This chapter looks at some of the important physicochemical and physical properties of milk and milk products. Those discussed include pH, redox potential, colligative properties, density, rheological, thermal, surface, optical and electrical properties. Both the composition of raw milk and that of the wide range of products manufactured from milk will vary on a daily basis and most of these properties are influenced by the composition of the product. Some of these properties can be reliably predicted from knowledge of the main components of the milk, whereas for others, such as its rheological properties and its foaming capacity it is not quite so straightforward. In some situations, some of the minor components may have a predominant influence. Studies on many of these properties have been undertaken for a long time and for this reason, much of the pioneering work is contained in some of the earlier literature and it is worthwhile refreshing on this important work. It is important to study physicochemical and physical properties for many reasons. They will help us improve the quality and safety of these products. They provide useful data for food process engineers to design equipment, for pumping, transporting, heating and cooling milk and for converting milk into a range of nutritious products, efficiently and in a way that minimises energy and water utilisation, which are now important environmental issues. It may also be necessary to measure some of these properties, as they will be fundamental indicators of the product quality. This is particularly so for the rheological properties of milk, cream, milk concentrates and fermented products and the properties of powders that may on occasions be difficult to handle. The consumer demands uniformity in its end products, but the milk is variable in its composition, so herein lies the challenge.
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