Preservation Of Milk Using Botanical Preservatives (Essential Oils)

Essential oils are natural aromatic compounds found in the roots, rhizomes, wood bark, leaves, stems, fruit, flowers and seeds, and other parts of plants. Essential oils contain many complex chemical compounds having anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antiviral properties. Essential oils are highly concentrated and a small amount is very potent and consists of esters, aldehydes, ketones, and alcohols. Preserving milk by adding essential oils is a nontraditional technique in order to satisfy customers need, and the chapter deals in details with application of essential oils in milk and milk products and the different techniques used for masking the strong odor of the oils. Quantification of the minimum and noninhibitory concentration is also discussed in brief along with the mechanism of antimicrobial action.