Effect of Milk Fat Level, Sugar Concentration, and Refrigerated Storage period on the Chemical Composition of Rabri Prepared from Cow Milk

Abstract

Rabri is a traditional heat-desiccated dairy product prepared by concentrating milk and collecting successive layers of clotted cream formed during slow heating. The present study was conducted in the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (Dairy Technology), C.S.A. University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur. The investigation aimed to evaluate the effects of milk fat level, sugar concentration and refrigerated storage period on the chemical quality of Rabri prepared from cow milk. Chemical analyses included moisture, fat, protein, carbohydrate and ash contents. Milk was standardised to two fat levels, A1 (4.0%) and A2 (4.5%), and four sugar levels, B1 (2%), B2 (4%), B3 (6%) and B4 (8%). The prepared Rabri samples were packed in plastic cups and stored at 5 +/- 1°C for C1 (0), C2 (5), C3 (10), C4 (15), C5 (20) and C6 (25) days. The experiment comprised 48 treatment combinations with three replications under a factorial completely randomised design. Higher milk fat levels increased fat and ash contents, whereas higher sugar levels increased total carbohydrate and ash contents. During storage, fat, carbohydrate and ash contents increased, while moisture and protein contents decreased. Overall, the results indicate that milk fat level, sugar concentration and refrigerated storage period significantly influenced the chemical composition of Rabri.