an extensive group of food products made from milk.

Milk is processed into various products in order to increase its stability in storage and at the same time preserve its most valuable nutritional substances. Butter-making and cheese-making are long-existing milk-processing methods. More recently, the production of canned and bottled milk and of fermented milk products has been developed. The many types of dairy products contain fats, proteins, and carbohydrates in readily assimilable form. The production of nonfat milk products (including pot cheese and fermented milk beverages) is increasing. The lactic acid formed in a number of dairy products inhibits the development of putrefactive processes in the human digestive tract.