FFA Dairy Foods CDE Practice Test 2025 – Comprehensive Exam Prep

Lipolized and oxidized flavors are specific off-flavors that can develop in milk after it has been drawn from the cow, primarily due to the actions of enzymes and microbial activity. Lipolized flavor occurs when lipases, enzymes that break down fats, are activated in the milk, leading to the release of free fatty acids that impart a rancid taste. This flavor can be more pronounced if the milk is not handled properly, such as during poor refrigeration or prolonged storage.

Oxidized flavor develops when milk is exposed to light or air, which can cause certain compounds, like carotenoids and riboflavin, to react. This reaction can lead to off-flavors often described as cardboard or “light-struck” taste.

In contrast, the other options presented—homogenized and pasteurized, sweetened and flavored, and raw and unprocessed—either refer to processes that happen during the initial handling of milk or to characteristics of milk itself, rather than flavors that develop specifically due to storage or exposure after milking. Thus, the development of lipolized and oxidized flavors specifically pertains to changes that occur post-milking.