DEFINITIONS AND STANDARDS otf MII<K 577 



MILK, CREAM, SKIMMILK AND BUTTERMILK 



On April 17, 1919, the Secretary of Agriculture issued, under 

 Food Inspection Decision 178 1 , the following definitions and 

 standards for milk, cream, skimmilk and buttermilk. These 

 definitions and standards were adopted by the Joint Committee 

 on Definitions and Standards July 30, 1917, and were approved 

 by the Association of American Dairy, Food and Drug Officials 

 August 3, 1917, and by the Association of Official Agricultural 

 Chemists November 21, 1917: 



"1. Milk is the whole, fresh, clean, lacteal secretion ob- 

 tained by the complete milking of one or more healthy cows, 

 properly fed and kept, excluding that obtained within fifteen 

 days before and five days after calving, or such longer period 

 as may be necessary to render the milk practically colostrum- 

 free. 



"2. Skimmed milk is milk from which substantially all of 

 the milk fat has been removed. 



"3. Cream, sweet cream, is that portion of milk, rich in milk 

 fat, which rises to the surface of milk on standing, or is sep- 

 arated from it by centrifugal force. It is fresh and clean. It 

 contains not less than eighteen per cent (18%) of milk fat and 

 not more than two-tenths per cent (0.2%) of acid-reacting sub- 

 stances calculated in terms of lactic acid. 



"4. Whipping cream is cream which contains not less 

 than thirty per cent (30%) of milk fat. 



"5. Pasteurized milk is milk that has been subjected to 

 a temperature not lower than 145 degrees Fahrenheit for not 

 less than thirty minutes. Unless it is bottled hot, it is promptly 

 cooled to 50 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. 



"6. Buttermilk is the product that remains when fat is 

 removed from milk or cream, sweet or sour, in the process of 

 churning. It contains not less than eight and five-tenths per 

 cent (8.5%) of milk solids, not fat. 



"7. Homogenized milk or homogenized cream is milk or 

 cream that has been mechanically treated in such a manner as to 

 alter its physical properties, with particular reference to the 

 condition and appearance of the fat globules." 



1 Mllk and Cream, TJ. S. Department of Agriculture, Food Inspection 

 Decision 178, April 17, 1919. 



