Milk equivaient and yield of milk products. Calculation methods and use

Abstract

For statistical purposes, it may be sometimes useful when comparing milk product amounts with one another to use their milk equivalent (ME) amounts. This can be accomplished via coefficients of conversion. The coefficients vary depending on whether the calculation method is based on milk and milk product composition, i.e. ME, or the efficiency of milk product process (yield). In subsector analyses yields of milk products and byproducts allow to estimate the original amount of milk needed. The amount of milk needed to process a milk product cannot be added to that of its byproducts. Yield values are about 5 for fresh cheeses, 7.6 for milk powder, 10 for dry cheeses, 22 for butter, 25 for butteroil. However, MEs are generally used on a larger scale to compare markets and these values can then be added to one another. They are nonetheless underestimated since not all products and byproducts are systematically put on the market, nor included in statistics. MEs used the most with the least difficulty are those based on solid contents. Their values are about 2 for condensed milk, 2 for fresh cheeses, 4.4 for dry cheeses, 6.6 for solid butter, 8 for butteroil and 7.6 for milk powder. They are, however, always biased as are other coefficients based on fat content, nonfat solids or combined. When these coefficients are used, the chosen method and used coefficients must always be mentioned.