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The history of Indian Milk Products is perhaps
as old as Indian civilisation itself. Even as our ancestors began
to domesticate milch animals, they found innovative ways to convert
highly perishable milk into more stable and longer lasting milk
products. It is a part of Indian
culture to revere cows, and Kings of yore often gifted cattle as
rewards to their kinsmen. Therefore, it is not surprising that Indians
have a deep rooted tradition of using milk and milk products. It
is a customary practice to grace Indian ceremonies and functions
with ghee, butter and sweets made from mawa (khoa), chhana
and chakka.
When we say 'Indian' milk products we tend to
distinguish such products from Western milk products such as cheese,
yogurt, ice-creams, sweetened condensed milk and butter oil. However,
we do have parallels for all such western products in the form of
paneer, curd/lassi, kulfi, rabri and ghee.
Perhaps, the only major western milk product
where it is difficult to draw comparisons is milk powder. In the
days following Independence, we have generally concentrated our
efforts in encouraging milk production through marketing of liquid
milk, either as fresh milk or with the help of recombining milk
powder and white butter. This was done for three reasons. Firstly,
to encourage consumption of liquid milk since it provides nutrition
in a more wholesome manner as compared to milk products. Secondly,
as compared to value added milk products, liquid milk has always
remained far more affordable. Thirdly, liquid milk has always been
in demand for use as a whitener with tea and coffee.
Over the years, efforts at expanding liquid milk availability —
through increased milk production — has resulted in per capita
availability of liquid milk growing from 107 grams per day in 1970
to a current level of more than 200 grams per day.
The opportunity provided by increased availability of liquid milk
can now be used for efficiently manufacturing and marketing Indian
milk products with long shelf life. This will help in tapping the
potential demand for Indian milk products in both the domestic and
foreign markets.
I commend the efforts of Dairy India to combine
the learning experiences of the dairy industry in manufacture of
Indian milk products with new processes, technologies and modern
management. I expect this effort to
contribute in bringing about a new approach for offering quality
Indian milk products.
Dr V Kurien, Father of White
Revolution; Founder-Chairman, National Dairy Development Board;
and Chairman, Gujarat Cooperative Milk and Marketing Federation
Ltd (Amul)
Order the handbook.
Have queries? Contact
us.
E-mail:
mail@indianmilkproducts.com
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| White
Revolution-II |
"Time has come for
the second phase of the White Revolution to focus on the traditional
milk products by the application of modern technology for their
large-scale production".
- Times Agriculture Journal,
Mumbai |
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