FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
A. Raw milk is a living organism, and it comes with its own risks and rewards. You must refrigerate the milk as soon as you receive it, and boil it within 24 hours. Boiled milk will last several days in the fridge. If boiled milk has been sitting in the fridge for 3-4 days, you can extend its life by giving it another boil. Pure raw milk is a perishable item. Try to consume it right away.Many members of the MJ Dairy Farms family, and their children, have been drinking the raw milk without boiling it. There are many resources on the internet that discuss the risks and rewards for doing this, and all the latest scientific research. Please boil the milk if you have the slightest doubts.
A. Most people think that our milk is just right, but some people do find it to be thin. There are a number of reasons for this
1. We sell cow milk. We only have cows at our farm as milk animals. Many people are used to buffalo milk, which is thicker
2. A lot of the milk in Pakistan is thickened with artificial agents. We would rather lose a few customers than add anything to our milk to thicken it. Milk in Pakistan is most commonly thickened with pectin and expired baby formula. More unscrupulous vendors add melamine, hydrogen peroxide, urea and detergent. Even though Pakistan is one of the largest producers of milk in the world, we still import powered milk and expired baby formula. Where does all that imported powdered milk go?
3. MJ dairy farms milk is not homogenized. Homogenized milk breaks down the fats in the milk and distributes them evenly. Creamy and thinner parts may appear separately in regular milk, and sometimes this is unsettling for people who are used to industrially homogenized milk.
4. The viscosity and fat content of the milk changes gradually from season to season. Some of it depends on the pregnancy cycles of the cows. Some of it depends on the diet. Early part of the winter we add more fresh greens to the diet. This include barseem clovers andmustard greens. These fresh greens have a high water content, and they thin the milk.
5. Our milk may not appear to be very thick, it is thick in all the right contents. Our average fat content is 4.0-4.5%. 6. Compare this with the 2.5-3.5% fat in the pasteurized milk from the large companies. Some of this lower fat milk appears to be “thicker”. How did that happen?
6. Whatever milk we do not consume ourselves or retail, we wholesale to the larger Tetra Pack companies. They run a number of tests on our milk each day, and pay us a very high premium for our high fat content. They take out the cream and sell it at a premium, and stillmake a profit on the milk. We, and a third party, test our milk almost every single day.
7. We have very strict controls to make sure that nobody can introduce any contaminants into our milk. We will even come to your house to takesamples and send them to the lab. We are obsessed with purity.
A. Our milk will last a couple of weeks in the freezer, possibly longer. Some people notice a difference in the texture of the thawed milk. Some don’t.
A. All of our milk is marketed commercially through our network of a Pakistani milk processor and we do not sell raw milk directly to individuals. Our milk is currently being purchased by milk processor, Fauji Foods Ltd & Engro Foods Ltd, and may be found at supermarkets and retail outlets under different brand names.
A. At MJ Dairy Farms, we are committed to providing you with antibiotic-free milk, yet our commitment to our cows’ health and well-being requires occasional administration of antibiotic treatments. We minimise our use of antibiotics by focusing on preventive measures such as providing proper nutrition and living conditions. In case antibiotics are necessary, they are used cautiously and in accordance with all labels and veterinary guidance. Milk from treated cows is discarded until it is free of
residue, and every load of milk received at the dairy processing plant is tested prior to being unloaded to ensure its quality and safety.
A. Our cows are kept in regularly cleaned and disinfected barns with dry and clean bedding. Our cows are milked in our fully advanced milking parlor (DeLaval) with the help of experienced staff in a clean and hygienic environment. All the standard protocols for proper milking are strictly followed throughout the entire milking process. During milking, the milk is automatically and immediately shifted to the cooling tank for refrigeration. The hygiene of milking equipment is achieved through the automated parlor cleaning system after each milking. Bacterial count, aflatoxin levels and milk composition are checked regularly through standard tests on daily and weekly basis to ensure the highest quality of milk. We specially focus on the cleanliness and hygiene of our staff and milking parlor
A. Unfortunately, we do not offer tours due to a very busy schedule.