What makes milk GREAT milk?
Following on from part 1 of our blog about our beloved jersey cows and our neighbours that farm them, we would like to explore what really makes milk GREAT milk…
There is increased awareness around the environment and the lifestyle that animals are exposed to. Most of us would agree that these environmental health and longevity hazards are not limited to physical, chemical or biological factors but also includes emotional stress. We are pleased to say that our cows live a very happy and stress free life – wouldn’t you be too, grazing in the luscious pastures all day and basking in the beautiful Midlands sun?
Not only is this great for the cows, but researchers say happy cows give more milk!
Now the question that may be on your lips - so what actually makes the milk great?
Firstly and most importantly the milk must be safe!
Yes we all agree Food Safety is not the most riveting subject out there, but it is rather important. Everything from the milking shed to the cheesery follows a strict cleaning, hygiene and food safety management process as per the Dairy standards.
Back to the milk…We test every batch of milk that we process. This helps us ensure your safety and our traceability.
- The milk is tested for temperature, acidity and odour before it is accepted
- We test for antibiotics
- We monitor Somatic cell counts (an indicator of animal health and milk quality)
- Other tests are done regularly for bacteria and water contamination
The cows are also not treated with synthetic hormones– a growing concern in many food products in this day and age. You should always know what you’re buying, or what you’re not buying, so you can make the best educated decision for you and our family!
Cows produce natural hormones, so there will be a level of hormones present, but not SYNTHETIC hormones. Our milk is not produced with rBST hormones.
In summary great milk must be hygienic and free from contamination.
What makes milk Great for the Gourmet Greek products?
We are perfectly situated in the beautiful KZN Midlands and the cows we procure our milk from are all grass fed. Remember “you are what you eat!”
For the Gourmet Greek yoghurt in particular, we want high butterfat and protein levels for our rich full cream products. Jersey cows are famous for their high quality rich and creamy milk - naturally high in butter fat.
Some more food for thought: We only use 2 ingredients in our Greek yoghurt – milk and a combination of live cultures, so our milk has to be of excellent quality.
For any further questions on our milk or products contact us today on dimitriades@telkomsa.net
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