DAIRY TECHNOLOGY: MILK COMPOSITION
Diagram
Cow milk and buffalo milk side by side
Cow milk
Milk from the cow: lower fat, lighter body, and the common drinking milk in most countries.
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Buffalo milk
Milk from the water buffalo: richer in fat, protein and total solids, whiter and thicker.
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The core difference
Buffalo milk carries more fat and more solids in every litre, so it gives more curd, more ghee and a heavier mouthfeel.
Figure 1: Cow milk compared with buffalo milk. Drawn in our own style from Young W. Park et al., Handbook of Milk of Non-Bovine Mammals, 2nd ed., Wiley, 2017.
Introduction
Cow milk and buffalo milk look the same in the glass, both white and both sold as fresh drinking milk, but they are not the same food. Buffalo milk is richer: it carries more fat, more protein and more total solids in every litre.
The core difference is composition. Cow milk is lighter and easier to drink in large glasses, while buffalo milk is thicker, whiter and better suited to products where yield matters, such as curd, paneer, khoa and ghee.
Quick comparison
Table 1: Cow Milk compared with Buffalo Milk
| Aspect | Cow Milk | Buffalo Milk |
|---|---|---|
| Source animal | Cow | Water buffalo |
| Fat content | About 3 to 4 percent fat | About 7 to 8 percent fat, roughly double cow milk |
| Protein content | About 3.2 to 3.5 percent protein | About 4 to 4.5 percent protein, higher than cow milk |
| Total solids | About 12 to 13 percent total solids | About 16 to 17 percent total solids |
| Colour | Slightly yellowish white, from carotene in the fat | Whiter, because buffalo milk has almost no carotene |
| Flavour and body | Light, mild, thin body | Rich, creamy, thick body |
| Curd and cheese yield | Lower yield per litre | Higher yield per litre, because more solids set into curd |
| Digestibility | Generally easy to digest for most people | Heavier in the stomach because of the higher fat |
| Main use | Drinking milk, tea, coffee and light products | Curd, paneer, khoa, ghee and rich sweets |
| Availability | Available in most countries year round | Common in South Asia and parts of Italy and Egypt, less common elsewhere |
Scientific explanation
Definition
Cow milk is the milk secreted by the cow, a fluid made of water, fat, protein (mainly casein and whey proteins), lactose, minerals and vitamins.
Buffalo milk is the milk secreted by the water buffalo. It has the same parts as cow milk, but the fat, protein and total solids are present in higher amounts.
Working principle
Milk composition is set by the animal species, its breed, its feed and the stage of lactation. The mammary gland builds fat globules, casein micelles and lactose from nutrients in the blood, and the proportions differ between species.
Buffalo milk fat globules are larger on average and more numerous, which is why the milk looks thicker and creams faster. Its higher casein gives a firmer curd when acid or rennet is added.
Apparatus
No single apparatus defines the difference. Composition is measured with standard dairy laboratory equipment: a Gerber butyrometer or a milk analyser for fat, the Kjeldahl method for protein, and a drying oven for total solids.
A lactometer measures density, which is higher for buffalo milk because of its higher solids, but density alone cannot tell the two milks apart.
Measurement procedure
To compare the two milks, take fresh samples of each, measure fat by the Gerber method, protein by Kjeldahl, total solids by drying a weighed sample, and lactose by a standard chemical or enzymatic method.
Record the results side by side in the same units, grams per 100 grams of milk, and compare fat, protein and total solids. The books give no single standard procedure that names this pair, so the comparison uses the standard milk analysis methods.
Factors affecting readings
Breed, feed, season and stage of lactation change the fat and protein of both milks, so values move up and down through the year.
Adulteration with water lowers fat, solids and density in both milks. Added fat or skim milk powder can hide the difference, which is why laboratory analysis, not looking or tasting, settles the comparison.
Formulas and calculations
Total solids are found by adding fat and solids-not-fat: Total solids (percent) = Fat (percent) + Solids-not-fat (percent).
Worked example: a cow milk sample with 3.5 percent fat and 8.5 percent solids-not-fat has total solids of 3.5 + 8.5 = 12.0 percent. A buffalo milk sample with 7.0 percent fat and 9.5 percent solids-not-fat has total solids of 7.0 + 9.5 = 16.5 percent. The gap of about 4.5 percentage points is the yield advantage of buffalo milk.
The books give no formula that converts one milk into the other, because no formula can change the species of the animal.
Industrial applications
- Cow milk: drinking milk, tea and coffee, and fluid milk products sold in cartons.
- Cow milk: infant formulas and light cultured products where a mild flavour is wanted.
- Buffalo milk: curd, dahi and paneer, where high solids give a firm set and a high yield.
- Buffalo milk: khoa, ghee and rich sweets, where the high fat is the point of the product.
- Buffalo milk: mozzarella di bufala, the stretched-curd cheese made from buffalo milk in Italy.
- Both milks: standardised milk, where fat is adjusted to a set level before packing.
Advantages and limitations
- Cow milk advantage: light and mild, so it suits drinking in large amounts.
- Cow milk limitation: lower yield of curd, cheese and ghee per litre.
- Buffalo milk advantage: higher yield of curd, cheese, khoa and ghee per litre.
- Buffalo milk limitation: heavy and rich, so it can feel too thick as a drinking milk, and it is not available everywhere.
FAQ
Which milk has more fat, cow or buffalo?
Buffalo milk. It has about 7 to 8 percent fat, roughly double the 3 to 4 percent in cow milk.
Why is buffalo milk whiter than cow milk?
Buffalo milk has almost no carotene, the yellow pigment that colours cow milk fat. Its fat is white, so the milk looks whiter.
Which milk gives more paneer per litre?
Buffalo milk, because its higher protein and total solids set into more curd from the same volume.
Can buffalo milk replace cow milk in tea and coffee?
Yes, it works, but it tastes richer and heavier. Many people dilute it or use cow milk for a lighter cup.
Is buffalo milk harder to digest?
It can feel heavier because of the higher fat, but its protein and lactose are the same kinds of nutrients as in cow milk. People with lactose intolerance react to the lactose in both milks.
References and further reading
- Young W. Park et al. (eds.), Handbook of Milk of Non-Bovine Mammals, 2nd ed., Wiley, 2017 (Google Books page read)
- Srinivasan and Anantakrishnan, Milk Products of India, ICAR, 1964 (Google Books page read)
- FTN books on disk: Chemistry of Milk, Handbook of Milk Composition, Market Milk (agrimoon dairy series).
