Dairy Chemistry And Biochemistry

16 DAIRY CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY

8 3

v; x

d

Sclcc1cd I’nod products

Figure 1.7 Number of days of protein supply for a moderately active man produced per hectare
yielding selected food products.

production, especially by modern cows, is much more efficient than meat

production (Figure 1.7) but less efficient than some plants (e.g. cereals

and soybeans). However, the functional and nutritional properties of milk

proteins are superior to those of soy protein, and since cattle, and

especially sheep and goats, can thrive under farming conditions not

suitable for growing cereals or soybeans, dairy animals need not be

competitors with humans for use of land, although high-yielding dairy

cows are fed products that could be used for human foods. In any case,

dairy products improve the ‘quality of life’, which is a desirable objective

per se.