Dairy Chemistry And Biochemistry

3 Milk lipids

3.1 Introduction

The milks of all mammals contain lipids but the concentration varies widely

between species from c. 2% to greater than 50% (Table 3.1). The principal

function of dietary lipids is to serve as a source of energy for the neonate

and the fat content in milk largely reflects the energy requirements of the

species, e.g. land animals indigenous to cold environments and marine

mammals secrete high levels of lipids in their milks.

Milk lipids are also important:

1. as a source of essential fatty acids (i.e. fatty acids which cannot be
   synthesized by higher animals, especially linoleic acid, &) and fat-
   soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K); and


2. for the flavour and rheological properties of dairy products and foods in
   which they are used.

Because of its wide range of fatty acids, the flavour of milk fat is superior to
that of other fats. In certain products and after certain processes, fatty acids
serve as precursors of very flavourful compounds such as methyl ketones
and lactones. Unfortunately, lipids also serve as precursors of compounds

Table 3.1 The fat content of milks from various species (g I-')

Species Fat content Species Fat content

cow
Buffalo
Sheep
Goat

Dall-sheep
Moose
Antelope
Elephant
Human
Horse
Monkeys
Lemurs
Pig

Musk-ox

33-47

47

40-99

41 -45

109

32-206

39-105

93

85-190

38

19

10-51

8-33

68

Marmoset

Rabbit

Guinea-pig

Snowshoe hare

Muskrat

Mink

Chinchilla

Rat

Red kangaroo

Dolphin

Manatee

Pygmy sperm whale

Harp seal

Bear (four species)

77

183

39

71

110

134

117

103

9-119

62-330

55-215

502- 5 32

108-331

153

From Christie (1995).