STANDARDIZATION OF A RAPID METHOD TO ANALYSE TOTAL SOLIDS CONTENT IN PACKETED READY TO DRINK MILK

Abstract

The quality parameters of milk are regularly measured for commercial reasons,for trade, for legal requirements and for reasons of nutrition. The constituents other than water are known as total solids. The total solids of milk are determined simply by The Reference Standard Gravimetric Method which consumed much more time making its less applicability in routine quality Control purposes in milk plant operations. A number of substitute methods have been developed to make testing for milk solids faster, easier, and less expensive. Numerous formulae have been proposed for rapid estimation of total solids. Richmond’s formula is a rapid method to calculate total solids content in milk, limits its applicability elsewhere in the world due to compositional, seasonal variations of the milk or its products. Therefore this study was carried out to standardize the Richmond’s formula as an applicable to estimate total solids content in Ultra High temperature treated, packeted Ready to Drink milk products.Total solids content of 180 samples from four types of Ultra High Temperature treated Ready to Drink milk were estimated using both Standard Gravimetric method and Richmond’s formula. The difference between two methods was evaluated statistically and the relationships between variables were identified in order to modify the formula. The results indicated that, there was a difference between two methods in all four types of products. It was found that, there were linear relationships between variables in Milo, Chocolate and Vanilla samples while no relationship found among variables in Nestomalt.