Dairy chemistry and physics

Milk and products made from it affect the lives of a large proportion of the world's population. Many dairy products are consumed at times and in places far removed from the point at which the milk was produced. This is made possible by the chemical and physical treatments and fractionations applied to milk by modern technology. These treatments are designed to preserve the nutritional value of the milk constituents in the form of palatable products. As food technology in general becomes more advanced and more sophisticated, there is less need for specific commodity technology; on the other hand, there is more need for specific knowledge of raw materials and the effects of various processing treatments on them. - From the Preface to Dairy Chemistry and Physics