Milkfat quality ensured by new ISO/IDF standard

Brussels, 21 June 2010 – A new ISO/IDF standard providing testing requirements and guidelines to determine the fat content of milk has just been released. Originally applicable to cows milk only, the methodology can now be used for sheep and goats milk, whether full fat, reduced fat or skimmed, as well as chemically preserved and processed liquid milk.

Besides the extended scope, this ISO 1211|IDF 1:2010 standard entitled Milk Determination of fat content Gravimetric method (Reference method) established new precision figures for different types of milk. The dairy industry and the relevant laboratories are now in a position to compare their own analytical precision with these limits. The standard which is applicable for different types of products enables laboratories to avoid additional internal validation steps.

The fat content of milk is an important quality factor of milk and milk products. The application of this new revised standard throughout the dairy chain will bring major benefits for the producer as well as for the consumer. In a context of quality assurance, standardization is one of the fundamental steps towards the analytical equivalence. Harmonized test procedures allow the comparison of different products from various manufacturers. says Silvia Orlandini, IDF/ISO Project Leader for this edition of the standard (ISO 1211|IDF 1 ).

ISO 1211|IDF 1 has been an important standard in the milk industry since 1969 when it was first published by IDF. The up-to-date standard will be useful to engineers and developers in the dairy industry, regulatory authorities and research institutions, and the farming sector.

ISO 1211|IDF 1 was prepared by an IDF/ISO Project Group of the Standing Committee on Analytical Methods for Composition, in collaboration with the ISO technical committee ISO/TC 34, Food products, subcommittee SC 5, Milk and milk products.

ISO 1211|IDF 1:2010, Milk Determination of fat content Gravimetric method (Reference method) is available on the IDF website in the publications section.

IDF and ISO have a long history of working together to develop and jointly publish standards methods of analysis and sampling for milk and derivative products. Some other related examples of ISO-IDF collaboration include fat content determination standards for cheese and processed cheese products, dried milk and dried milk products, evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk, whey cheese, milk-based infant foods, milk based edible ices and ice mixes, skimmed milk, whey and buttermilk and caseins and caseinates.

Founded in 1903, The International Dairy Federation represents the dairy sector worldwide by providing the best global source of scientific expertise and knowledge in support of the development and promotion of quality milk and dairy products to deliver consumers with nutrition, health and well-being.