NORMAL MILK AND ITS PRODUCTS AS FOOD 7 



milk, is eventually likely to lack in development, because 

 of being unaccustomed to handle other foods, digested 

 with greater difficulty; just as the muscles of an idle 

 person, or one who does little work, are Hkely to become 

 soft and weak. Milk as a food for adults is most effective 

 when used in conjunction with other foods. 



The present extensive and increasing use of milk as a 

 food is due chiefly to five things: 



1. Fresh milk, properly produced and handled, is 



palatable and relished by most people. 



2. All the chief classes of nutrients (proteids, carbo- 



hydrates and fats, and minerals) necessary for the 

 development of the animal and human body are 

 present in such proportions as to render milk most 

 serviceable as a food. 



3. The food constituents are present in milk in such 



form as to make them easily digestible. 



4. Milk is a cheap food. 



5. Milk is a food already prepared by nature. 



Palatability of Cows' Milk. — The palatabihty of milk 

 is due to the fact that the different components of milk 

 are present in such a proportion as to produce a flavor 

 suitable to the majority of people. It is a general principle, 

 that the more volatile and soluble a substance is, the more 

 easily it can be detected by the senses of taste and smell. 

 Some of the natural flavoring substances in milk, though 

 present in very small quantities, are volatile and soluble 

 at a low temperature, so that when warmed in the mouth 

 the flavor is quickly detected. Milk, in order to have its 

 best flavor, should be produced from healthy cows, fed on 

 food that will impart the best flavors, such as well-cured, 

 good, sweet hay, grain, ensilage or roots in winter, and 



