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Illustrative food laboratory analysis

Dairy products | Food analysis

Milk & Dairy Product Testing

Liquid milk, milk powder, paneer and fermented dairy differ in composition, processing and storage. Identify the exact dairy subtype before selecting composition, authenticity or microbiological work.

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Overview

Plan testing for your product

Liquid milk, milk powder, paneer and fermented dairy differ in composition, processing and storage. Identify the exact dairy subtype before selecting composition, authenticity or microbiological work.

The final parameter set, analytical method and sample requirement are confirmed against the product type, applicable specification and testing objective.

Illustrative food laboratory analysis

Questions to resolve

Build the right testing scope

Composition and identity

Select the relevant milk-fat, solids, protein or authenticity question for the declared product.

Processing and storage

Consider pasteurisation, fermentation, cold-chain history and the intended storage period.

Matrix-specific safety

Select organisms or contaminants against the dairy subtype and applicable requirement.

Detailed coverage

Product groups and examples

Liquid milk

Raw, sterilized, pasteurized, toned, double-toned, flavoured, standardized, recombined and lactose-free milk

FSSAI 2.1.2 Standard for Milk

Flavoured milk

Rose, almond, pista, coffee, chocolate, kesar, strawberry, fruit and butterscotch varieties

FSSAI 2.1.3 Standard for Flavoured Milk

Evaporated or concentrated milk

Evaporated milk, partly skimmed milk, evaporated skimmed milk and high-fat milk

FSSAI 2.1.4

Sweetened condensed milk

Sweetened condensed milk

FSSAI 2.1.5

Khoa, cream and malai

Khava, khoya, mawa, high-, medium- and low-fat cream or malai

FSSAI 2.1.6 and 2.1.7

Milk-fat products

Milk fat, butter oil, ghee, anhydrous milk fat and anhydrous butter oil

FSSAI 2.1.8

Butter

Table butter and white or cooking butter

FSSAI 2.1.9

Milk and cream powders

Whole, skimmed and partly skimmed milk powder and cream powder

FSSAI 2.1.10

Dairy whitener and whey powder

High-, medium-, low-fat and skimmed dairy whitener; whey and acid-whey powder

FSSAI 2.1.11 and 2.1.12

Fermented milk products

Yoghurt, curd, dahi, fruit yoghurt, chakka, lassi, chhaach, buttermilk, shrikhand and fruit shrikhand

FSSAI 2.1.13

Ice cream and frozen desserts

Ice cream, kulfi, softy, milk ice, milk lolly, dried mixes and frozen confections

FSSAI 2.1.14 and 2.1.15

Chhana and paneer

Chhana and paneer

FSSAI 2.1.16

Testing scope

These are examples of product matrices for discussion. Confirm the available parameters, method and accredited coverage for the specific sample.

Adulteration and authenticityNutritional analysisFood microbiology

Technical Testing Parameters

The following parameters describe product-specific testing considerations. Test availability, method suitability and accredited coverage are confirmed against the sample and specification before quotation.

Composition

milk fat; solids-not-fat; total solids; protein; lactose; titratable acidity; pH; ash; moisture in powders and cheese.

Process and authenticity

alkaline phosphatase for pasteurised milk; added water; urea; starch; sucrose; detergent; melamine; vegetable-fat substitution where relevant.

Microbiology

aerobic colony count; coliforms; Escherichia coli; coagulase-positive Staphylococcus aureus; Salmonella spp.; Listeria monocytogenes; yeast and mould. Select by dairy subtype and Appendix B.

Contaminants

Aflatoxin M1 for milk-based matrices; lead and arsenic where prescribed; veterinary-drug residues such as chloramphenicol, tetracyclines and sulfonamides; relevant pesticide residues.

Regulatory Standards & Compliance

Product mapping: 2.1.

Use the current product standard and relevant contaminant, additive, microbiological and labelling requirements. Check the original notification and amendments; FSSAI's compendium is a reference aid and does not replace the legal notification.

For microbiology, agree the applicable criterion, sampling plan and test portion. For export or buyer specifications, confirm the destination, analyte and reporting limit separately. A classification code or test report does not itself confer regulatory approval.

Sample preparation and turnaround

Chill pasteurised milk and fresh cheese at 2–8°C; keep frozen dairy frozen; send powders sealed and dry.

Confirm the required quantity, number of unopened units, containers and transport conditions with the laboratory before dispatch. Chemistry portions and sterile microbiology portions may need separate containers; a composite cannot automatically replace an n-unit sampling plan.

Provide the product designation, ingredient list, processing state, batch identity, storage instructions, target market and required specification. Turnaround is confirmed in the quotation after the scope is agreed. Shelf-life, challenge and specialist investigations require a separate study schedule.

Questions about this product

Is a milk panel suitable for paneer and milk powder?

No. Composition limits, processing checks and microbiological criteria differ; define a separate matrix-specific specification.

Why request Aflatoxin M1 rather than only Aflatoxin B1?

Aflatoxin M1 is the milk-associated metabolite of feed-borne Aflatoxin B1. A feed result cannot replace testing of the milk matrix.

Can a NABL report automatically establish FSSAI laboratory recognition?

No. NABL accreditation is scoped by matrix, parameter and method; FSSAI recognition or notification is a separate status to verify.

Explore the evidence

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