272 THE MILK QUESTION 



position of buttermilk is quite similar to that of skim milk, 

 though it contains slightly less protein and sugar and a very 

 little more fat. An ordinary glass of buttermilk would con- 

 tain about as much nourishment as half a pint of oysters 

 or two ounces of bread or a good-sized potato. 



During the manufacture of butter from cream the fat 

 globules coalesce into masses and lumps, leaving the fluid 

 known as buttermilk. Buttermilk, then, has practically the 

 same composition as skim milk, containing all the essential 

 ingredients of the milk except the butter-fat. As a rule 

 buttermilk is sour, owing to the fact that cream is usually 

 permitted to sour before it is churned. 



Beverages similar to buttermilk are now found upon the 

 market made either from milk containing all or some of 

 its fat, or from skim milk. These preparations are known 

 as "fer-mil-lac," "matzoon," "Bulgarian buttermilk," 

 " cultured buttermilk " and other trade names. 



Condensed milk. Condensed milk, or evaporated milk, 

 according to the standards of purity for food products 

 issued by the Secretary of Agriculture in pursuance of 

 authority given by Congress in the Food and Drugs Act 

 of June 30, 1906, is milk from which a considerable portion 

 of water has been evaporated and contains not less than 

 twenty-eight per cent of milk solids, of which not less than 

 27.5 per cent is milk-fat. 



Sweetened condensed milk is defined as follows : Sweet- 

 ened condensed milk is milk from which a considerable por- 

 tion of water has been evaporated and to which sugar (su- 

 crose) has been added, and contains not less than twenty- 

 eight per cent of milk solids, of which not less than 27.5 

 per cent is milk-fat. 



Milk may be condensed or evaporated by various pro- 

 cesses. The milk may simply be concentrated by evapora- 

 tion in large pans, with the aid of gentle heat and a partial 

 vacuum, until much of the water is abstracted. This leaves 

 a thickened fluid which contains all the nutritive properties 



