During their handling and processing, milk and dairy products are subjected to stringent analytical controls to guarantee their composition and quality.
Commission Regulation (EC) No 273/2008, of 5 March 2008, lays down parameters to determine the reference limits and methods for the chemical, physical and microbiological analysis, and for the organoleptic evaluation, of milk and dairy products.
It also states that other methods can be used, as long as they are properly calibrated and are regularly checked against the reference method. One of the determining parameters is fat content.
Fat content determination is of great importance because:
This parameter impacts on the price paid per liter of milk.
It is used to determine if a sample of milk or cheese complies with established legal values.
It is necessary to know its value to classify the milk for the preparation of derivatives.