistic action with probiotics.

Hyperimmunized Milk Hyperimmunization, a technique used for repetitive injection of an antigen to achieve a heightened state of immunity, results in the development of a larger than normal number of antibodies to a specific antigen. Research relating to the transfer of immunity into milk and hyperimmune milk production was initiated about 65 years ago to improve the bioactivity of milk by immunizing cows for the purpose of altering antibody specificity.

Milk produced by injection of specific antigen for enhanced specific immunity, then such resultant milk is called as “Hyperimmunized Milk”.Cows can be immunized with oral bacteria to yield milk preparations with high titers of IgG2, IgA and IgM, and with particularly high concentrations of IgG1, directed against the immunizing microbial strains. Clinical results were reported on milk from cows experimentally immunized by intramammary infusion of streptococci and staphylococci; extracts of poison ivy; and of pollen and other environmental allergens.

Milk obtained from cows hyperimmunized with a variety of human gut bacteria (E. coli, Shigelladysenteriae, Salmonella typhimurium, Streptococcus pyogenes and others) exhibited high antibodyactivities specific for intestinal bacteria.Immunologically enriched milk may also reduce the number of bacteria translocating from the gut and augment the effectiveness of gut associated lymphoid tissues against the invasion of intestinal bacteria.

Fermented Dairy Products Dahi, yoghurt, cheeses, acidophilus milk, kefir etc., in addition to having the nutritional virtues of the milk from which they are made, also possess several therapeutic properties such as immunomodulatory, antithrombotic, mineral or vitamin binding, blood pressure regulatory and antimicrobial activities. They are easily digestible and alleviate the problem of lactose intolerance to a great extent. Dairy products prepared using probiotic cultures are of special

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significance due to an enhanced functionality.

Russian Noble prize winner and father of natural immunity, Elie Metchnikoff, a scientist at the Pasteur institute, was the first to conceptualize probiotics. He suggested that the long life of Bulgarian peasants resulted from their consumption of fermented milk products. The term ‘probiotic’ (Greek: for life) was first used in 1965,

by Lilly and Stillwell for describing substances secreted by one organism, which stimulate the growth of another.

According to World Health Organization probiotics are defined as live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host.

Consumption of probiotic foods is reported to lower the pH of intestine and inhibit bacterial villains such as Clostridium, Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli, etc., decrease the production of a variety of toxic or carcinogenic metabolites, aid absorption of minerals, especially calcium, due to increased intestinal acidity, production of β- D- galactosidase that breaks down lactose, produce a wide range of antimicrobial substances - acidophilin and bacteriocin, which help to control pathogenic bacteria, produce vitamins (especially Bcomplex and K), reduce serum cholesterol, act as barriers to prevent harmful bacteria from colonizing the intestine etc.

Some important probiotic organisms are Lactobacillus species - L. acidophilus, L. plantarum, L. casei subspecies rhamnosus, L. brevis, L. delbreuckii subspecies bulgaricusetc., and Bifidobacterium species B. adolescentis, B. bifidum, B. longum, B. infantis, B. breve etc.,and other species include Streptococcus salivarius ssp. thermophilus, Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis, Lactococcus lactis ssp. cremoris,

40 Enterococcus faecium, Leuconostoc mesenteroides ssp. dextranicum, Propionibacterium freudenreichii, Pediococcus acidilactici, Saccharomyces boulardiietc.

The therapeutic benefits of the probiotic organisms are mostly strain specific.

The probiotic bacteria must be alive when consumed in order to gain the anticipated health benefits, but the number of living bacteria in a product decreases over time as cells naturally die.

Therefore, the number bacteria reported on the products should be the number that will still be alive at the end of shelf life and not the number that were alive on the date of manufacture, as the number will decrease between these two dates. It is well recognized that of all the probiotic foods, dairy foods are the best carriers of the probiotics. Many commercial dairy foods such as dahi, yoghurt, butter milk, lassi and ice cream from popular brands are available in the Indian market.

Immunological boosting by probiotic organisms:Studies suggest that some of the strains of L.rhamnosus, L.paracasei and L.casei and Bifidobacterium may support the immune system, and are associated with reduced incidence, duration and severity of respiratory tract and flu-like symptoms and flu-like sickness in children and adults.

Research investigations using animal models have shown that probiotic dahi prepared using strains of L. acidophilus, L. casei, L. lactis diacetyl lactisexhibited antiallergenicity, and the dahi prepared withL.casei enhanced the innate and adoptive immunity and showed protective effect against Salmonella entertidis.

It was also observed that fermented milk prepared using L.helveticus stimulated neutrophil production and the product prepared using L.paracasei stimulated macrophage production.

Administration of L.rhamnosus containing fermented milk to mothers during the suckling and to their offspring after weaning had beneďŹ cial effects on the development of immune system in the newborn; this effect appears to be more pronounced when mothers were fed with it. In the present context of COVID-19 pandemic, elderlypersons are more prone to the infection with the virus.

This could be due to decreased immunity in this vulnerable population. The de-

creased immunity during aging is called immunosenescence. In this regard, consumption of probiotic foods is expected to increase the immunity of the elderly people and hence, probiotics are considered as antiimmunosenescence factors. A better understanding of these effects may help to develop geriatric probiotic-based antiimmunosenescence foods.

Fortified Milk As per Food Safety and Standard Regulations (2011), milk is permitted to be fortified only with vitamins A and D. However, it may be possible to add certain natural ingredients, with health benefits, to milk under the flavoured milk segment or in the category of health foods. Many herbs and spices are known to possess health benefits, especially the immunity boosting principles.

In this context, AYUSH of Government of India recommends the consumption of turmeric milk (golden milk) every day to boost the immunity in the fight against Corona virus. A few leading brands such as Amul and Nandini have already launched turmeric milk for the benefit of consumers.

Therapeutic properties of non-bovine milk Several research investigations have shown that non-bovine milk such as that from goats and camels have therapeutic and antimicrobial properties. Goat milkis reported to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and can improve minor digestive disorders and prevent allergic diseases in infants.

One of the latest publications (Feb 2020) has shown that mice fed with goat milk enhanced immunoglobulin production, antigen-specific (ovalbumin, OVA) immune responses, CD3+ T lymphocytes in the spleen, and phagocytosis activity.

Splenocytes isolated from these animals also showed significantly increased production of cytokines IFN-Îł and IL-10.

More importantly, goat milk feeding during pregnancy and lactation periods conferred protective activity onto offspring by alleviating the airway inflammation of allergic asthma induced by mite allergens. There was a greater proportion of beneficial bacterial species, such as Akkermansia muciniphila, Bacteroides eggerthii, and Parabacteroides goldsteinii in the gut microbiota of offspring from goat or cow milk fed pregnant mice com-

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pared to the offspring of control group.

The reports indicate that camel milk can be considered as a good source of protein, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin C, and niacin and some of it components help to promote the body’s natural defences.

Camel milk differs from other ruminant milk as it contains low cholesterol, low sugar, high minerals, high vitamin C and higher protective like lactoferrin, lactoperoxidase, immunoglobulins and lysozyme. It is also unique in terms of antioxidative, antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, anti-hepatitis, anti-arthritis and anti-diabetic factors.

Conclusion Milk is one of the highly evolved secretions of mammary glands of mammals and the most perfect food for their offspring.Milk of some mammals, especially cow, buffalo, goat and camelis used for human consumption, either as such or in the form of a range of dairy products in many cultures for centuries. There areinnumerable health benefits credited to milk and milk products since they contain an important array of nutrients and therapeutic principles.

Research as well traditional practices have shown that regular consumption of milk and fermented foods improves the immunological protection. Milk and colostrum are rich source of immunological factors. It was demonstrated over a century ago that mothers transfer disease immunity to their offspring through milk.

Mining of the lacteal secretion for such constituents as well as production of immunomodulatory biopeptides from milk proteins and their application in foods for immune boosting has a tremendous potential. Further, addition of immune boosting herbs and spices to milk and milk products also can help to improve the functionality of such products.

Consolidation and comprehension of the research investigations carried out on the immunological principles of milk and milk constituents and boosting such properties through the production of hyperimmune milk and utilization of non-bovine milk with therapeutic potential may be considered as need of the hour to develop and manufacture specific immune boosting dairy products for the benefit of the consumers.

41 paneer used as base material for a variety of indigenous sweets and preparations, followed by ghee. Much of these products are produced by households or halwais (sweetmeat makers).

Five Investment Opportunities In Dairy

Between Rs. 125 And Rs. 140 Crore

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he dairy sector plays a critical role in providing livelihood opportunities to millions of people, largely women, in rural areas.

It has an important role to play if the target of doubling farmers’ income has to be achieved in near future.

India ranks first among the world’s milk producing nation. The dairy products are currently consumed all across the world.

However, the country exports a relatively smaller volume of dairy products and has a small share in global dairy trade despite being the largest milk producer in the world.

Dairy products exported from India are mainly Skimmed Milk Powder (SMP), butter, butter oil, cheese, ghee and butter milk. SMP has share of around 30% in the exports of the dairy products from the country.

The major export destinations for dairy products are Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Bangladesh, Bhutan, the United States, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia. The SMP is traded globally. Despite being the biggest producer of milk, India has negligible presence in global dairy trade.

Secondary source of income Dairying has become an important secondary source of income for millions of rural families and has assumed the most important role in providing employment and income generating opportunities, particularly for marginal and women farmers.

Most of the milk is produced by animals reared by small, marginal farmers and landless labourers. Of the total milk production in India, about 48% milk is either consumed at the producer level or sold to non-producers in the rural area. The balance 52% of the milk is marketable surplus available for sale to consumers in urban areas.

Out of marketable surplus, it is estimated that about 40% of the milk sold is handled by the organised sector (16.93 million farmers have been brought under the ambit of about 1,90,516 village-level Dairy Corporative Societies).

The biggest component of India’s dairy market is liquid milk. According to Dairy India (2017), the liquid milk market’s share is estimated to be around 58% of the total value. After liquid milk, the biggest segment of the country’s dairy market is dairy products such as khoa, chhana and

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In the organised sector, private dairy companies are investing in developing an efficient milk procurement network as well as marketing of liquid milk and valued-added products, in addition to focussing on bulk commodities like milk powder and ghee. Till the last decade, most of the private processors were operating on a small scale, focussed on stabilising their operations. Over the years, some of them have expanded to establish a strong regional base with aspirations to have a national presence in the next few years.

Some of the major organised private players include Tamil Nadu based Hatsun Agro Product Ltd, which procures an average 26 lakh litre per day (LLPD) or around one million tonne (MT), annually. Besides, there are companies with an average milk procurement of 5-15 LLPD each. These include Parag Milk Foods, Schreiber Dynamix Dairies, Heritage Foods, Tirumala Milk Products, Sterling Agro Industries, VRS Foods, Nestle India, Prabhat Dairy, Indapur Dairy, Dodla Dairy, Creamline Dairy Products, SMC Foods, Milkfood, Gopaljee Dairy Foods and Anik Industries.

Shortfall of ambient, reefer and insulated trucks The Union government has spotted logistics as a lucrative investment opportunity as it is driven by a rapidly growing market in the Indian dairy sector. There is a huge shortfall of ambient, reefer and insulated trucks as well as cold warehouses. “Here the total investment required is Rs 9 crore to Rs 11 crore. The potential returns expected are 7 to 11 per cent IRR (internal rate of return) with a payback of 6 to 12 years. We see that there are attractive returns and proactive government support,” said Atul Chaturvedi, Secretary, Ministry of Animal Husbandry.

Further there is potential to set-up additional transportation capacity across reefer, insulated and ambient vehicles and cold warehousing to match enhanced milk processing requirement. “Some of the potential business models would be establishment of independent warehouse operations and transportation services including third-party contract logistics services,” he added.

42 2024. The healthy growth of the market is attributed to rising disposable incomes, increasing health-consciousness among consumers, and affordable price.

Consumption of value-added products According to Brahmani Nara, executive director, Heritage Foods, dual and disposable incomes are set to spur consumption of value-added products. There is a need to or seamlessly integrated dairy play from procurement to delivering fresh and nutritious milk at the doorstep.

Five investment opportunities Identifying five investment opportunities in dairy between Rs. 125 and Rs. 140 crore, Chaturvedi pointed out that these span across production and supply of cattle feed. “Infrastructure for chilling and processing, widens processed milk opportunity. This along with supply of D2C milk across top consumption hubs like the metros would take the dairy industry in the country to the next level of growth.

There is also a huge demand for A2 milk tipped to be far more nutritious.”

While the infrastructure gap for production of cattle feed is 10-18 MMT, in the area of chilling units too the shortfall was 120-130 MMT. The investment potential was tipped to be Rs. 3,000-5,000 for cattle feed. The highest investment came forth for production of milk at Rs. 19,000 to Rs 20,000.

The overall production capacity envisaged for 2025 is 285-295 MMT (million metric tonne) as against the current 188 MMT. Here states of UP, Rajasthan and AP account for 40% of total investment potential.

Specifically in logistics, reefer vehicles are a profitable investment opportunity with potential of 20% returns and payback of 6-7 yrs, with proper route and load planning.

Investment for reefer vehicles varies significantly across capacities. It can vary from Rs. 18 to Rs. 30 lakh depending on reefer capacity from 6 tons to 18 tons.

The key returns for the project are based on distance travelled, percentage travel with load, diesel prices and product mix.

Even insulated vehicle is a profitable investment opportunity with potential of 18% returns and payback of seven years with proper route/ load planning, according to Chaturvedi.

Noting India’s Opportunities in Dairy Processing Sector in the Post Covid Era, KPMG in its report noted that scope for milk collection, chilling storage, processing, packaging and transporation were lucrative avenues for start-ups to consider.

Natural and immunity-boosting additions Recently the ready-to-cook major, iD Fresh, stormed into the dairy market with its launch of curds only in Hyderabad.

This, according to the company, would cater to the growing demand for healthy, natural and immunity-boosting additions to the daily diet. The product, made with farm-fresh milk and natural culture, has a shelf life of 12 days and is priced at Rs. 65 for 400 gram.

Musthafa PC, CEO and co-founder, iD Fresh Food, said, “The Covid-19 pandemic has put the spotlight on health and safety. An increasing number of people today are making conscious food choices to boost immunity and minimise safety hazards. At iD, since our inception in 2005, we have always embraced 100 per cent natural, home-made style of preparation, without the use of any chemicals and preservatives.

Convenience and ease of use are never encouraged at the cost of health and safety of our consumers. We’re committed to bringing you food that is healthy and wholesome – just the way it’s made at our homes. I hope iD Curd receives the same love that you have showered on iD Natural Paneer. Personally, I must confess that I’m in love with its creamy, tasty goodness!”

Quoting the IMARC report of 2019, Musthafa said that the curd market in India grew at a CAGR of 13 per cent during 2014-2019 and is expected to reach a value of nearly Rs. 1,809.3 billion by

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Health-conscious consumers are accepting milk and milk products as a food supplement. There is a clear shift from carbonated drinks to milk products. Value-added milk products are being purchased through large format stores and modern trade which is picking up pace.

Attention to farmer welfare and cattle health-nutrition is resulting in higher milk yields.

Reaching out to younger consumers, keeping the brand agile in tune with changing times and consumer needs besides launching innovative and fortified products is the growth path of the sector.

Recently Heritage too launched ginger, tulsi and turmeric variants of milk, which is the order of the day. It has also launched classic, unique and exciting new flavours in ice creams like cookies & cream, berry ripple and caramel ripple.

The ginger milk is good for thermo regulatory, thrombotic, and respiratory functions of the body, which makes it an ideal choice for immunity booster. Besides, ginger is proven to be good in improving body metabolism, which makes body healthy and warm ginger milk has a strong effect against throat infection and gives relief from throat pain.

Here Nara noted, “We are always at the forefront of consumer’s health and happiness, which can only be achieved by bringing innovative products at the right time. Here Heritage understands the needs of consumers and has been at the forefront to bring many value-added healthy products to consumers. As it helps to build immunity, there is no better time than now, wherein entire family needs to have healthy and nutritious products to build immunity.”

Source : Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Government of India

43

Lactoferrin : A Possible Solution against COVID-19

Tanmay Hazra1 Assistant Professor Kamdhenu University Amreli,Gujarat

Rohit G Sindhav2 AssistantProfessor Kamdhenu University Amreli, Gujarat

T

he disease, which rapidly spreads and snatches the life of huge population in very limited times, is characterized as pandemic. The effects of pandemic to the society are very devastating in terms of economics and social life point of view. History has recorded many pandemics including Asian Flu, cholera, black death, etc., over periods of time.

The novel corona virus 2019 (COVID-19), causing by severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS CoV 2), is a devastating threat throughout the world for modern human society. The first novel corona virus or COVID-19 case was registered in China. However, within a few months it has been spread all over the world in 197countries and snatched the lives of almost 5 lakh people across the globe. World Health Organization recognized this disease as Pandemic in March, 2020.

D.C.Sen3 Former Professor & Head Department of Dairy Tech.W.B. University of Animal and Fshery Sciences, Mohanpur Campus, Nadia, West Bengal

What is COVID-19?

Corona virus is a single-stranded RNA virus and crown-like spikes are present on the surface of this virus, that is why, it is named as corona virus. The size (diameter) of this virus ranges from 80 –120 nm.

According to the genomic make up, there are four sub groups of Corona virus have been identified; among these only two types of corona viruses have been identified for infecting mammals.

However, in December 2019 in Wahun city of China a novel corona virus has been identified and first time named as novel Corona virus 2019 or COVID-19.

Different studies have proved that three factors viz., source of infection, route of transmission and susceptibility are the main ways for spreading virus causing pandemic even novel COVID-19. In Table 1, the three factors have been explained in more explicit ways.

Table 1. Represents source of infection, route of transmission and susceptibility of novel COVID-19 Virus Source of infection

Though there are different controversies for the source of this virus, but bats, snakes, pangolin or other wild animals have been recognized as host of this virus. Human is not a natural host of this virus. However, they can be infected through direct contact of these animals.

This virus can be transmitted to humans via respiratory droplets.

Moreover, close contact through direct or indirect of infected person Route of can increase the risk of transmission. Even from respiratory droplets transmission of infected person; mucous membranes in the mouth or nose are also considered as mediums of transmission for this virus.

Susceptibility Clinical investigations have proved that elderly people and children are most susceptible to this virus. However, people suffering from other diseases like diabetes, cancer etc., are also susceptible to this virus. Very recent studies also proposed that person having O blood groups are less affected by this virus.

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Mechanism of COVID-19 action on human The novel COVID-19 genome is encoded with a large, non-structural polyprotein consisted of 4 structural proteins and 5 accessory proteins. The four structural proteins are mainly associated with spike surface glycoprotein, the membrane protein, the envelope protein and the nucleocapsid (N) protein.

Spike proteins that contain a variable receptor-binding domain (RBD). This RBD binds to angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE-2) receptor found in the heart, lungs, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract thus facilitating viral entry into target cells. The spike surface glycoprotein, attach to host cells that affect to infect human. This cause inflammation in respiratory tract and in extreme case death occurs.

Common symptoms of COVID-19 Some of the common symptoms of COVID-19 are : – Fever – Dry cough – Tiredness – Shortness of breath – Muscle pains – Diarrhoea – Fatigue All these symptoms can be detected within 2-14 days after infection. However, presently such cases are getting predominated those are infected by this virus even without such symptoms.

At present, no vaccines are available against this virus. However, by maintaining social distance and immune boosting through consumption of healthy foods can only be useful against this viral disease infection.

Milk is basic food for new born and contains many antimicrobial agents i.e. lactoferrin, lysozyme, lactoperoxidase, etc.

Apart from nutritional compounds of milk, bioactive compounds are present in the milk in minor amounts as compared to other nutritional compounds. These bioactive agents are protecting the consumer from several microbial infections.

44 As compared to the mature milk, colostrum contains higher amounts of bioactive compounds. These bioactive compounds possess physiological activities such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, anticarcinogenic, antiprotozoan, antifungal, antiviral, immunomodulatory and mineral carrying activities.

Lactoferrin is a bio-active minor protein that has plenty of health benefits as well as different antiviral activities against SARS-covid virus, which is closely related to novel COVID-19 virus.

signaling pathways and cytokines.

Possible mechanism of lactoferrin against COVID-19 virus Lactoferrin has been found to experimentally inhibit viral entry via binding to host cell surface of human corona virus. However, Novel COVID-19 virus infection pathway is very similar to other corona virus, therefore, lactoferrin Table 2. Concentrations of lactoferin in various treatment could be potential types of milk. against this virus too.

Types of Concentration (g/L) Another major aspect of lacMilk toferrin bioactivity relates to 0.02-0.5 Bovine milk its immunomodulatory and Human milk 1.5-2.0 anti-inammatory functions.

Low immunity and inflamGoat milk 0.2-0.3 mation in respiratory tract 0.6-0.8 Sheep milk have been identified as the main cause of death during 0.02-7.28 Camel milk Novel COVID-19 virus in0.2-5.0 Bovine colostrum fection. In this situation, lactoferrin could provide protecHuman colostrum 16.0 tion against this disease.

What is Lactoferrin?

Lactoferrin, is a 80-kDa iron-binding glycoprotein mainly present in milk and saliva.Various studies suggested numerous biological functions that included antimicrobial, antioxidant, immunomodulatory and many more.

Therefore, now-a-days, it is supplemented in many foods and pharmaceutical products. The concentrations of lactoferrin in milk differ from species to species and type of milk which have been highlighted in Table 2.

Lactoferrin as immno-boosting bioagent Scientific researches acknowledged that lactoferrin possessed immunomodulatory, antiviral and anti-inammatory activities. The key immunomodulatory role demonstrated as limiting tissue damage by modulation of chemokines, cell surface receptors involved in cascades of

1.

IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-a (TNFa) and ferritin.

In this regard, lactoferrin has been proved to reduce IL-6, TNFa and ferritin. That could another possible mechanism of lactoferrin treatment against COVID-19 virus infections.

In this regard, two scientific reports have demonstrated the effect of lactoferrin on covid 19 disease but antiviral drugs along with lactoferrin supplement could also be an alternative treatment against this pandemic. The said two reports have been briefly highlighted below for better understanding.

Conclusion The numerous bio-functions of lactoferrin make it attractive for the designing of new nutritional supplements. Currently, the use of infant formulas supplemented with bovine lactoferrin has been widely

The mortality from COVID-19 is not simply due to viral infection but is a result of a cytokine storm syndrome in selected patients associated with hyper-inflammation leading to acute respiratory distress and subsequent mortality.

Due to this viral infection, majority of the cases it has been recognized that increases in cytokines and acute phase reactants such as interleukin

Researchers reported that in China the mortality of children due to COVID -19 was very less. They concluded that this could be a possible reason that children who drink breast milk that is a potential source of lactoferrin like anti-viral protein.

2 . A group of researchers from Spain after conducting clinical trials claimed that lactoferrin could be potential against COVID-19 patients.

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accepted. Milk is a potent source of this magical biocomponent.

Mothers’ milk after born and thereafter a glass of milk that not only quench our thirst but provides basic nutrients and boosts immune system against many viral diseases including COVID-19.

45

Olden Food And Current Neutraceutical - Bovine Colostrum

factors in colostrums. Lymphokines mediates the immune response. Oligopolysaccharides and glycoconjugates attract and bind to pathogens preventing them from attaching or entering the mucous membranes.

Traditional colostrum product: The steamed colostrum cake is a traditional indigenous milk product prepared from colostral milk. It is prepared since many years by adopting local procedure by steam cooking of the colostral milk.

Thus, a smooth junket is formed which is then cut into pieces of desirable size and served as delicacy, either in hot or cold state.

Dr.V.Jayalalitha, Ph.D (Dairy Science) Assistant Professor Veterinary University Training and Research Centre, Tamilnadu

B

ovine colostrum is the fluid secretion of mammary gland 10 days before and immediately after calving which is dark yellow in colour. It is always rich in antibodies, insulin, IGF-1&2 for the growth of calf’s intestine. It is also known as beesting, bisnings, or first milk .

It is very rich in nutrients and biologically active substances and provides passive immunity in calf with the help of immunoglobulins and other antibacterial factors. It is abundant in proline rich polypeptide, lactoferrin, glycoprotein, lactalbumin, cytokines etc.

Factors affecting the quality of colostrums are ; healthy cow produces and if cow is undernourished it produces poor quality colostrums, high yielders produces low quality, storage of colostrums, pooled colostrum from different animals, mastitis affected animal etc.

Preservation of colostrum: Colostrums can be stored for a week at temperature of 1-200C and for more than a year at -1800C to -2500C. It should be kept in freezer bag before storage. When we want to use, it should be thawed at 5000C using hot water bath. If is heated upto 6000C, IgG quality will not get reduced whereas it is heated beyond 6300C, it reduces by 34%.

It can be preserved as steamed cake, pills, tablets, powder, or liquid.

Nutritional Composition of Bovine Colostrum and its benefits: The colostrum contains: vitamins (A, B12 and E) which are useful in health, vitality and growth of the newborn. Proline-rich polypeptide (PRP) regulates the thymus gland. Immunoglobulins (A, D, E, G and M) IgG neutralizes toxins and microbes in the lymph and circulatory system. IgM destroys bacteria IgE and IgD are highly antiviral.

Lactoferrin is an antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial iron-binding protein with therapeutic effects in cancer, HIV etc. Cytokines regulates the duration and intensity of the immune response, responsible for cell-to-cell communication boost T-cell activity and the production of immunoglobulins. Lysozyme aids hydrolysis and boosts the immune system and is capable of destroying bacteria and viruses on contact. Enzymes viz., Lactoperoxidase-thiocyanate, xanthine oxidase and peroxidase oxidize bacteria through their ability to release of hydrogen peroxide.

Nutritional facts

Orotic acid prevents haemolytic anaemia.

Growth factors: Epithelial growth factor (EGF) Insulin-like growth factor-I and II (IGF-I and IGF-II) Fibroblast growth factor (FgF) Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) Transforming growth factors A (TgA) and transforming growth factor B (TgB) Growth hormone (GH), help in enhancing cell and tissue growth by stimulating DNA formation Further it contains immune factors such as IgA-specific helper factor, β-lactoglobulin, secretory IgA, lactalbumin, α1-fetoprotein, albumin, α1-antitrypsin, α2-macroglobulin, complements C3 and C4 and orosomucoids. Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) are essential for the maintenance and promotion of good health.

Use of colostrums in human health: According to many research, constituents of bovine colostrum are 100-fold to 1,000-fold more potent than that of human colostrum. Hence it may be useful for human infants to gain health benefits.

In 1950, Dr Albert Sabin, polio vaccine, eventually found that bovine colostrum contained antibodies against polio virus and hence recommended it for therapy in children at risk for contracting polio.

In recent years, bovine colostrum has gained popularity as a human food because it is an excellent source of bioactive proteins, which have been claimed to inhibit viral and bacterial pathogens, improve gastrointestinal health and enhance body condition.

Human Colostrum

Bovine Colostrum

Energy(kcal)

58

130

Protein(g)

3.7

14.9

lactose(g)

5.3

2.6

Fat(g)

2.9

6.7

Leukocytes stimulates interferon production. Trypsin Protease inhibitors – prevent the destruction of immune and growth

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Bovine colostrum can be consumed in any form either natural or preserved in the form of steamed cake, pills, tablets, pow-

46 der, or liquid. Being a very good source of protein, energy, micronutrients as well as immunoglobulins, natural bovine colostrum can be incorporated in different recipes.

Bovine colostrum has been used to treat diarrhea, to improve GI health, to boost the immune system. Bovine colostrums is boon for lactose intolerance patients because bovine colostrum has less lactose, it contains 10-15% lactose. Therefore, high quality complete first milking colostrum collected within 6 hours after birth can be used as a dietary supplement by more people without potentially having them suffer the discomforts associated with lactose intolerance.

Available evidence suggests a beneficial effect of supplementation of bovine colostrums in improving body composition, aspects of athletic performance, diarrhea in persons with immune-deficiency syndromes, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced gastrointestinal disturbances and aspects of the acute phase response that occurs secondary to surgery.

Autoimmune Diseases/ Leaky Gut Syndrome: Colostrum contains immune factors which can regulate the immune response, growth factors to help to repair damaged cells and antiinflammatory substances to reduce inflammation.

Cancer: Lactoferrin helps to prevent or shrink cancer cells. Lactoferrin prevents colon, bladder, tongue, esophagus, lung cancer. This is due to effect of lactoferrin as it boosts immunity. It also said to lower immunosuppressive substances like leukotrienes and prostaglandins.

Gastrointestinal Disorder: Colostrum has immunological factors that protect against micro organism. Colostrum contains trypsin inhibitors and unchanged colostrum goes down the GI tract maintain the healthy epithelium linings and immune system. This way colostrum protects against GI disorders Helicobacter pylori infection: H. pylori require lipids to bind with gastric mucosa.

Colostrum prevents the adhesion of this organism to the lipid binding sites of the GI tract. Studies have shown that bovine colostrum has potential to stop adhesion activity of H Pylori and H Mustelae. As colostrum prevents the adhesion of this microorganism therefore it can ever prevent peptic ulcers occurrence.

Cardiovascular diseases: One study indicated that, in over 79 % of patients with Colostrum may have a beneficial function in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases due to the presence of Proline Rich Peptides (PRP). Also, the growth hormones (GH) and growth factors like insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in colostrum can raise the blood levels of HDL (high-density lipoprotein)-cholesterol, while lowering LDL (low-density lipoprotein)-cholesterol. Further bovine colostrums possesses concentration-related antioxidant activity as revealed by significant free radical scavenging ability and marked inhibition of lipid peroxidation.

Immunodeficiency related Diarrhea and Infective Diarrhea: Colostrum also plays a role in rotavirus and Salmonella Typhi infection protection as well as antibiotic related diarrhea due to presence of lactoferrin.

Athletic performance: Training and competition includes which have strenuous exercise reduced the immune system, eventually decreasing the number of T-lymphocytes and NK cells. Due to these reductions, athletes are more prone to develop chronic fatigue syndrome. Colostrum is being given as popular dietary source for its valuable nutrient contents.

Athletes increase the efficiency of the digestive tract by using colostrum as a dietary supplement.

They usually take colostrum in powdered form and add it to shakes and drinks. The possibility of infections due to physical and emotional stress in athletes can be significantly reduced by the immune factors present in colostrum or colostrum supplements.

Topical application: Colostrum can be used for wound healing since it is having nucleotides, epidermal growth factor (EGF), transforming growth factor (TGF) and IGF-1. It also helps in promoting cellular and skin growth and in repairing DNA and RNA damage.

Growth of nerve cells, skin, cartilage, muscle and bone are tissues where colostrum showed beneficial effects.

Conclusion Colostrums should be pro-

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duced free from adulterants like pesticides, herbicides, anabolic hormones, antibiotics and other chemicals. It should not be processed at high temperatures and pressures because its biological activity is decreased by such actions.

The highly concentrated solid dosage form of colostrum is preferred than the liquid dosage form. Colostrum has a short shelf-life and therefore addition of preservatives is a must for its storage at warm ambient temperatures.

However, even the addition of preservatives cannot completely prevent the loss of active ingredients. Removal of fats, whey and lactose is done to create an optimum dosage form.

Bovine Colostrum is the food of newborn/ day old calves and its valuable constituents favor to be used as a nutraceutical.

It can be used for autoimmune disorder, gut leaky syndrome, gastrointestinal disorder, athletic performance, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, local immunity, systemic immunity and antigen handling etc. Colostrum supplements can play an important role in autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis.

Due to unawareness about colostrum and its beneficial effects, huge amount of colostrums is being wasted in unorganized dairy sectors. There is a need of channelization to collect and process colostrum .

Dairy industry have to involve in colostrums related research and developing products since it is having diversified output.

V.Jayalalitha, K.Shibi Thomas, and P.N.Richard Jagatheesan Veterinary University Training and Research Centre, Tiruchirappalli.

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Opportunities in Dairy Nutrition, Genetics and Healthcare Management in India 1. Overview of Dairy Cattle Nutrition Management in India

Mr. Nitin Puri Group President and Global Head Food & Agribusiness Strategic Advisory & Research (FASAR), Yes Bank

N

utrition provided to dairy animals through feeding practices impacts both the health of the animal as well as the nutrition it passes to humans through dairy products. Adoption of scientific and balanced feeding practices is a sine qua non for development of the dairy industry. Dairy feed also comprises of 6070 % of the total cost of producing milk.

Ensuring complete and adequate nutrition while optimizing milk production and controlling costs becomes a critical component for any strategy to boost dairy production and incomes. The Government of India’s National Action on Dairy Development envisages milk production to reach 254.55 Mn MT by 2021-22 and 300 Mn MT by 2023-24, requiring an annual growth rate of 9.2%. However, limited availability of feed & fodder as well as climate changedo not allow significant increase in India’s bovine population.

On the other hand, India’s dairy sector still suffers from exceptionally low productivity which again presents a significant upside. To meet the growing demand for dairy protein, it will be imperative to boost productivity levels of cattle and buffaloes and to increase the ratio of productive animals in the overall bovine population.

This further brings to the forefront the

role of nutrition in enabling growth in India’s dairy sector. Given that majority of India’s dairy farming is unorganized and restricted to 1-2 animals per farmer, the demand for feed is largely met by farm mixes and not commercial feed. Industry estimates suggest there is an annual deficit of nearly 100 Mn MT of cattle feed requiring a total investment of about INR 30,000 Cr. Furthermore, the growing feed and fodder scarcity in India is alarming. As per one of the studies, deficit of 65 percent of green fodder and 25 percent of dry fodder for Indian livestock is expected by 2025.

2. Opportunitiesin Indian Dairy Cattle Nutrition Segment This scenario throws open a plethora of opportunities to invest in India’s dairy nutrition segment: • Fodder Banks: An essential component of ensuring adequate nutrition is to establish fodder banks. Fodder banks may be community led or commercial ventures which allow for growing, storing and preservation of fodder crops to meet local fodder requirements, especially during lean season. There’s an urgent need to identify, develop and introduce forage varieties suitable for various agro climates and local contexts.

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• Silage Making Another critical component for fodder strategy is the provision of scientific silage. Silage is essentially fodder made from green foliage crops which have been dried and preserved by fermentation. Given the increasing costs and limited availability of concentrate feed, silage promotion is an excellent means of ensuring fodder throughout the year.

There is significant opportunity to develop and introduce appropriate crops, methods of preservation, mechanization and storage of silage. Investment oppor-

tunities include introduction of silage worthy seeds, mechanization of harvesting, mechanization of silage making & silos for long term storage. As per industry sources, on an average the cost of setting up a silage unit of ~10,000 MT capacity (~20,000 bales) is ~ INR 2.5 Cr. • Cattle Feed & Additives: The growing demand for animal protein in India and low penetration of commercial feed offers global feed companies an opportunity to introduce commercial feed formulations that suit local climate and maximize genetic potential of local breeds on the back of their R&D expertise.

Given regional and seasonal imbalances

48 and wearables to monitor animal behavior and health will drive the market growth.

• The growth of vaccine segment is mainly attributed to the increasing initiatives by animal welfare associations, and advanced technologies leading to innovation in animal healthcare. Hence, owing to risk of emerging zoonotic diseases, the vaccines segment is expected to witness rapid growth in the coming years.

in mineral availability, there is increasing need to boost usage of feed supplements including vitamins, probiotics, antioxidants and minerals derived from unconventional sources.

3. Overview of Cattle Healthcare Market in India India is a large country with vast agro-climaticand regional diversity which affects the husbandry practices as well as disease occurrence amongst livestock on regional basis. Various livestock diseases are endemic which pose a great economic threat to livestock producers by way of morbidity, mortality and decreased productivity.

The on-going Covid-19 pandemic which hasturned out to be a global crisis has furthered the necessity of controlling zoonotic diseases at the animal source.

Cattle health plays a crucial role in harnessing the expected productivity performance of dairy animals. Increasing the productivity of dairy animals through multipronged strategies of improving genetics, widening Artificial Insemination (AI) coverage and promoting scientific feeding practices may not have the desired effect unless complimented with better disease diagnosis and health care management and augmented by appropriate disease control programmes.

As per industry estimates, size of Indian Animal Healthcare industry is estimated at ~INR 7,500 Cr in 2020 and has grown at Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of12-15% from 2016-20.

Though there is no published data, Indian

Federation of Animal Health Companies (INFAH) anticipates the contribution of various categories of animal health products as 40% for feed supplements, 17% for anti-bacterials, 15% for biosecurity, 13% for anti-parasitics, 5% for hormones and biologicals and 10% for other categories.

4. Opportunitiesin Cattle Healthcare Segment There is a need for current shift of farmers from curative to preventive healthcarewhich would not only aid in productivity improvements but also ensure steady growth for the animal health business.

Further, cases of Avian Flu, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in last few decades causing adverse impact in the animal care sector has led to increased awareness for preventive care including vaccines.

This has necessitated the need for collaborative Research & Development for bringing novel and improved preventive animal healthcare products. There are opportunities for private domestic and international veterinary pharma firms to make substantial investments in animal healthcare products with focus on innovation, cost-effectiveness and reach.

The dairy healthcare segment offers the following key promising opportunities: • Various technological advancements, such as the integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) with animal health monitoring solutions, coupled with the increasing utilization of mobile sensors

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• Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a major concern due to indiscriminate use of antibiotics to treat animal diseases. As per one of the studies, about 80% of the animal diseases can be reduced significantly using EVM (ethno-veterinary medicine) prepared by farmers using locally available ingredients. The Indian dairy industry is promoting use of ‘Pashu Ayurveda’, or ethno-veterinary medicine. For the small and marginal dairy farmers in the country, alternative approaches such as EVM for the management of common animal ailments would offer a cost-effective intervention making it more effective.

• The exponential increase in livestock population in the country has far outstripped the number of centres offering veterinary care. Compared to a network of 1.9 lakh health institutions in the government sector, there were only 65,000 veterinary institutions across India. This needs to improve fast to address the ‘One Health’ concept. The concept of One Health can be effectively implemented for reducing incidence of emerging zoonotic threats like COVID-19.

5. Overview of Cattle Genetics & Breeding Management in India There has been a worrying decline in indigenous breeds which are genetically disease resistance in favor of cross breeds. It is critical to ensure livestock biodiversity for long-term sustainability as genetically uniform systems are vulnerable to diseases and pathogens.

Conservation of Indian indigenous breeds and concerted efforts to improve their productivity is an imperative. Lack of traceability, poor sanitary and phyto sanitary conditions and absence of proper records further compound the issue.

The primary aim of cattle and buffalo breeding in India has been improvement

49 of milk yields. Given the low‐yielding indigenous dairy breeds, cross‐breeding of local cattle with high‐yielding exotic breeds has been the unanimous strategy to tackle cattle productivity. However, average milk yields are still low mainly due to low selection intensity and improper feeding programs to supplement genetic breeding.

Adopting modern breeding technologies and implementing scientific breeding programs is critical to save India’s indigenous cattle and to boost their productivity.

In order to further develop its indigenous cattle breeds, India must focus on Embryo transfer technology (ETT), promotion of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), sex-sorted semen production. Establishing animal breeding Centers of Excellence (COE) are being set up for ETT, IVF, sex-sorted semen, genomics and training of skilled manpower.

6. Opportunitiesin Cattle Genetics& Breeding Management A few potential solutions and opportunities are outlined below: • Establishment of progeny testing programme for indigenous breeds of cattle: Progeny testing (PT) has focused on cross‐bred cattle, indigenous buffalo and demand for high producing animals.

However, indigenous cattle breeds with relatively low milk production potential have been largely neglected.

Selection must seek traits beyond milk yield and quality to include tick or disease resistance, heat tolerance, somatic cells score depending on the local needs.

However, an effective indigenous PT programme will require additional infrastructure such as semen station, bull rearing farm, recording and evaluation system and manpower in addition to the already existing PT for cross‐bred cattle.

• Setting up of semen stations for production of high quality disease free semen&mobile veterinary clinics and AI stations: Private players can be encouraged to setup semen stations. These players will select rural entrepreneurs and provide training for conducting AI services at farmers door step.

Rural entrepreneurs can be trained in tagging and the progress can be monitored using an app developed by the private player. Semen Stations would require an indicative investment of ~INR 50 Cr. Investment on a mobile veterinary clinic with complete setup is ~INR 0.15 Cr. • High end reproductive technology for semen sexing: High‐end reproductive biotechnology for semen sexing is

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important to counter stray cattle caused by the ban on cattle slaughter. Using sex-sorted semen (SSS) by artificial insemination (AI) can be a game changer for India. It will not only address the stray animal issue but also increase the income of farmers. Research opportunities in this sector are very high for producing a low‐ cost semen sexing machine with higher accuracy.

• Genomic selection in breeding programmes for higher coverage and better accuracy: Lack of pedigree records restricts the inclusion of sufficient numbers of animals in each genetic evaluation programme. With the advent of genomic selection (GS), many animals without pedigree can be included in the selection programme for more intense selection, increasing accuracy and reducing generation interval. However, efforts are needed to reduce the cost of genotyping and sequencing.

• Digitization in AI services: Digitization of AI services will help to get the data of pregnancy months, calving prediction and milk production helping dairies to plan milk processing at plant level. Digitization will ensure timely AI, pregnancy diagnosis, deworming, vaccination processes at farmers’ level through streamlined recording, updation and analysis of the data.

50

Prospects of Exporting Dairy Machinery and Equipment

Dr. J.V.PAREKH Senior International Dairy Consultant

I

ndia stands at the number one position in milk production, producing 187 million tonnes per annum. An increased demand for value added dairy products and growing private investment in dairy processing facilities (boosted by liberal credit policies and lower interest rates) are expected to provide further impetus to India’s milk production over the coming years.

mand of Indian dairy industry. There is a commendable growth in the Indian dairy equipment manufacturing sector but we

Source : Department of Animal husbandry & Dairying, GOI

have yet to make a significant dent in the export market, although there lies a great opportunity for the same. India has

The value of output of dairy industry reached Rs. 10 Lakh cr. in the year 2019.

Today milk is the largest source of agriculture income in India and the organized sector handles about 20 percent of the total milk production. As a result of the gigantic growth in milk production the demand for equipment for processing of milk and milk products has increased substantially.

The requirement for dairy equipments has increased from Rs. 700 cr in 2004 to 2000 cr. in 2019. There are a number of dairy equipment manufacturers in India, including GEA, SSP, IDMC, Tetra Pak, SPX, Goma, HMT, Samarpan, Panchal, Nichrome, ATPL etc. fulfilling the deOverview of Dairy Sector in India

exported dairy equipments to different countries like Nepal, Indonesia, Malaysia, The Middle East, Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Iran, North Yemen, Vietnam, Russia, Turkey, Mexico etc. At the present the total export of dairy machinery is approximately Rs. 200 cr.

Dairy Equipment Industry Overview The domestic Indian dairy machinery industry is quite self-reliant and proficient in developing a range of machinery such as stainless steel dairy equipments, evaporators, milk refrigerators, storage tanks, milk and cream deodorizers, centrifug-

Source : KPMG

51 will help to position equipment manufacturer in the world market 4. India emerging as a preferred outsourcing destination among global manufacturing companies D. Threats 1. Non availability of critical components 2. High level of competition from global players 3. Import of dairy equipments and plants 4. Lack of policy coordination among Govt. Bodies Strategies for Promotion and Growth of Dairy Equipment Manufacturing Sector 1. A significant problem facing dairy equipment manufactures today is lack of accurate techniques to forecast demands of dairy equipments and components 2. Food Industry Associations, Equipment Manufacturers and various institutions have been recommending to the Govt. for total exemption of GST on dairy equipments and machinery required for clean milk production and processing/packaging of milk and milk products Source: Ministry of Commerce and Industry, 2020

es, clarifiers, agitators, homogenizers, chillers, spray dryers, aseptic fillers and heat exchangers.

Although the number of dairy equipment manufacturers have increased, healthy competition is prevailing in the industry with the large and established manufacturers undertaking high value and technically sophisticated equipments and small scale manufacturers sharing the supply of rest of the equipments.

By doing so, an attempt is made to minimise the cost of equipment without affecting the performance of the plant.

Research in India has largely concentrated on product development and processing and not much emphasis has been given to the development of equipment to translate the results of process development into making better food products. A few dairy equipment manufacturing companies have developed in-house R&D facilities to provide customized solutions.

SWOT Analysis of Indian Dairy Equipment Manufacturing Sector A. Strengths

1. Indigenous availability of raw material and competitive labour cost 2. Well developed demand conditions 3. The industry at present is equipped with modern machinery, competent engineering & management skills, trained technicians and qualified welders 4. Strategic location allowing exports to near and far countries 5. Technical know-how to undertake integrated customized milk plant projects B. Weaknesses 1. The sector needs advanced global technical capability and investment 2. Data on production, sales and demand of dairy equipments not available 3. Inadequately developed linkages between industry and R&D institutions 4. Less effort from manufacturers for global branding C. Opportunities 1. Good milk production and ready market has lead to establishment of new processing facilities and expansion of the existing one 2. Potential to meet the needs of developing countries 3. Low material and manufacturing cost

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3. There is also the concern of reducing the rate of interest to 4% on term loans for dairy sector which will directly & indirectly boost machinery manufacturing.

4. Indian machinery companies will have to develop manufacturing capabilities to a level where they are competitive across global markets in terms of price, quality, technology, delivery and services 5. To achieve this, firms should be supported to access latest technologies from across the globe for the required level of automation, robotics and integrated operation 6. Import of critical components of dairy plant and equipment should be facilitated at low duty while import of general dairy equipment needs to be restricted and put at higher duty so that Indian equipment manufacturing can grow 7. Indigenous research, development and innovation in equipment design and related special materials and alloys should be strengthened 8. An eco system needs to be built up where Govt., industry, research institutions and academicians are facilitated to work in collaboration to improve capabil-

52 Five Key Investment Opportunities

(d) design must facilitate easy dismantling of parts for cleaning, (e) providing air tight covers and other protections to prevent contamination, (f) avoiding sharp corners, cracks and crevices, which may harbor microbes difficult to dislodge by normal cleaning, (g) protecting from unnecessary creation of hot spots, (h) ensuring high energy efficiency, (i) facilitating easy and low cost maintenance ities and machine designs 9. Govt. should promote setting up of modern tool rooms and fabrication centers in the country to facilitate equipment designers to develop & fabricate machinery 10. Large volume equipments made by European machinery manufacturers dominate the global market but there is a huge scope for low cost and small/medium volume equipment which needs to be tapped

by Indian equipment manufacturers Design of Dairy Equipment for Export Design of equipment for dairy processing involves consideration of parameters often different from other food processing industries. Interaction of food products with equipment materials/surfaces is a critical factor.

Equipment designers must be fully conversant with the product and its process needs and carefully match the requirements. Among the important factors are

product density, corrosive properties, viscosity, flow velocities, temperature, pressure, state and characteristics of pH, soluble solids, fat content, vulnerability to oxidation, veterinary residues, contamination etc.

Hygienic designing is very important so that the equipment protects the product and processing from all external contamination, microbial ingress/development, spoilage, material reaction, adsorption, lubricant contact, friction effects, leakages, aeration etc. Several international standards have been evolved in order to achieve these features. Such standards require, (a) food contact surfaces should be inert to food under all conditions of use, (b) surfaces must be smooth and not allow tiny food particles and bacteria to get deposited in the microscopic spaces, (c) even internal surfaces should be visible for inspection,

(j) provide measures for operational safety The Carry Forward Production and Export data for dairy machinery shows a growing trend of dairy equipment exports from India which is a good sign as illustrated in Table 2 above.

There is a vast export potential of dairy equipment to a number of countries such Nepal, Indonesia, Malaysia, The Middle East, Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Iran, North Yemen, Vietnam, Russia, Turkey, Mexico etc.

At the present the total export of dairy machinery from India is approximately Rs. 200 crore which is very little. Many developed countries including US and Canada are also focusing on large Indian dairy equipment manufacturers for meeting their equipment needs at reasonable cost. Such opportunities should be tapped soon.

Crucial steps and synergies have to be adopted by the Industry, Research Institutions, Technology Partners and Materials Innovation to achieve these goals.

The Govt. has a big role to play in this export transformation by way of policy intervention and providing necessary financial, taxation and infrastructure support.

We visualize a huge growth in the dairy machinery manufacturing sector in the near future.

This will be a big contributor to India’s aspirations of being self-reliant and establishing our global presence in the dairy sector as a whole.

Source : Department of Animal husbandry & Dairying, GOI

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53

T

he Sharmas in Delhi, like crores of other worried citizens, made several changes to their lifestyles to protect themselves as the Covid-19 pandemic spread across the country during the early part of the year.

Among other things, the Sharmas switched over to purchasing packed and branded paneer (cottage cheese), which they traditionally bought from neighbourhood outlets, for fear of hygiene issues as the virus raged. A key source of protein for a large section of the vegetarian population, particularly in North India, paneer is among dairy products that are sold at corner stores and even by vegetable vendors in residential areas across cities and towns in the North.

Say cheese, says the organised dairy sector By - Rutam Vora and Vishwanath Kulkarni

Covid has brought about a shift in the buying pattern and many dairy players acknowledge food safety has fuelled a growing trend in consumer preference towards packaged and branded produce.

This trend is seen auguring well for dairy players who are already into value added products. Also, this is expected to provide a push to the organised segment in the dairy sector.

milk, pasteurised packed milk are safe visa-vis the loose milk supplied by vendors.

Dairy cooperatives need to have some strategies to capitalise on this shift in consumer preference. We will see the organised sector growing and the organised sector achieving 50 per cent share in total milk production is not a distant future,” states Dilip Rath, Chairman, National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).

Indian is the largest producer of milk in the world but its dairy sector is still dominated by unorganised players.

“Post Covid time is positive for food sector, especially for the packed, trustworthy and affordable brands,” says R S Sodhi, Managing Director of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which owns the brand Amul.

Over the past five months since Covid-19 struck, Amul saw its business of branded consumer products of butter, ghee, cheese and paneer doubling over last year. Sodhi looks at achieving 15-20 per cent growth in consumer dairy products, driven by demand from household segments for Amul products.

According to industry estimates, about 48 per cent of the milk produced in the country is either consumed at the producer level or sold to non-producers in rural areas. The balance 52 per cent of the milk is marketable surplus sold mainly to consumers in urban areas.

The 2018-19 data suggests that of the total 3,210 lakh kg per day of milk production in the country, only 1,080 lakh kg per day comes from the organised sector, which is about 34 per cent, as against 2,130 lakh kg from the unorganised sector. In the organised space, cooperative and private dairies have almost equal share.

Shift in consumer preference “Covid has been a blessing in disguise for us. Consumers have realised that packed

Like Amul, other large co-operatives like the Karnataka Milk Marketing Co-operative Federation (KMF), which sells products under the Nandini brand, have seen an uptake in value added products.

Private dairy brands have also experienced a sharp surge in home consumption of dairy products.

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Home food made better Says Devendra Shah, Chairman, Parag Milk Foods, which markets its dairy products under Gowardhan and Go brands, “Home consumption has gone up as against out-of-home consumption.

Staying indoors and trying their hand at different varieties, people have realised the benefits of branded and trusted packaged products.

Cheese recipes are gaining popularity and people are purchasing different varieties of cheese for home consumption.”

“Over the past six-seven months, people are constantly eating home food and have realised that home food, prepared with branded packaged products, is healthier and richer in nutrition value, therefore, we see the trend continuing, going forward,” Shah says.

Hence, the revenue mix for dairy products is also changing, with the consumer segment eating into HoReCa (hotel/ restaurant/cafe) revenues, which was 45 per cent and consumer segment was 50 per cent for Parag. But now it sees the consumer segment hitting 70-75 per cent share in revenues. driven by cheese and other branded products.

This is prompting dairies to innovate with products suitable for home consumption.

Parag, for instance, introduced special cheese category for pizza preparations and a single-origin cow ghee was launched under the brand “Pride of Cows”.

Rahul Kumar, CEO of Lactalis India, says food safety and nutrition has been a key area for consumers, who were seen showing preference for packaged dairy products such as paneer and milk, among others.

To make packaged milk available for a large section of people, Lactalis India has launched a 65-ml pouch priced at ₹5 in Mumbai. “As the lockdown has hit people’s earnings and job losses have hurt purchasing power, we have introduced smaller packs to make it more affordable,” says Kumar.

54 Typically, modern trade generated 15-20 per cent of the total business, in some cities even 50 per cent. But Covid-19 has changed this with an increase in online trade through e-commerce platforms, which are buying directly from the companies. In the post-Covid scenario, Sodhi says, general trade and e-commerce have gained at the cost of modern trade.

NDDB Chairman Rath says, “Covid-19 and lockdown are temporary — once in a century — aberrations. The modern format of retailing through e-commerce and e-retailers will define the shift in distribution of milk products to consumers. It is more based on hygiene, avoiding handling by various people and instilling confidence in consumers regarding the products they purchase. E-commerce will help the cooperative and dairy industry in general.”

Revenues from packaged branded dairy products have also shown an uptick.

Amul sees its branded packaged products getting more value than its branded liquid milk, even as milk has bigger volumes than value-added products. This indicates that weightage of packaged branded products is growing in the dairy player’s balance-sheet, prompting dairy players to innovate with more such products for consumers.

For example, during the three months of lockdown, Amul introduced 33 new products, including immunity boosting haldi milk, haldi ice cream and tulsi milk, among others. “Usually it takes about three months to finalise and launch a product but, sensing the potential, Amul took just 30 days to bring these branded consumer milk products to market.”

Shift in distribution too Apart from a shift in consumer preference for products, there is also a shift in distribution pattern for retailing of these products. Thanks to Covid, there is a revival in the general trade and push for e-commerce at the cost of bulk and modern trade (through malls).

In a clear indication of trends, value added milk products are set to be the engines for growth, where investments are seen rising.

The Banas Dairy (Banaskantha District Milk Cooperative Union Ltd), one of the largest milk producers’ union in Gujarat, believes that Covid-19 has unlocked multiple avenues for the dairy sector on the packaged consumer products front.

Says the Chairman of the Union, Shankar Chaudhary, “Volumes for consumer packs will improve and only those brands that are committed to quality standards will get wider acceptability.”

Chaudhary further says that dairy players who have a wider product basket with more products will be able to penetrate more into the market.

“The consumer taste and preference is also changing from dahi and shrikhand earlier to yogurt and cheese.

Earlier there was only liquid milk available for consumers, now multiple varieties of liquid milk with

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different flavours is a new concept,” he says, adding that new investment avenues are being explored for untapped segments such as Indian sweets and cheese. India’s milk production has been growing at a compounded annual growth rate of 4.5 per cent over the last 20 years, more than twice the global growth rate. The Centre has set its focus on doubling milk processing capacities to 108 million tons by 2025 from the current 53.5 million tons, fuelling investments in the infrastructure development.

But Covid-19 has opened new avenues in terms of packaged branded dairy products for the household consumer groups. This has led dairies to prioritise their investments in product innovation, and market development, including tapping the e-commerce platforms.

“Though India is the largest milk producer in the world, it has tremendous scope to include farmers from the unorganised sector in organised co-operatives. In fact, a survey of milk federations across the country during Covid reveals that non-member farmers had started to offer their milk to the co-operatives that could absorb all the milk due to their processing capacities.

In some federations there is an increase in membership. Some co-operatives, due to their retail presence, have been able to expand and capture market,” says Harekrishna Misra, Chair Professor, Verghese Kurien Centre of Excellence, Institute of Rural Management, Anand.

The share of organised sector is bound to go up and the government should take note of it and pump in the promised investment from the Rs.15,000 crore infra fund, which should give a further fillip to t h e sector, says Misra.

55

The Science and Art of Dairy Farming: the Godrej Maxximilk Way

By Godrej Maxximilk Team

T

his Ganesh Chaturthi, the Godrej Maxximilk Farm located at Nashik in Maharashtra, produced 7500 kg of milk a day. The average yield for the farm that day stood at 22.6 kg/cow/day.

There could not have been a better day to reach the milestone! And ever since, till the end of September, we have touched 8000 kg in a single day and 23 kg/cow/ day of yield. This is just a snapshot of the recent successes of a journey that has just begun and is all set to achieve bigger landmarks.

Indian dairy sector, however, has had its own problems lately. Milk prices in Maharashtra, for instance, on an average have been lingering below Rs. 23/liter for the most part of 2020. This has not been sufficient to even cover the cost of production.

Though the pandemic has certainly made things worse, such long spells of low returns are not unusual for the sector. In November 2021, we will celebrate the birth centenary of Dr. Kurien and year 2022 would be the deadline set by the Prime Minister of India for his ambition of doubling farmers’ income. This is probably just the timely wake-up call the sector needed.

As such, Indian dairy sector has come a long way in last few decades. India has been world’s biggest milk producer for many years now. Also, in a protein deficit country, the sector’s contribution has been immense in improving the per capita availability of milk. According to National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) data, per capita availability of milk grew from 225 g/day to 394 g/day between 2001-02 and 2018-19. Besides, the role dairy co-operatives have played in improving the livelihood of the farmers has been phenomenal.

Co-operatives have built infrastructure and reached to the doorstep of farmers for collecting milk. Amidst of all these success stories, however, what remained unaddressed, is the productivity of the

cattle. The average per lactation yield (for 305 days) in India is still less than 2000 kg per cow. For the United States, the average yield per cow is more than 10000 kg while the corresponding number for Israel is more than 12000 kg per cow. Therefore, despite the progress the sector has seen, through decades of breed improvement programmes, which have focused largely on artificial insemination, only a limited success has been achieved.

It is important to acknowledge the role organizations such as Bhartiya Agro Industries Foundation (BAIF) have played in introducing and implementing breed improvement programme which has made sure that average per cow lactation yield has reached around 1700 kg which was less than 1300 kg till as recent as 2009-10 (Source: Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question 737 Dated 22.11.2019). Lower yield means higher cost of production eventually translating into lower profits for the

farmers. This is where the learnings from the journey of the Godrej Maxximilk farm show the way ahead.

Genetic improvement does the trick Typically, genetics account for only two percent of a farm’s total expenses but is the most critical factor in a farm’s profitability. In January 2018, during the initial days of the Godrej Maxximilk farm, the average yield per animal was meagerly 10.15 kg/day which improved to more than 23 kg/day by September 2020. Usually breed improvement is a slow process and may take more than 4 generations

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or 12 years to make significant progress through artificial insemination.

At the Godrej Maxximilk farm, we used Embryo Transfer Technology (ETT) to expedite the process. Little less than three years later, the benefits of the progress are evident from the fact that the yield has more than doubled and is still growing.

The complete picture is even better seen from the comparison of different groups of animals in the farms. The lowest yielding milking group, largely comprising of low yielding animals bought from outside, on September 16, 2020 produced average of 13.6 kg /day per cow while the highest yielding group, which has high yielding animals bought from outside as well as reared at our farm, had an average of 27 kg/day per cow on the same day.

The feed cost for the lowest yielding and highest yielding groups on the same day stood at Rs. 27.2 per liter and Rs 14.3 per liter respectively (Pic 1).

Pic 1 Comparison of High and Low Yielding Groups in the Godrej Maxximilk Farm

Holistic approach is the key to exploiting the potential Everything under the Sun, or shed in this case, counts. The Godrej Maxximilk Farm has been designed by one of the most renowned architects of livestock farms in Asia. The cows are placed in well ventilated sheds designed for their comfort where they are free to move with round the clock availability of feed and water.

The fodder and the feed are regularly tested and the formulation is done according to the life stage and the lactation stage of the cows. Trained veterinarians take

56 and sustainable dairy farming is going to be the ability to produce more milk from less number of cows.

care of their health and reproduction. And milking is done at state of the art parlors.

How do the cows pay us back? They give more, or rather, much more milk! This is evident from a number of cows we purchased which have produced significantly higher quantities in our farm than they were doing before we bought them.

For instance, cow No. 763 was brought to our farm just before her first lactation.

She yielded a maximum of 45 kg/day in the first lactation. Being at our farm has done wonders to her performance. In her second lactation now, she has already touched 60 kg on just 36th day (Pic 2).

Track to improve At Godrej Maxximilk farm, we track and keep record of almost everything that matters. Some of the things that we track and record at our farm are pedigree of the calves born at the farm, milk yield on daily and lactation basis, health, medication and vaccination history of all animals and heat detection for all cows and heifers.

This helps us in making timely amends whenever needed.

Pic 2 Milk yield for Cow No. 763 in 1st and 2nd lactations More from less is sustainable Going ahead the demand for milk will be driven mainly by two factors – the growing demand for value added products and the potentially higher per capita consumption. Besides, evolving food safety regime and growing awareness among people is likely to push the demand for quality traceable milk. If we combine these factors with the growing stress on land, water and other resources, it becomes potentially clear that the key to profitable

For achieving this, there is also need for entrepreneurs who can be the drivers of change and build and exploit high yielding herds with impeccable management. Godrej Maxximilk farm has shown the way. ”Dairy farming is a multidisciplinary professional business.

At our farm, we have been able to display that dairy farming can be profitable through a scientific approach, implementing cutting edge technologies and proper management practices. Dairy farming presents many challenges alongside plenty of incredible joyful and satisfying moments”. says Dr Saar Yavin, the Executive Director & Chief Operating Officer of Godrej Maxximilk Private Limited.

Dr. Jashbhai B. Prajapati retires as a Principal of SMC College of Dairy Science, Anand

D

r. Jashbhai B. Prajapati has retires as a Principal of SMC College of Dairy Science, Anand on 31st October 2020 by serving 40 years of experience in teaching and research.

Earlier he has done his B.Sc. (Dairy Technology) & M.Sc. (Dairying) in Dairy Microbiology from Gujarat Agricultural University, Anand & Ph. D. (Dairying) in Dairy Microbiology from National Dairy Research Institute (Deemed University), Karnal.

He was a Principal & Dean, Faculty of Dairy Science, Anand Agricultural University, Anand since 1st March 2015. His major role at all levels involved teaching, research and extension education as per the mandate of the university. He has also involved in administration of the

department, college and national and international collaborations for academic activities.

He was responsible for administration and management of the Department of Dairy Microbiology for 15 years and the Faculty of Dairy Science as Dean for 5 years. His main duties included routine administration, human resource management, training, financial management and implementation of academic programs.

He was involved in policy making decisions as member of several top level committees of the university.

He was working as Chairman and Board member of Vidya Dairy since last 5 years.

He was responsible for making all policy decisions.

He is also founder and coordinator of a scientific network called as SASNET-Fermented Foods since 2003. He help the members to promote collaborative research, training, educational program and organization of scientific events. He has experience of organizing several na-

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tional and international conferences and has served as resource person in several events. He was achieved many awards & achievements like Hari Ohm Ashram Award, Hari Ohm Ashram sponsored Prof. JP Trivedi award, Fellow of National Academy of Dairy Science, IDA Fellowship Award, The Gujarat Association for Agricultural Sciences (GAAS) conferred Prof. J. P. Trivedi Award, Indian National Science Academy’s Visiting Fellowship award, Best poster award 26 times and Best paper award 6 times, Senior Fellowship of Indian Council of Agriculture Research award, Chancellor’s Gold Medal award, I.C.A.R. Scholarship award, etc.

He was published total 501 publications including many books & articles.

We also look forward for his wider & useful role at national & international level in the field of research, education & planning in the dairy industry.

We wish him very healthy & beautiful retired life.

57

E- Gopala App

(E – Generation Of Productive Livestock) For Farmers

A

comprehensive breed improvement marketplace and information portal for direct use of farmers in the form of the E-GOPALA app (Generation of wealth through Productive Livestock) has been launched by Hon’ble PM on 10th September 2020. E- Gopala app the digital platform is helping farmers in managing livestock including buying and selling of disease free germplasm in all forms (semen, embryos, etc); availability of quality breeding services (Artificial Insemination, veterinary first aid, vaccination, treatment etc) and guiding farmers for animal nutrition, treatment of animals using appropriate ayurvedic medicine/ ethno veterinary medicine. The app is also sending alert to farmers (on due date for vaccination, pregnancy diagnosis, calving etc) and informing farmers about various government schemes and campaign in the area. Details of the components of the app are as under: 1. Pashu Bazar: • The E-GOPALA App links institutions such as Central Cattle Breeding Farms, State Breeding Farms, Central Herd Registration Units and private breeders with farmers to provide information on availability of disease free live animals of indigenous breeds. This has been promoting sale and purchase of disease free live animals with reliable information on productivity as purchaser can verify complete record of animal from Information Network for Animal Health and Productivity (INAPH) portal. There is no involvement of middlemen in sale and purchase of the animals • The app link farmers and AI technicians and semen stations (recognized

by Government of India) for sale and purchase of semen doses of high genetic merit bulls. From the app farmers can place order of semen doses of particular bull to AI technicians and AI technicians can place order to semen stations maintaining the bulls selected by farmers and semen stations supply semen doses to AI technicians for AI of the animals maintained by farmers. At present farmers are dependent on the semen doses supplied

by Department of Animal Husbandry to AI technicians and farmers having no choice for selection of bulls.

• The app enables sale and purchase of embryos of elite animals of indigenous breeds. Through App farmers can contact IVF lab/service provider for transfer of selected embryos in surrogate mothers.

This will enhance productivity in an exponential manner and lead to propagation of indigenous breeds.

• AI technicians: From the App farmers can contact his nearest AI technicians for artificial insemination services, veterinary first aid, vaccination etc.

• Veterinarian: From App farmers can contact his nearest veterinarian for treatment, participation in government schemes, etc • Semen Stations: From app farmers can get information on semen stations, breed-wise bulls maintained, productivity potential of bulls, can select bull of his choice, availability semen doses of bulls of his choice, grading of semen station etc • Semen stations producing sex sorted semen: From app farmers can get information on semen stations producing sex sorted semen, availability of sex sorted semen, productivity of bulls used in sex sorted semen production.

• IVF labs: From App farmers can get information on IVF lab/ IVF Service Providers, availability of IVF embryos along with their standards and specifications • CCBF: From the App farmers can get information of CCBF, availability of heifers, • CHRS: App links farmers with CHRS and farmers can get information on indigenous breed registered, productivity potential and disease free animals available for sale in area of operation of CHRS 2. Pashu Poshan • Pashu Poshan: Though this component farmer can them-

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selves prepare the cost effective balanced ration for their own animals based on the local feed resources available in his/her area. This utility has been helping farmers to reduce cost of feeding which contributions 70% of the total animal maintenance cost.

3. Ayurvedic Veterinary Medicine (AVM) • Ayurvedic Veterinary Medicine (AVM): Farmers often need to pay considerably higher amount for treatment of their animals using allopathic medicine.

The use of Ayurvedic Veterinary Medicine to treat some common diseases using locally available resources would considerably reduce the cost of treatment.

Further, through AVM, incriminate use of anti-biotics can be avoided which will contribute in reducing the Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR). This component has been spreading knowledge of AVM amoung large number of farmers.

4. My INAPH: • My INAPH This component of the app is being useful for the farmers whose animals are registered in INAPH system (National Digital Database of Livestock).

The farmer can fetch details of his/her animals on this app and follow for breeding, treatment etc. The contact details of service provider available in their area can be easily checked and followed for required action on his animal.

5. Alert • Alert: This component gives alert to the farmers about the due date of calving of its pregnant animal, next heat cycle date of his animal etc. The utility helps farmers in reminding him/ her in taking necessary action required related to his livestock.

6. Events • Events: This component of the app inform the farmer about the vaccination camps, Infertility camps, training programs etc. being organised in his/her areas so that he/she can take benefit by participating in such programmes.

58 our operations smoothly. Anticipating disruption, we started stocking up products in our 77 warehouses, transporting much more than what we normally would.

At the head office, we split the team into two, working in two sets.

On March 24, when the PM announced a lockdown, panic spread. I was able to pick up only 200 gm of butter and milk.

I realised that if I am panicking then everyone else would be too. The first thing I did was communicate to the consumer and the farmer. My two-minute video, recorded on my handset, was basically to reassure them. Communication with all our major stakeholders - farmers, transporters, dealers, retailers, consumers, employees -was very critical.

Dr. R.S Sodhi, MD, Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation

Our motive is to buy as costly as possible and sell as cheap as possible

T

he Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), popularly known as Amul, is a farmer cooperative outfit that took roots in 1946, just before Independence. It was famously and successfully led by Verghese Kurien, as part of White Revolution. Now Amul is the country’s largest food product marketing outfit, with Rs 52,000 crore in revenue.

The brand, amid stiff competition, has endured over the years. It has only consolidated its position amid the pandemic.

GCMMF’s MD RS Sodhi speaks to Malini Goyal about steering the company amid Covid-19 and lockdown, and how a cooperative like Amul thinks differently from private companies.

Edited excerpts: We are living through an unprecedented crisis. How difficult has it been for you and Amul?

The lockdown was not 100% unprecedented for us as an organisation. Not many would remember, during the late 1980s and the early 1990s, there were curfews for months in Ahmedabad as it was witnessing many riots. Lockdowns were frequent.

People were afraid to come out of their

houses. Even at that time, we worked without disruption. This time the quantum and intensity were different. Then the lockdown was only in parts of Ahmedabad and we had no technology, phone or internet.

Were you prepared for a lockdown?

The lockdown did not come all of a sudden. It was expected. We knew what was happening in China. In fact, we started preparing almost 10 days before the lockdown. We are in a critical business.

Besides being an essential product, milk is also a very dependable source of livelihood for over 100 million people. They are mostly marginal farmers and poor women.

Even as we did face-to-face video calls with all our staff to align everyone, we also announced a hike in incentives for everyone - up to 40-50% of salaries. We also increased our margin distribution.

We doubled our communication with consumers, ramping up our advertisements.

What has this pandemic taught you?

That food is the most important thing.

That there are advantages of being a multi-product, multi-location, multi-channel company.

With 84 plants, when things were difficult in Mumbai where our four-five plants got affected, other plants worked overtime.

Being a multi-product company, while ice cream as a product was almost finished, paneer consumption went up. Presence in multiple channels, too, had its advantages. While the commercial and modern format segments were down, other segments like residential went up sharply.

While outof-home consumption was hit, home consumption rose.

And unlike, say, wheat, it is a daily crop that needs to be harvested twice daily.

I remember, on March 17, we looked at different aspects of our operations like precautions, social distancing, sanitisation, invoicing and warehousing and figured how to have a robust IT backbone to carry out

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Pan-

59 We have also set up three-four bakery plants. But our business focus will always be dairy.

How do you calibrate your product portfolio and what role do margins play in shaping your thrust on segments?

You can’t change your product portfolio simply because of margins. We can’t focus more on cheese because it has better margins. Our priority is to first provide fresh milk. Also, remember, that in cheese while margins are more, expenses also are higher. In milk, the scope for scale is more.

demic has hit many businesses. How has Amul fared?

There are many things we realised during the pandemic. That people will buy more and more branded products. We also realised the importance of relationships with our customers. Our bonding strengthened. During Covid, food consumption hasn’t gone down. In fact, it has increased. While it was challenging, we made sure we faced no disruption in production, supply and transport. In Gujarat, we started getting 17-18% more milk during lockdown.

Overall, we would have got 40-50 lakh litre more milk during the period. In 100120 days we have given Rs 18,000 crore extra cash to our farmers for extra milk we procured.

How differently does a cooperative operate from a private firm?

As a cooperative, small people like farmers have come together to pool their resources, do processing and marketing.

The big difference here that our suppliers are also our owners. For any private company the motive is to buy as cheap as possible and sell as expensive.

Our motive is just the opposite - buy as costly as possible and sell as cheap. We develop our market based on the quantum of raw material we get. We have to sell the product at such a price that all products get sold and at the end of the day there is a minimum difference between buying and selling price.

Private companies will always want to maximise that difference. So as a philosophy, our mission is to have minimum

EBIDTA and keep all stakeholders happy.

Give more to earn more.

Over the years, we have worked hard to establish that equilibrium and earn our customers’ faith. And we will never shortchange our customers.

How has Amul thrived amid so much competition, including from MNCs? We are India’s largest FMCG company with Rs 52,000 crore in revenues. We are targeting Rs 1 lakh crore by 2024-25.

Over the years, technology has changed, competitors have changed.

What hasn’t changed is our DNA, our culture and our objectives. That is our religion; that won’t change. We are a very successful, contemporary and relevant Indian brand. India will always remain the main focus market for us.

India is today the world’s largest and fastest growing market for milk and the largest milk producing market. So why focus on any other market?

We have been growing at a stable 15% annually. We have recently begun to look at edible oil business.

One Gujarat cooperative was shutting down and the state government wanted us to help restart the plant.

That belt is rich in groundnut and sunflower.

We are learning the oil business. It’s a learning phase.

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The Amul girl has endured for decades.

She has often taken on controversial topics too. For the campaign, we just sign the bill. That is the only role we play. For the last 40-50 years it has been around, we have given full creative freedom to the agency. She is someone who does not spare anyone or fear anyone.

Actually, our advertising spend is small just 0.8% of our revenues. The Amul girl campaign could be just 4-5% of our total ad spend. But its unique creative gives us a lot of visibility. Many times, PR agencies told us to get celebrities etc. But for us this is working.

She (Amul girl) represents the mood of the nation. What is the nation thinking?

Over so many years, she has always spoken the truth.

We are a long-term brand. You can’t measure performance on a quarter-on-quarter basis and have knee-jerk reactions. As an organisation, we have consistency in everything, including manpower. For many of our employees, some here for 20-30 years, this is their first job.

Interview with Mr. Atul Chaturvedi by Dr. J.V. Parekh on 17th September, 2020 Mr. Atul Chaturvedi Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying

1. On 10 September, 2020 our prime minister has launched E-Gopala App for the dairy farmers. How it will help to the dairy farmers for animal feed, vaccination, disease control, Ayurvedic treatment, etc.

There are three important pillars of E-Gopala app i. e. Breed improvement, Feed & fodder availability, Disease free animals.

E-Gopala app will provide 3600 information to the dairy farmers. This will also connected to the Pashu Aadhar which will give the history of the animals & the information on Ayurvedic treatment. This will also help to connect Pashu bazaar for marketing of the animals.

2. How E-Gopala app will be implemented.

The E- Gopala provided information at the door step to the farmers through dairy co-operatives & federations. This will be implemented through Kisan Suvidha Portal & through Self Help Group.

3. Animal husbandry has got Rs. 15000 cr. for the upliftment of the dairy industry. How we are going to increase productivity of our animals from 1861 kg per year to 3000 kg per year per animal.

In September 2019, our Honourable Prime Minister launched the national animal disease control programme from Mathura. This programme has two major aspects: (i) vaccinating 537 million animals of five species for disease like Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) twice a year; and (ii) tagging each and every animal with a unique ID number. This tag or Pashu Aadhaar contains a unique number on the body of animal which can be read in the form of barcode.

There is a need to increase the reach of artificial insemination across the country.

Presently, artificial insemination coverage is 30 percent countrywide and our target is to reach 100 percent of the cattle population which can breed by the end of five years. This particular service is being

100 percent funded by the central government. There are a lot of other thing on a technology concern like using genomics which is helpful in increasing the productivity in terms of breed improvement & other related aspects. This programme propose to enhance milk productivity from the present level of 1861 kg per animal per year to 3000 kg per animal per year by 2024-2025.

The target is to cover over 604 districts which have coverage of less than 50 percent in terms of Artificial Insemination.

Sex-sorted semen technology is one of the breed improvement efforts in cattle and buffalo so that farmers get productive animals. This technology can produce only female calves with more than 90% accuracy by using sexed semen. By producing a greater number of high genetic merit heifers, we are not only ensuring increased milk production but also fast-tracking profitability of dairy farmers.

The other benefit would also accrue to farmers by using sexed semen in IVF technology for faster genetic improvement in cattle population. IVF technology, using sexed semen of high-grade merit bull, will cut short the 21 years period of seven generations for producing desired productivity animals to three years in one generation. The sexed semen technology is going to be a game changer in breed improvement efforts of India.

4. How we are going to double the processing capacity in next 5 years.

Under the national programme of dairy development we are going to increase chilling capacity for the co-operative dairies which is very less in the organised sectors. Under the dairy infrastructure development fund government sanction Rs. 10000 Cr fund where dairy co-operatives will get interest subvention 2.5%.

Under Atmanirbhar Bharat animal husbandry infrastructure development fund of Rs. 50000 Cr. private as well as MSME sector will get interest subvention 3% for the establishment of dairy processing & value added dairy products infrastructure.

There will be also investment opportunities at the district levels to invest for milk processing & value added dairy products.

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The return on investment could be five and half years.

5. How do you see the five key investment opportunities in the dairy sector.

Five key investment opportunities in the dairy sector are Production and supply of affordable compound cattle feed, Enhancing chilling infrastructure by setting up new BMCs, Setting up processing infrastructure, Enhancing processed milk distribution capacity, Enhancement of direct to consumer milk supply across top consumption hubs.

6. NDDB is working for the co-operative sectors only. Do you think NDDB should also help the private sector for the overall growth of the dairy industry The Mandate of NDDB by the act of parliament is for the co-operative dairy development. We have to study how the mandate of NDDB can be expanded to cover the private dairy sector.

7. How to dispose economically 2 Lac MT of SMP. As I understand from the dairy industry demand for SMP will go up. Government has started scheme in the May month for the co-operative dairy to provide interest subvention of 2% on working capital requirements. If co-operative dairy return money before time they will get additional interest subvention of 2%. The total interest subvention will be approximately 4%. There will be an increasing demand of milk & milk products through the state & central government Nutritional programme such as women & child development scheme. There will be off take of milk & milk products by the corporate sector which will push demand.

8. When country will free from foot & mouth disease.

The target is to reduce in 5 years time. We are trying to push up through Pashu Aadhar portal vaccination programme. Now vaccine is limited in our country. We have to vaccinate 453 million animals which will require approximately 107 Cr. dosage. We are planning to produce quality vaccine under the vaccination program which will have life of 12 months instead of 6 months & may not required cold storage facility.

Dairy has been one of the retail bright spots during pandemic Dairy has been a bright spot during the turmoil created by COVID-19, and the Miller’s at Miller Dairy in Hutchinson, Kan., say they are grateful.

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ven in the midst of the COVID pandemic, there’s finally encouraging news for the dairy industry. Dairy volume growth is showing a turnaround with dairy sales increasing in many of its food categories.

“One thing the pandemic did do… it helped people realize where their food is coming from, when people want to buy milk from the farm and get their food because they were worried that stores wouldn’t have it. In April, milk prices dropped at an unprecedented rate and then in May they rebounded and cheese volume growth was higher than it’s ever been before,” said Orville Miller, who runs Miller Dairy in Hutchinson, Kan., with his wife Mary Jane and their family.

“People finally realized that milk doesn’t just show up on grocery shelves and it takes a lot just to get it there.”

A lot indeed. Mary Jane wakes up every day at 1:30 in the morning to begin milking the 170 cows. Orville handles the other farm chores.

“Mary Jane loves that time of morning.

She feels it’s her time with God and the cows,” Orville said.

“People finally realized that milk doesn’t just show up on grocery shelves, and it takes a lot just to get it there.”

The latest news as of July 26, 2020, shows the following dairy sales growth since this time last year, and also the dramatic increase during the peak COVID period March 9 to July 26: • Refrigerated milk (RFG) and shelf stable milk is up 3.7% compared to a year ago, but during the peak COVID period (March 9-July 26) sales were up 8.1%.

• Natural (and processed) cheese volume growth is up 16% from last year, but during the COVID peak sales were up 24.6% from a year ago.

• Ice cream and sherbet increased: 10% from last year, but during COVID sales increased 15.2% from a year ago.

• Butter (and butter blends) sales volume jumped 31%, but during COVID sales

shot up 45.3% from a year ago.

• Cream saw a big jump of 22%, but during COVID sales increased 32.3%.

• Sour cream had a 17% increase, with sales up 26.1% during COVID compared to 2019.

• Cottage cheese rose 4.4% since last year, then doubled to 8.9% sales volume during the pandemic.

• Half and half increased 8.7%, then during COVID sales were up 13.4%.

• Yogurt had a modest increase of 3.5%, with sales rising 5.4% during COVID compared to a year ago.

“At the retail level, it’s been one of the bright spots for a difficult year. It shows the importance of the product for the consumers. It shows increased dairy consumption at home, and that people are using dairy more for their own meals, and hopefully this will be something that lasts,” said Alan Bjerga, senior vice president of communications for the National Milk Producers Federation based in Arlington, Va. Dairy Management Inc. said that “2020 will be firmly cemented as an unprecedented roller coaster for the dairy industry.” The outlook for U.S. average milk prices for all of 2020 continues to rise and is approaching 2019’s average of $18.60 per cwt., not including the substantial Coronavirus Food Assistance Program payments for which all dairy operations are eligible this year.

THE DAIRY LIFE Through this whole pandemic, daily life hasn’t changed much at the Miller’s dairy farm. Miller said they milk cows and ship the milk the same way they always have.

“We do chores all the time. We love what we do,” he said. The Millers also farm 1,200 acres for grain and silage, including corn, alfalfa, grain sorghum and forage sorghum, and cash crops of wheat and soybeans.

“In winter, every acre is planted to cover crops, alfalfa,or wheat,” said Miller, who is on the Midwest Dairy Milk Promotion and Checkoff Board. He was also ap-

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pointed by the U.S. Agriculture Secretary to be on the National Dairy and Research Board.

“It’s an appointment for USDA, I’m a farmer voice for checkoff dollars. For every 100 pounds of milk sold, there’s 15 cent checkoff. A dime stays local, and a nickel goes to the national program for dairy promotion and it automatically comes out of the price of our milk. It’s an investment by dairy farms to promote milk sales,” he said.

Dairy sales, Bjerga said, “radically turned around in mid-late March,” but this is an even bigger increase.”

The two weeks ending March 22 saw the largest increase in sales. The huge increase in demand for dairy as well as other food products is attributed to customers response to the coronavirus outbreak.

“The outbreak forced most people back into their homes for meals as they pivoted to the situation of working and schooling from home,” said Madlyn Daley, senior vice president, market & consumer insights for Dairy Management. “Dairy products saw a tremendous surge in online buying during the pandemic. With more meals eaten in-home, some consumers were also panicked at the possibility of food and non-food shortages and loaded their shopping carts. The growth online came from new customers to online shopping as well as those who previously purchased.”

In-restaurant dining was also curtailed which also fueled additional meals at home.

Retail sales were down before, but then when COVID hit, there’s been a continuation of fluid milk consumption.

“Retail sales skyrocketed, because people started clearing shelves of milk. We’ve seen this trend, because people are learning to cook more things,” said Bjerga, adding, “It’s a good trend for dairy.”

Many link the recent increase in dairy

62 sales volume to people choosing milk products to make more “comfort foods.”

“Dairy is key to the comforting meals that keeps my family and me well-fed and resilient. During this time where families are supporting each other at home with meals and more time together, there is something so comforting about the nutrition and goodness dairy provides,” said Samantha Carter, manager, marketing communications for Midwest Dairy.

It’s a welcome turnaround, after May and June saw both highs and lows in the coronavirus-impacted roller coaster in the dairy industry in the second quarter of 2020.

Dairy Management in its dairy market report produced in partnership with the NMPF, stated that with exports and prices rising, the highs held momentum heading

into the year’s third quarter, and began raising hopes that spring’s severe disruptions were effectively offset by producer production cutbacks and federal government assistance.

The USDA-reported U.S. average allmilk price reached an almost 11-year low in May, while the daily price of 40# block cheese on the CME cash market reached a record high in June — a record topped in July. Sharp reductions in milk and milk solids production, major government purchases of dairy products for food assistance programs, increased retail sales of dairy products, and a temporary spike in food service restocking purchases rapidly flipped a switch from severe oversupply to substantial market tightness within a span of weeks, dramatically raising milk and dairy product prices.

Among the most noteworthy, DMI reported was an $8.90 per cwt. jump in the federal order Class III price from May to June. The previous largest one-month Class III price increase was $5.17 per cwt. in April 2004. Trade also has experienced rising momentum.

Then, U.S. dairy exports in May represented 17.7% of the nation’s milk solids production, the largest ever for the month of May, DMI stated in its report.

“There were 2,100 dairy farms in Kansas in 1983 when we started, now there are 270 dairy farms in Kansas. We think by doing a really good job, taking care of your animals, you can stay in business,” Miller said. “Dairy sales have been surprising to me; they keep climbing. The cows are kind of No. 1, for us. If we take care of them they’ll take care of us.”

U.S. Dairy Consumption at a 60-Year High

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n spite of increased dairy consumption, the number of dairy farms in the state continues to fall. At the start of September, that number was 7,026 dairies, down 266 since the beginning of this year. But those losses are slowing.

Last year we lost 818 dairies, the single biggest year ever for dairy farm losses in Wisconsin. The most dairy farms ever in the state was back in 1930 when we had 167,000 family dairy farms.

garding the second Coronavirus Food Assistance Program the Secretary said he has made 49 more specialty crops eligible for the new program and has changed the payment procedures for many commodities.

He said they are taking a sales approach to payments this time around in order to help people who can document their actual sales decreases from 2019 to 2020.

In an effort to ensure better food security, the Food and Drug Administration is proposing some new rules. The FDA proposal would require added recordkeeping beyond current regulations.

American consumers are putting away dairy products at a rate we haven’t seen in 60 years. New numbers show Americans are now consuming 653 pounds of dairy products on a per capita basis. That’s up 50 pounds since 2005 and 114 pounds more than in 1975. Cheese consumption has led the way -growing from just over 14 pounds per person back in ’75 to over 38 pounds last year.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue gave an update on a government farm and food programs earlier this week. Speaking first on the Farmers to Families Food Box Program, the secretary said almost 95 million boxes had been given out as of the first of this week. He also said his best guess is that the program will continue through the end of the year, but no final decision on that timeline has yet been made. Re-

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It would mean companies would have to set-up and maintain better records through the supply chain to make the food trail easier to trace in case of a problem with any foods going through the system from farm to table. Among foods on the list would be leafy greens, fresh cut fruits and vegetables, some types of fish, shell eggs and nut butter.

Not all ag events have been canceled.

This weekend World Beef Expo is happening at State Fair Park in West Allis.

The highlight will be the Supreme Champion Drive on Saturday. Over two-dozen breeds are registered this year.

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Fonterra collaborate with Land O’ Lakes

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onterra has entered a distribution deal with Fortune 500 company Land O’ Lakes to sell its dairy products to hospitality businesses and major fast food chains throughout the United States.

Headquartered in the upper midwest state of Minnesota, Land O’ Lakes, like Fonterra, is a farmer-owned agriculture co-operative that has been operating for nearly 100 years.

Fonterra global director of food service Paul Harvey said the US was the largest and most competitive dairy food service market in the world.

Land O’ Lakes is one of the biggest producers of butter and cheese in the US and had a profit of US$207 million (NZ$309m) on US$14b revenue in 2019.

Under the agreement, which begins on November 1, Land O’ Lakes will sell Fonterra cream cheese and UHT cooking cream to its food service customers.

Harvey said it was hoped the range of Fonterra products Land O’ Lakes sold would expand over time.

The initial agreement is set down for five years with the possibility to expand it beyond that, he said.

Fonterra global director of food service Paul Harvey says the distribution deal will help Fonterra scale up its customer base in the United States.

Fonterra had been in the US food service

market for a number of years but had not been able to achieve scale in the number of businesses it sold to. “By working with Land O’ Lakes, we will have access to a strong, well-established distribution network and their large customer base,” Harvey said.

The cream cheese would be exported from New Zealand in 1 kilogram containers and the cooking cream would be made in the US using US farmers’ milk combined with a closely guarded secret dry ingredient formula Fonterra calls “the black box”.

Fonterra had previously been using a “traditional distribution model” in the US where it approached large food distributors such as Cisco and US Foods to sell its products to customers.

Fonterra had invested significant research and development into the black box product and had intellectual property protections in place around it, he said.

“We would then get them excited because we were a bit different but then we were struggling to convert all the way through that value chain because you need the power of people on the street.”

Land O’ Lakes had the ability to sell products to major US chains and regional chains which Fonterra “can only dream of accessing” on its own, he said.

“It would have been easy to give up on the US. “This enables us to have a new model to create value for our shareholders going forward without some of those challenges and complexities that we have been dealing with in the past six or seven years.”

He would not give names or numbers of the types of businesses Land O’ Lakes would sell to.

The Fonterra products Land O’ Lakes would sell would complement the US coop’s existing portfolio rather than compete with it, he said.

“The black box is the magic.”

The special formula allows chefs to reduce cream in a few minutes, whereas normal cream could take up to 10 minutes.

It was also less likely to curdle when cooking or split when reheated from cold or frozen and had a unique formulation which allowed customers to use less.

Fonterra would be able to export products to the US using tariffs and quotas that were already available to it which it had historically not used, he said.

Harvey said it was difficult to determine what benefit the partnership would bring to Fonterra’s financial performance in 12 months’ time.

There would not be any job losses when the agreement began, he said.

Land O’ Lakes dairy foods vice president sales Greg Somerville said Fonterra’s “high performance” products allowed it to provide an expanded range to existing and new customers.

Hygiene system checks for Covid-19

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reudenberg Filtration Technologies has extended its Viledon filterCair air quality management system to include two new hygiene modules.

Both include a ventilation system check and measures to combat the coronavirus: to protect employees from infections, to protect food from contamination, and to protect companies from the economic

consequences of temporary plant closure.

Plant Check Covid-19 Basic and Plant Check Covid-19 Hygiene Monitoring VDI 6022 modules include a variety of sampling procedures on plant surfaces carried out by Viledon’s service technicians.

In this way, viruses can be detected within about 48 hours. This is supplemented by

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further microbiological tests and a holistic system assessment in accordance with the current guidelines of the German Engineering Federation (VDMA), including detailed recommendations for action. The “all-in-one module” includes a thorough hygiene inspection of the entire ventilation and air conditioning system in accordance with the relevant guidelines, including audit-compliant documentation.

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US exports report gains in early 2020

U

S dairy exports in June were up 28% by volume and 22% by value, capping a first half of double-digit growth, according to the US Dairy Export Council. This year’s gains have been all the more impressive in that they were achieved during one of the most disrupted dairy trade environments in history, the council says.

In June, US suppliers shipped 206,411 tons of milk powders, cheese, whey products, lactose and butterfat, the most (on a daily-average basis) since April 2018.

The value of all exports was $583.7 million (€485m). On a total milk solids basis, US exports were equivalent to 17.7% of solids production in June, the highest rate since April 2018. In the first half of the year, exports were 15.8% of production,

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up from 14.1% in the first half of 2019.

Headline highlights in June included record cheese exports, continued robust sales of non-fat dry milk/skim milk powder (NDM/SMP), ongoing recovery of whey sales, and record shipments of fluid milk/ cream. Overall volume gains versus a year ago came from Southeast Asia, China and the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region, plus an improvement in sales to Mexico.

Cheese exports in June were 38,427 tons, 29% more than last year and the most ever. Much of this volume represents deals booked in April and May when US cheese prices were at historic lows. The unit value of shipments was just $3900/ ton (€3,254), the second lowest over the last nine years. Mexico came back to

Fonterra sells China farms

onterra has agreed to sell its China farms for NZ$555m (US$368.9m), after successfully developing the farms alongside local partners.

Inner Mongolia Natural Dairy Co., Ltd, a subsidiary of China Youran Dairy Group Limited, has agreed to purchase Fonterra‘s two farming-hubs in Ying and Yutian for NZ8513m (US$341 m). Separately, Fonterra has agreed to sell its 8596 interest in its Hangu farm to Beijing Sanyuan Venture Capital Co., Ltd., for NZ$42m (US$28m). Sanyuan has a 1596 minority shareholding in the farm and exercised its right of first refusal to purchase Fonterra’s interest.

CEO Miles Hurrell said in building the farms, Fonterra demonstrated its commitment to the development of the Chinese dairy industry. ’We’ve worked closely with local players, sharing our expertise in farming techniques and animal husbandry, and

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buy the most cheese in two years, posting a 62% gain compared with a year ago.

Sales to South Korea also were strong, up 56%, and shipments to China more than doubled. Exports of NDM/SMP topped 75,000 tons for the second straight month, coming in at 75,831 tons in June, up 77% from a year ago.

Sales to Southeast Asia were lower than the previous two months, but still more than double 2019 volume. Growth came from Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam. Meanwhile, Mexico made its largest purchases in eight months, posting a 13% gain over a year ago. Mexico buying was encouraging, on the heels of a 21% decline in the first five months of 2020.

contributed to the growth of the industry,” Hurrell said. ‘We don’t shy’ away from the fact that establishing farms from scratch in China has been challenging but our team has successfully developed productive model farms, supplying high quality fresh milk to the local consumer market. lt’s noW time to pass the baton to Youran and Sanyuan to continue the development of these farms.”

Hurrell said the sale of the farms will allow the coop to prioritize areas of its business where it has competitive advantages.

“For the last 18 months, we have been revierring every part of the business to

ensure our assets and investments meet the needs of the coop today. Selling the farms is in line rrith our decision to focus on our New Zealand farmers’milk. ”China remains one of Fonterra’s most important strategic markets, receiving around a quarter of our production. Selling the farms will allow us to focus even more on strengthening our Foodservice, Consumer Brands and Ingredients businesses in China. ’We will do this by bringing the goodness of New Zealand milk to Chinese customers in innovative ways and continuing to partner with local Chinese companies to do so. Our investment in R&D and application centers in China will support this direction.” Completion of the sale, which is subject to anti-trust clearance and other regulatory approvals in China, is expected to occur within this financial year. Fonterra said it expects to use the cash proceeds from the two transactions to pay down debt, as part of its previously announced overall debt reduction program.

Danone to sell stake in Yakult

rench-headquartered dairy giant Danone said that in accordance with its focus on capital allocation discipline and balance sheet strength, the company is selling its 6.6196 stake in the japanese company Yakult Honsha Co. Ltd. In spite

of the sale, Danone said the companies have reconfirmed the commitment to their long-term strategic collaboration to promote probiotics.

Existing commercial partnerships, in-

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cluding joint-ventures in India and Vietnam remain in place.

Danone’s collaboration with Yakult began in 2004. In 2018, Danone divested most of its 21.2996 stake in the company.

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Paraprobiotic as a functional ingredient in the dairy industry

the most appropriate method depends on the microorganism and the expected clinical benefit, once each method can affect the cellular structural components in different ways, therefore influencing the microorganism’s immune modulatory activity. Thus, the method that is capable of inactivating and also preserving the beneficial probiotic effects must be carefully adopted.

As the demand for healthier foods rises among consumers, paraprobiotics could prove to be a lucrative addition. Here, Adriano Cruz ex- The traditional plate counting technique has been used as a standard method to plores its application within dairy.

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ROBIOTIC products have been marketed as natural foods that aid in the process of digestion and health, becoming increasingly popular with consumers looking for healthier, industrialised products. Thus, the supplementation with probiotics is considered a receptive, natural and low-cost approach.

It also contributes to the growing niche segment of functional foods that represents a highly profitable market, due to its various therapeutic applications, in addition to satiating hunger and supplying basic nutritional needs. Probiotic microorganisms are marketed as nutritional supplements in pharmacies or incorporated into food matrices, mainly in fermented dairy products, such as yoghurts and fermented milk, which correspond to most functional dairy products currently commercialised. It is estimated that the global probiotics market will be worth around $69.3 billion by 2023. With the food sector responsible for generating greater economic value.

Probiotics have been consumed by humans since ancient times, when civilizations in Egypt and the Middle East used fermentation as a preservation method.

However, the consumption of fermented dairy products containing lactic acid bacteria have only been associated with health benefits since the early 20th century. The concept of probiotics arose from studies on the positive effects of bacteria on human health.

Probiotics are defined as living microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a benefit to the health of the human or animal host.

Among probiotic microorganisms, bacteria of the genera Laetobacillus, Bacillus, and Bifidobacterium stand out, as well as yeasts of the genus Saccharomyees.

According to the current definition of

probiotics, in order to provide beneficial effects, microorganisms should remain viable throughout the life of the product until ingestion and passage through the gastrointestinal tract. However, scientific research has reported that non-viable probiotic microorganisms (dead probiotic cells), known as paraprobiotics, can also offer health benefits, which suggests that not all the probiotic mechanisms and bioactivity are related to the bacteria viability. In this sense, this article provides an overview of the concept of paraprobiotics, production processes, the main advantages of their application in the dairy industry when compared to probiotics, as well as the potential effects on consumer health.

Paraprobiotics: concept and associated terms Paraprobiotics have also been referred to as inactivated probiotics, non-viable probiotics, or ghost probiotics, and are defined as non-viable microbial cells (intact or broken) or cellular fractions that, when administered in adequate quantities and frequency, confer benefits to the consumer. Paraprobiotics are microorganisms subjected to inactivation processes, with loss of viability, leading to changes in bacterial cell structures, such as the rupture of DNA filaments and the cell membrane, and mechanical damage to the cell envelope, or changes in their metabolic activity, such as enzymatic inactivation and deactivation of membrane selectivity.

How to produce paraprobiotics Different processes can be used to inactivate probiotics with consequent production of paraprobiotics, such as heat treatments, ultraviolet or gamma rays, high pressure, sonication, freeze-drying, chemical reactions, and ozonation.

Among these processes, heat has been the most used for obtaining paraprobiotic strains. Although several inactivation methods have been used, the choice of

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assess the bacterial cell viability by quantifying the number of cells capable of multiplying and forming visible colonies, using appropriate culture media, and disregarding the existence of non-cultivable paraprobiotic cells after inactivation treatment. In turn, flow cytometry can assess the bacterial viability beyond its reproductive capacity, with detailed information about the structural properties and metabolic activities in real-time measurements. Such information is extremely important to evaluate the best inactivation methods, considering the injury level caused in the paraprobiotic strains.

Application in the dairy industry: probiotics vs. paraprobiotics The development of a probiotic product should meet strict requirements so that bacterial cultures can survive the productive chain on a large scale, with the amount informed on the label until consumption to exert its health benefits, However, the probiotic cell viability can be affected by several factors including the components of the food matrix, technological processing and long-term storage.

Dairy matrices have intrinsic characteristics considered ideal for carrying probiotic bacteria due to the high buffering capacity, and the positive effect of its components (fat globules, casein micelles, and lactose), which protects the passage through gastrointestinal transit.

However, some measures are necessary to minimise the loss of cell viability and ensure the maintenance of the probiotic effects during processing. These measures comprise the inclusion of nitrogen sources into the milk matrix due to the low proteolytic activity of probiotic bacteria on casein. They also include the selection of probiotic strains compatible with the starter culture to prevent competition between cultures, decreasing the acidification kinetics and the product’s quality, as well as minimising the exposure of probiotics to low pH values for a short period

66 to induce tolerance to acid pH and avoid acid stress. In addition, packaging materials and systems should be used to prevent oxidative stress during storage.

In turn, paraprobiotic microorganisms are more stable for large-scale industrial production, thus its implementation in dairy products can offer numerous technological advantages when compared to probiotics. Once it consists of dead probiotic cells, there is less or no interaction with other components of the food matrix, ingredients or additives, which directly impacts the increase in the product’s shelf life and the preservation of the sensory characteristics.

Other advantages include greater convenience and ease of handling during processing, minimising the chances of microbiological contamination after processing since they can be added before the milk pasteurisation, maintaining its metabolic activity. It also offers greater savings during storage and transportation, as they remain stable over a wide temperature range, not requiring a cold chain — for example, instant milk powder and infant formulas.

This results in a great economic advantage for food manufacturers. Paraprobiotics can also be used as functional ingredients in heterogeneous (non- dairy) food matrices considered stressful substrates for the survival of probiotics, thus contributing to the diversification of the functional food niche.

Clinical benefits Several clinical trials in humans and animals have proven the health benefits of paraprobiotics in the prophylaxis and

treatment of various disorders, such as viral and bacterial infections, atopic dermatitis, colitis, respiratory and metabolic diseases, inhibition of pathogens, cancer, prevention of dental caries, modulation of the intestinal microbiota and the immune system, maintenance of intestinal integrity, maintenance of desirable mood, improvement in physical fitness, among others.

However, most of these trials are related to the direct consumption of paraprobiotics in the form of suspension or lyophilised powder. Although there is an increasing demand for studies about the application of paraprobiotics in food, they are still rare (see Table 1).

In addition, paraprobiotics are safer alternatives for individuals with weakened immune systems (for example, elderly and premature newborns) when compared to the administration of live bacteria, which can offer risks of developing opportunistic infections, increased inflammatory

responses to allergens or vaccines, acquisition of virulent genes or antibiotic resistance by horizontal transfer and microbial translocation. These findings may also contribute to facilitating the approval of the use of paraprobiotics as an ingredient or food supplement by the regulatory as a health promotion strategy. Table 2 shows examples of approved paraprobiotie products that are commercially available as supplements including Pylopass, Lacteol, and Nyaditum resae, which have proven to be effective in preventing and treating H. pilori infection, acute diarrhea and development active tuberculosis, respectively.

Conclusion The probiotic viability is no longer a fundamental condition to provide health benefits. The use of paraprobiotics has become a potential opportunity for diversification of functional foods due to its great versatility when compared to viable probiotic cells. The advantages of paraprobiotics include the possibility of using technologies and formulations with negative impacts on probiotics, the longer shelf life of products, and greater convenience during processing, storage and transportation, in addition to being a safer therapeutic approach for immune compromised individuals.

However, studies on the addition of paraprobiotics to dairy matrices are still rare since, to date, most research has focused only on direct consumption. Therefore, further studies are needed to investigate the application of paraprobiotics in foods through appropriate protocols to assess the impact of use and the stability of the product throughout its shelf life.

Source : New Food Magazine, Issue 4 2020

Dairy Times

67 Gap narrowing CME block Cheddar closed Columbus Day Week at $2.72 per pound, up 7.25 cents on the week and 75.25 cents above a year ago.

The barrels kept trying to close the price gap and saw their Friday close at $2.2050, up 15 cents, following a 10-cent jump last week and 29.5 cents the week before last, and are 20.50 cents above a year ago. The spread slipped to 51.5 cents. Only 4 cars of block exchanged hands last week at the market of last resort and 2 of barrel.

September Milk Production Up 2.3% In U. S.

F

or the first time in three years, national milk production is on the rise.

U.S. milk production continues to rev higher. Preliminary data in the September Milk Production report shows output at 18.0 billion pounds, up a bearish 2.3% from September 2019, the biggest increase since March.

Output in the top 24 producing states totaled 17.2 billion pounds, up 2.4% from 2019. Revisions lowered the original August 50-state total 5 million pounds.

However, the 24-state total was revised up 1 million, now put at 17.8 billion, up 1.9% from August 2019.

Third quarter output totaled 55.3 billion pounds, up 2.0% from a year ago. Cow numbers averaged 9.36 million head in the quarter, up 39,000 from the same period last year.

September cow numbers totaled 9.366 million head in the 50 states, up 5,000 from August and 33,000 above a year ago.

Output per cow averaged 1,923 pounds, up 38 pounds from a year ago, or 2.0%.

more cows and 10 pounds more per cow.

Michigan was up 2.3%, on a 50-pound gain per cow. Minnesota was up 2.7%, thanks to a 70-pound gain per cow offsetting 5,000 fewer cows. New Mexico was off 0.9%, on a 5-pound drop per cow and 2,000 fewer cows milked.

New York was up 1.4%, thanks to a 30-pound gain per cow but had 1,000 fewer cows. Oregon was down 1.4%, on 1,000 fewer cows and a 10-pound loss per cow. Pennsylvania was up 1.9%, thanks to a 40-pound gain per cow offsetting a loss of 3,000 cows from a year ago.

South Dakota again showed the biggest increase, up 12.3%, thanks to 13,000 more cows milked and 35 pounds more per cow. Texas was up 6.5%, on 28,000 more cows and a 30-pound gain per cow.

Vermont reported the biggest drop, down 5.5% on a 25-pound loss per cow and 5,000 fewer cows. Washington state was down 1.1%, due to a 10-pound loss per cow and 2,000 fewer cows.

Monday’s trading took the blocks up 2 cents and stayed there Tuesday at $2.74 per pound, highest since July 15, as traders awaited the afternoon’s September Milk Production report and Thursday’s Cold Storage data.

The barrels gained a nickel Monday and were up 4.50 cents Tuesday, hitting $2.30 per pound, highest since July 30, and a still too high 44 cents below the blocks.

Lots of eyes are on cheese prices but, in the not very distant future lies the end of the government’s Food Box Program and, as the Dairy and Food Market Analyst warned, “hundreds of million pounds of milk per month will be searching for a home.”

The program could be extended to Round 4, but won’t likely be funded as much and, with the higher dairy product price, won’t buy as much.

Other clouds on the horizon include the rise in U.S. COVID-19 cases and what impact that might have on recovering restaurant purchases of dairy products.

Another cloud is the likely failure of Congress to agree on another stimulus package before the election.

DFMA editor and analyst, Matt Gould, talked about dairy’s latest commercial disappearance data in view of current high dairy prices in Monday’s «Dairy Radio Now» broadcast.

He pointed out that the data look backward from present reality and the latest data are from August, when butter disappearance was down about 9.5%, which followed a 3.6% fall the month before.

California’s September output was up 3.2% from a year ago, thanks to a 65-pound gain per cow offsetting 4,000 fewer cows milked. Wisconsin was up 0.7%, despite 10,000 fewer cows. Output per cow was up 30 pounds.

American type cheese disappearance was down 3.3%, according to Gould, “So if you looked at current price movements

Idaho was up 2.9%, thanks to 15,000

Dairy Times

68 you’d be saying demand must be flying off the charts.”

those looking for it from the West and or those using internally sourced supplies.

It likely is right now, he said, but when you look back at the end of summer when kids were not going back to college, etc., demand was anything but normal. As to the near all-time record high cheese prices we are seeing, Gould says you can’t ignore the government’s intervention in the marketplace in the form of the Food Box Program. He said that people do not fully appreciate how much Uncle Sam has been buying through that program, a figure he calculates at about 4% of the U.S. milk supply. And when it comes to cheese specifically, he believes that percentage is closer to 7% or 8% or even more, of all the cheese made in the U.S.

Expectations of cream shortages were short-lived or have yet to happen. Retail customers are busy but food service continues its slow incline week after week.

Western retail butter demand is fueling both active ordering and lingering nervousness from those concerning yearend availability. Some retailers project a 20% jump in holiday sales and weekly features.

Retail sales are not the biggest demand driver of dairy products, according to Gould, prompting the question: If the Food Box Program is not renewed after Oct. 31, will holiday demand step in to make up the difference? Gould says no one has the answer but “that would be a tall order.”

The powder was unchanged Monday but gave up 1.25 cents Tuesday, slipping to $1.1275 per pound.

Cheese producers continue to report busy schedules, according to Dairy Market News. Mid-week spot milk prices remained similar to the previous week’s prices, but the potential was there for offers under class, says DMN. Demand for some producers has been a little quieter as cheese prices pushed higher, leaving some customers on the sidelines, according to DMN. That said, however, contacts suggest that “regardless of market prices, buyers will return out of necessity as pipelines dwindle.”

Western cheese manufacturers are running facilities at or above design capacity, as milk is plentiful. Demand is active with consistent pulls from retail and the Food Box Program. Pizza cheese demand is solid but most foodservice and specialty cheese accounts are weaker than previous years.

Butter strengthened last week, closing 9.75 cents higher, at $1.51 per pound, but was 60.50 cents below a year ago; 21 cars were sold on the week.

Grade A nonfat dry milk jockeyed some but closed Friday at $1.14 per pound, up 1.50 cents on the week but 3 cents below a year ago, with 22 carloads finding new homes on the week.

Global powder demand has been strong, says StoneX, and “has kept domestic supplies in check but with exports lower than expected and a COVID demand story that still brings uncertainty, it seems like NFDM could have some limited upside.”

Dry whey saw little movement last week, closing at 38.75 cents per pound, 0.75 cents lower, but 10.25 cents above a year ago, with 2 sales on the week.

CME dry whey was unchanged Monday and Tuesday.

GDT inches higher Butter and cheese nudged this week’s Global Dairy Trade auction weighted average up 0.4%, following the 2.2% advance on Oct. 6, and 3.6% on Sept. 15.

Sellers brought 76.4 million pounds of product to the market, down from 77.4 million on Oct. 6.

GDT butter was up 3.3%, following the 8.4% gain on Oct. 6, however, anhydrous milkfat was down 0.5% Tuesday, after climbing 5.4% in the last event. Cheddar was up 3.0%, after inching 0.4% higher, and whole milk powder crept up 0.3%, after a 1.7% rise last time.

Monday’s butter lost 1.25 cents and stayed put Tuesday at $1.4975 per pound, with no activity.

Lactose again led the losses, down 8.0% after dropping 7.4% last time, and skim milk powder was off 0.2%, after slipping 0.9% lower last time.

Butter schedules are busier, says DMN. Cream is still available, especially for

StoneX Group equated the GDT 80% butterfat butter price to $1.6277 per pound

Dairy Times

U.S., up 5.2 cents from the last event.

CME butter closed Tuesday at a bargain $1.4975. GDT Cheddar cheese equated to $1.7249 per pound, up 4.9 cents, and compares to Tuesday’s CME block Cheddar at globally high $2.74.

GDT skim milk powder averaged $1.2933 per pound, down from $1.2996, and whole milk powder averaged $1.3776, down from $1.3796. CME Grade A nonfat dry milk closed Friday at $1.1275 per pound.

(Por Lee Mielke Source : Capital Press)

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69 The first dairy-plant innovation to make its appearance on the US market was a milk-based protein beverage flavoured with almond butter in 2o16. Innova Market Insights recorded the launch of the first plant-dairy milk blend last year.

Greg Paul, North America beverages and dairy marketing lead at DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences, explains the background — and how, in the US, hybrid products are developing an advantage.

Sowing the seeds of a dairy revival

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hat will come next when sales of plant-based beverages start to lose their momentum? In some markets, a new category of dairyplant hybrids is quietly developing.

IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, European launches of plant-based milk alternatives rose to dizzying heights, largely driven by consumer concerns about health and sustainability. For new dairy products, on the other hand, the same period (2O14-2O19) stands out for a slow but steady decline.

As mainstream demand for plant-based foods continues to soar, it seems logical to predict that, in terms of new product innovation, non-dairy beverages will keep winning hands down over dairy for many years ahead.

But such a forecast is way too simple.

According to Mintel, the market research firm behind the launch figures, a purely plant-based positioning will soon no longer be enough to get new products on the path to success. It may even be that the ‘either/or’ discussion about dairy and non- dairy beverages is on the verge of change.

The chances are that future discussions will be about ‘both/and’ — in other words, how to combine the best of two worlds in new hybrid products.

A space in Europe?

In Europe, a market for dairy-plant hybrids is still hard to imagine. A Mintel survey of five European countries shows consumers increasingly turning to dairyfree drinks, which they see as healthier, more sustainable and ethically sound.

Consumers are also changing their view of plant-based products as dairy alternatives, which means they are now less likely to expect a dairy-like taste and texture.

In that light, carving a market space for a dairy-plant hybrid looks like a struggle.

Consumers, in Europe at least, do not currently demand such hybrid products. But, as the demands of lexitarians consumers become more complex, there is good reason to consider them as a future opportunity. Just look at what is happening in other parts of the world, like the US for example.

Developing an advantage Similar to the US has seen growth in plantbased overall within the past few years.

Euro monitor International’s projection is that plant-based drink consumption will grow 6.8 percent a year up to 2024, while dairy milk consumption will decline o.6 percent per year over the same period. If this forecast holds true, the current 12:1 ratio of dairy milk consumption to plantbased could shift to 8:1 Within the next five years.

Dairy Times

“From a consumer standpoint, one of the issues with most plant-based milks, with the exception of soy, is the protein content. In a typical almond milk, you might have is to =s percent of the protein that is in dairy milk. Dairy-plant hybrids help to make up the shortfall, while allowing consumers to continue feeling good about the sustainability story.”

More than a third of plant-based milk consumers in the US say they would buy more if the products contained extra high-quality protein. 1 But hybrid solutions are not for everyone, Paul adds.

“Our market data shows that a plant-based milk consumer is more likely to move to a hybrid than a dairy milk consumer. People who only drink dairy beverages are slightly less interested.”

Part of the culture Unlike in Europe and North America, there is nothing alternative about plantbased beverages in Asia Paeific, where soy milk has been part of the culture for generations. This is reflected in retail sales. While the global retail sales value of milk alternatives reached more than $i8.2 billion in zoi9. Asia Pacific accounted for more than $11.3 billion of that — equivalent to just over 62 percent.

In China, the newcomer is dairy, which has taken hold over the last two decades — promoted for its nutritional benefits, despite the fact that almost a third of Chinese children are estimated to be lactose intolerant, along with more than go percent of adults. The premium position and strength of the Chinese dairy industry has, however, put traditional soy milk under significant pressure, particularly in relation to price.

In addition to soy, the market has long included walnut, coconut and peanut drinks, for example. All face growth challenges due to competition from the vast

70 workout. Both the delivery of amino acids to muscle and the period of muscle protein synthesis are extended.”

Similar results from a clinical study of senior where the soy-whey-casein blend improved muscle recovery.

Taste and sustainability Another advantage of great importance to consumers is taste. In sensory trials, dairy-plant hybrid products tend to score higher than products made with dairy or plant bases alone. Each protein component masks the less favourable flavour notes of the others.

assortment of dairy and other beverage products that consumers can choose from today.

Re-establishing coolness A big challenge facing manufacturers is how to re-establish the traditional plantbased segment as a cool, premium choice, connecting with a young generation that has largely grown up with dairy.

The fast-growing oat drink brand, Oatly, launched its youth-targeted consumer communication strategy in China earlier this year — in the form of a collaboration with Starbucks, which offers the oat drink as a dairy-free creamer for coffee. By featuring on the menu of a leading food service chain, the plant milk is automatically positioned as novel and fashionable.

Such a proactive promotion could serve as a door-opener to more retail sales. At the moment, plant-dairy hybrid beverages remain low on the agenda in China, but they are attracting focus in other parts of the region. Regional marketing manager at DuPont, Rachel Park, highlights the development in South Korea.

“Like China and Japan, we do not talk about a plant-based trend because soy has always been there. Nor is the idea of blending plants and dairy new in South Korea. However, among key players, there is currently a lot of activity around hybrid products, which are promoted as balanced nutrition for muscle health.

Many of these products target both seniors and middle-aged people who shop for elderly parents. Others focus more on muscle-supporting sports nutrition.”

A healthy premium Although global competitors are present in South Korea and China, it is the leading local companies who are the real market drivers in the plant-based category. In the US, the picture is less clear cut.

Here, local names rub alongside multinational brands, including those of the large European player Danone — and Sweden-based Oatly, which became a top 10 US brand within the space of a year.

Among those manufacturers who have already moved in a hybrid direction, premiumisation via health is a common theme.

This is a response to consumers who are simply becoming more aware of the nutritional shortcomings of plant-based drinks and increasingly choose products fortified with iodine, zinc, iron and vitamin B 3 — not to mention protein.

Clinical evidence DuPont has collaborated on several studies which have investigated the impact on health when plant and dairy proteins are consumed at the same time. One study in particular looked at the effect on muscle health when participants — active, young men — consumed soy protein along with whey and casein, the two main proteins in cow milk.

According to DuPont’s global protein scientific affairs lead, Michelle Braun, the study’s findings provide another strong indication that plant and dairy proteins really do belong together.

“What this and other studies have shown us is that 2s percent soy, 2s percent whey and so percent casein protein may be the best combination to consumer after a

Dairy Times

Poor flavour is one explanation why some plant bases have fallen from grace — they just do not taste as good as they sound. Take almond milk as an example; from being the dominant dairy alternative that rapidly outsold soy milk after its US launch some five years ago, almond milk has lost much of its shine.

Consumers have found it to be an acquired taste. Due to the significant volumes of water required for almond production, the sustainability credentials have also been questioned, a factor increasingly important to consumers with climate change concerns.

What this means is that the days are over when plant-based beverages were easy to position as the naturally healthy, sustainable choice. Regardless of regional differences, consumers everywhere are starting to expect more in terms of proven health and sustainability benefits and a better taste. In the future, manufacturers will have to work harder to give consumers a good reason for choosing their brands.

Meanwhile, some markets are already witnessing the quiet but promising rise of premium dairy-plant hybrids — nutritious, flavourful and acceptable to consumers who lean towards a more planet-friendly lifestyle. Could it be that these manufacturers are already cultivating the next market space?

Source : New Food Magazine, Issue 4 2020

Technological Innovation In Paneer Production

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t’sscientifically known how the characteristics of the milk obtained in the last years had graduallydecreasingthe funcDr. Alberto Maccagni, t i o n a l properties S.C.A SRL, Italy linked to the coagulation. The first factor of this general decayarises from the flattening of the genetic heritage of lactating cows.

With this background, the faster and faster and more extended phase of refrigeration of the milk in all itscollection and storage phases together with the gradually increased heat treatment temperatures, are causing the weakening of the case-in quaternary structure in milk mass.

This structure, directly linked to all the most important technological and dairy functionalities, concerns the spatial ar-rangement of the proteins, their steric interference and as a consequence their ability to interact, react and ultimately to coagulate.

The casein micelles are in fact in stable colloidal suspension in fresh milk. They are in constant motion, moving at short

they strike a new particle. The main role, if not exclusive, is played and directly conditioned by its mineralization that, thanks to the correct ar-rangement of the ionic bridges, stabilizes the structure itself, based on the colloidal calcium phosphate.

The PANEER PRODUCTION is formerly a thermal denaturation: this means that,at temperatures closed to the point of boiling, the casein micelles aggregate irreversibly. During the heating, in fact, the buffering properties of the milk mineral salts change, CO2is released, organic acids are formed and tricalcium phosphate together with the casein phos-phate precipitate with the release of H+ions.

Then the complexity of this composition and ionic salt in the context of the tertiary and quaternary structure of the casein play a vital role; the complexity itself was also the reason why until today it was not possible to make an adequate investigation and a technical-scientific study about its nature and its measures to maintain or integrate the characteristics.

The role of ions during the heating is to create the best isoelectric conditions and to help the formation of bridges between the micelles.

Producing the PANEER by acid addition, is accelerating the “collapsed” structure which causes an irreversible relevant narrowing of the curds, a slow syneresis, an increased tendency to “crumbling”, more losses of proteins and fat into the whey, and at the end a lower yield.

The mineral structure that stabilizes the casein directly depends on the ColloidalCalcium Phosphate(CCP). These bonds are covalent and electrostatic kinds.

distance and colliding against each other and against the fat globules and changing direction immediately after. In the fresh milk their free movement scheme covers a distance which is only 3 time longer than the diameter of a micelle and then

Differently from the acid addition, the use of SHUDHMIX is protecting the native spatial structure which doesn’t induce the shrinking of the curds as in the case of acid. On the contrary it ensuresan ideal elasticity, the drastic reduction of the “crumbs” formation with the relatedre-

Dairy Times

71

duction of proteins and fat losses in the whey, and therefore the increase of the yield.

The role that the different parameters play in the STABILIZATION OF CASEIN micelle are: If two or more of the following parameters are applied simultaneously, the total effect will add up.

The fundamental role of the correct level of the salt ions is therefore essential to maintain the full surface reactivity during the interaction among the micelles: The level of concentration and the thermal treatments deeply act on the three-di-

mensional structure of the protein matrix inducing spatial changes (and as consequence functional ones). The casein is generally collapsing loosing part of the quaternary structure and cross linking with the αlactoalbumin; the βlactoglobulin is increasing many times discovering functional sites able to react.

Casein can retain water in a proportion 1:3. αlactoalbumin in a proportion 1:7, βlactoglobulin has the highest emulsion power 1:15 In addition, the GLOBULINS bind and complex themselves better in the final product as their structure opens and stretches a lot. This characteristic causes the typical mouthfeel and flavor in different applications.

So the creation of a better crosslinked system βlactoglobulin based is foundamental for the final characteristics of the cheese, as the β LACTOGLOBULIN network creates less collapsed structure in the PANEER: this characteristic is the re-

72 PARAMETER

ACTION

Ca++

More than 90% of the milk Ca++ content depends on the casein micelles.

The removal of Ca++ leads to the reversible dissociation of ß -casein without micelle disintegration. The-Ca++addition leads to its aggregation.

H+ bonds

Some of them act in the micelle among the single fractions but with bland action because the action is greater in the secondary structure

Disulfide bonds

Both the alpha (s1) and ß-casein have no cysteine residues. If some S-S bridgesdevelop inside the micelles, they haven’t the strength to lead the stabilization.

Hydrophobic Interactions

The caseins are ones of the more hydrophobic proteins and play an important role in the micelle stability. The hydrophobic interactions are extremely sensitive to the temperature.

Electrostatic interactions

Some interactions of the submicelle may also be the result of ionic bonds, but the micellar structureis always weak and “open”.

van der Waalsforces

There is no demonstrated correlation against the micellar stability.

Steric stabilization

The filamentous surface layer interferes in the bond among the particles.

Mineralcontent

It Influences the activity of the calcium in the whey and the tricalcium phosphate level of the micelles

pH

The pH lowering takes the solubilization of tricalcium phosphate to the point where, at the isoelectric level (pH 4.60), all the phosphate solubilizes making the caseins precipitate.

Temperature

At 4 ° C the beta-casein begins dissociating from the micelle;at 0 ° C there is not the micellar aggregation anymore; the freezing causes the formation of a precipitate called cryo-casein.

Heat treatment

The whey proteins begin being adsorbed, altering the behavior of the micelle.

Dehydration

It facilitatesaggregation of the micelles

sponsible of the typical mouthfeel: softer, good elasticity, more delicate, more fatty (acting such as fat replacer) enhancing the sweet and fresh taste in the final cheese.

Comparing this to the PANEER process, we have to take into consideration that during the milk heating all the proteins increase their dimension discovering many functional sites. Once reached the highest thermal functionality (which in cow milk corresponds approx. to the temperature of 92-94 °C), this three-dimensional potential structure needs to be finally activated.

Unfortunately, as the typical technology

in use is based upon organic acids and the acid induced pH reaction, the full activation doesn’t occur. In fact being the action of the acid too strong, the producers are obligated to modify the process: after reaching an optimal temperature for the complete swelling (passing the 90°C) the typical process is then to reduce the temperature till 80-85 °C, sometimes lower, to avoid the acid addition is damaging too much the coagulum.

If from one side this is helping, on the otherside acts both reducing the maximum protein optimal structure (less available functional sites due to lower temperature) and the acid induced reaction itself is still too fast and violent. The distribution in H+ ions happens in a while and this is

Dairy Times

influencing the strong internal pK action between and among the proteins and as consequence breaking this not perfect network causing partial collapsing. The result is more LOSSES in globulins and proteins (released into the whey). The studies carried on in the last 20 years compared some different proteins models and their capability to be soft denatured, respecting the best cross-linking timing and temperature.

The latest mineral ions technology (based on the use of SHUDHMIX, a processing aid specially developed for PANEER production) thanks to the gentle and complete ionic action, leaves the time to all the GLOBULINS to react in full dimen-sion creating the typical β LACTOGLOBULIN network which is also inglobating part of Glyco-macro-peptide and Prote-ose peptones.

• ADVANTAGES of SHUDHMIX: • In PANEER production allows to abtain: • More yield than with the use of any other organic acids (citric, acetic, lactic) Better and thiner texture and mouth-feeling • Whiter color and More delicate taste • FRESHER STRUCTURE DURING THE SHELF LIFE. • No indication in label being classified such as PROCESSING AID • SHUDHMIX: has been developed by studying the ancient production techniques based on the mineral properties of Italian Apennines spring waters, in use since the Roman Emperor.

• SHUDHMIX is dedicated to PANEER, gaining unique organoleptic characteristics and greater performance and yield in production.

• SHUDHMIX: is a mineral salt complex classified as PROCESSING AID. • It’s patented by SCA SRL , FSSAI approved.

•It’s an important product to give more added value to the PANEER, thanks to the TOTAL denaturation of the milk proteins.

73

M

ost of us would agree that if the last few years have taught us anything, it’s to expect the unexpected. The UK has seen both the cultural and regulatory landscape in flux, from Brexit to disruptive food trends like flexitarians to sustainability and an increased and important focus on diversity and inclusiveness in society.

We’ve already embraced a number of these issues and is looking at new and innovative ways to address them.

Though business thrives on stability, we came into 2020 almost feeling at home with uncertainty and change. Then the biggest disruption the world had known for a century hit-Covid-19. Nothing could prepare the world for the human tragedy, which continues to take its toll across the globe, wreaking both human and economic devastation.

From a dairy perspective, globally the normal cycle of demand and supply was significantly disrupted as a result of the pandemic.

Demand led disruption hit the sector overnight, mainly due to the loss of out of home sales. Early on, in countries where consumers had more disposable income food was stockpiled, leading to increased retail demand. However, those increases were not enough to compensate for the loss of food service. In developing countries there were more fundamental issues, including the ability to store food.

When retail sales started to stabilize after panic buying, it was clear that consumers in a number of countries had moved away from buying high value dairy products to buying lower value standard products.

On top of that, some companies lost revenue because their shipments were rejected when they arrived in the ports of countries who had gone into lockdown and closed their borders while the products were in transit.

Disruption to transport, labour and logistics as well as lower dairy prices especially for skimmed milk powder were all issues early in the crisis.

In the UK, Covid-19 came just at the beginning of the spring flush, when milk production was increasing. The UK dairy sector had to face up to a grim reality of a small but hard-hit group of dairy farmers having to dispose of nutritious milk, whilst pints where flying off retail shelves.

Thanks to the quick actions of the dairy sector working together as one, in tandem with the UK Government, in particular Defra, the Department of Transport, BEIS and the Competitions and Market Author-

Uncertainty is

the new Certainty: Dairy in the Era of Change

Dr. Judith Bryans, Chief Executive of Dairy UK ity as well as our colleagues AHDB and the farming unions, we head off the worst of the situation and precious little milk was disposed of.

When we look back on this, I hope there is a recognition that what allowed us to ensure that consumers had dairy products in their fridges was the sectors willingness to adapt and to work together. Some of the changes made for Covid-19 have made the industry.

What stands out is that our response to the pandemic was evidence led and fast.

There were no brownie points for style, but for data led and focused solutions which were implemented as quickly as possible.

Thanks to relaxations on drivers hours from the Department for Transport; competition law easements from the CMA; dairy farmer hardship grants from Defra; investment in dairy marketing to stimulate retail demand; temporary changes to labelling rules by the FSA and industry putting its differences aside to come together – we collectively managed to steer the sector away from what could have been a nightmare scenario.

After the past few years dominated by talk of dietary revolutions and consumers turning away from dairy, it was clear during this crisis that is not the case at all. Dairy workers were on the frontline of keeping the public supplied with nutritious and affordable products they could trust when they needed them most.

Consumers with more time at home

Dairy Times

turned to scratch cooking and baking their favourite comfort foods, and this should provide some perspective on the so-called plant-based disruptors and offer us confidence in the strength of affection for our products.

Those who knock dairy should remember that only 14% of vegan meals bought in the UK are consumed by vegans; 86% are bought by flexitarians, often enjoying them alongside dairy.

With all the talk of ‘the new normal’ – an already an overused phrase – and the worst of the first wave of the crisis behind us, it’s time to reflect on all we’ve learnt during the crisis and take the best forward in this new era of uncertainty.

Brexit Now that the fog of Covid-19 is starting to get a bit thinner, it’s time for businesses to see what Brexit will bring. At this point, it’s about preparing for the changes that will come from a practical perspective. Dairy businesses need vital information on the new trading and agricultural environments they’ll be operating in.

They need to understand how the Northern Ireland protocol will work both north/ south and east/west from an administrative perspective, as well as possible benefits to the market or market distortions.

New trade horizons await us as a nation, and as a sector – with a number of new FTA’s being explored with a number of trading partnership including Japan, Australia, New Zealand and of course, the U.S. Though the truth remains there are many difficult discussions to be had as part of these trade agreements, of which dairy and agricultural commodities will play a central role.

For Dairy UK, this is about making sure our members are informed and their voice is heard in trade discussions. It’s important for us to highlight the opportunities trade deals bring as well as the ramifications of potential changes to standards and the impact of tariffs or non-tariff barriers.

The Covid-19 crisis taught us that working together with Government as well as one another is key to ensuring a rational and effective outcome and a reliable sup-

74 ply chain. One thing is clear, the more we as a sector work with Government in a constructive way on all of these issues, the better the outcome for dairy. That can be the only recipe for success the sector.

Childhood Obesity We all learned recently that obesity is a real problem when it comes to Covid-19.

Beyond Covid-19, obesity causes a variety of poor health outcomes. It needs to be addressed but it needs to be addressed proportionally and sensibly and with an evidence base. Our concern, as always, is that emotive, knee jerk reactions will win out over sense and science in this debate.

Looking again at our recent experiences with Covid-19, the most effective measures are those based on objective data.

Dairy products have long provided the nation’s children and adults with valuable, affordable and accessible sources of essential nutrition, from calcium, and high-quality protein, to B vitamins, Zinc, iodine, phosphorus and more.

Afterall, a healthy diet is by definition one which provides nutrition, and we must not forget this. Penalising or demonising

entire categories such as dairy will cause confusion, and may lead to consumers cutting out vital nutrition from their diets at a time it is most important.

Environment and Food Security One of the many lessons of the pandemic is the value of food, which up until now many had taken for granted even. We need nourishment to live, and aside from the vital energy and nutrition it serves us it’s also a part of the fabric of human life.

Prior to the pandemic, the dairy sector had faced a barrage of attacks on the grounds of environmental sustainability.

As a sector, we are fully accountable for the emissions that we create and don’t shy away from that or underestimate the urgency of environmental sustainability. Over the last decade we’ve reduced the CO2 emissions associated with dairy farming by 24% and are working to build on this achievement. We have reduced our water and energy footprints and have strived, and will continue to strive, to reduce our environmental footprint.

With the unprecedented disruption to everyday life that came with the lockdown,

there have been some surprising positives for the environment; from falling air pollution levels in big cities and towns; to decreased use of fossil fuels from cars or flights to cleaner beaches and public areas. At the same time, the dairy sector has continued to produce food.

I hope that those who are quick to point a finger at dairy and claim it is the source of many of the world’s problems will be as quick to recognise the gains to the environment which happened while dairying continued, and this will prompt a more nuanced and constructive discussion on climate change. This is what will bring us real, sustainable changes.

Collaboration As for what comes next, let’s finish where we started - the only certainty is uncertainty. Our success going forward as a sector will rest on our continued adaptability and using the evidence we have to develop creative, innovative and balanced ways to deal with whatever comes our way.

New President for International Dairy Federation

D

r. Piercristiano Brazzale has been elected President of the International Dairy Federation (IDF).

Dr. Brazzale takes over from Dr. Judith Bryans, Chief Executive of Dairy UK, who was elected at the 2016 World Dairy Summit in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

In his new role, Dr. Brazzale will steer the work of IDF with the support of the IDF Board, the Science Programme Coordination Committee (SPCC), of which he is the former chair, along with the IDF Head Office and IDF National Committees. He has been involved with IDF at all levels since 2012 and is a well-known figure in the IDF community.

Speaking after his election at the virtual IDF Annual General Meeting on 2 November, Dr. Brazzale said: “I am thankful and honoured for the trust the IDF community has put in me to lead the organisation for the next four years. Judith has

done a fantastic job over the last four years and we owe her our thanks for her hard work and remarkable leadership, guiding the Federation through numerous changes and challenges with unfailing vision and passion.” The IDF is the leading source of scientific and technical expertise for all stakeholders of the dairy chain. Since 1903, IDF has provided a mechanism for the dairy sector to reach global consensus on how to help feed the world with safe and sustainable dairy products. A recognized international authority in the development of science-based standards for the dairy sector, and a strategic partner for international organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and Codex Alimentarius, IDF has an important role to play in ensuring the right policies, standards, practices and regulations are in place to ensure the world’s dairy products are safe and sustainable.

Dr. Brazzale added: “I will be focusing on several key areas during my term; promoting and highlighting the value of the work undertaken by IDF, ensuring dairy continues to be recognised as making a significant role in sustainable food systems; and ensuring

Dairy Times

IDF and our sector is prepared for the future and speaking out on the big issues of our time. The challenges facing the world regarding sustainable nutrition are immense, and I am confident that with the contribution of our strong and growing base of global dairy experts, we can and will embrace them.”

Alongside his presidency of IDF, Dr. Brazzale will continue to be involved with Brazzale S.p.A., Italy’s oldest dairy company, in uninterrupted activity for at least eight generations, producing cheese and butter since 1784.

Speaking on the appointment, outgoing IDF President Dr. Judith Bryans, the first female President of the Federation, said: “I am thankful for the time I have spent as President and the value we have been able to create, for the dairy sector and its stakeholders. The work of IDF is essential in creating a positive future for the dairy sector. Its unique structure and global network of experts allows us to pool our resources and expertise together to ensure the role of dairy is recognised properly at every level. Moving forwards IDF will be in good hands with a committed Board under the new IDF President, Piercristiano Brazzale.”

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