Milk
Quality milk - from our cows to your doorstep
The journey begins in the lush emerald pastures surrounding the Manchester area, nourished only by rain and sunlight.
The dairy herds can roam freely among hectors of arable land set aside for grazing. This diet changes for only a few months each year when the cows are fed hay through the winter.
Our milk production starts very early in the morning, with the mashgiach arriving in the farm in time for the 3.45am milking. After the usual thorough checks and final approval from the mashgiach, the herdsman can commence with the milking. Several hours later with the milk being cooled to around 4 degrees the milk is then collected by a tanker and taken to Golden Valley’s unique kosher milk factory.
Using our own dedicated kosher machinery, which is sealed by the mashgiach after each use, the milk is immediately pasteurised at high temperatures to ensure any harmful bacteria that may be present are removed, the milk is then homogenised to break down the fat so that the cream doesn’t separate once in the bottle. This is then bottled as whole milk.
To produce skimmed milk the milk goes through a further stage and is passed through a separator, where it is skimmed to remove all the cream. The milk that is left after all the cream has been removed is bottled as skimmed milk, with virtually no fat, and the remaining cream sold on as whipping cream. In order to produce semi-skimmed milk, the two types of milk are mixed together to produce milk with a 1.8% fat content. The milk is then bottled into the various size containers, labelled and taken into the cooled storage area.
The fresh milk is then delivered straight to our strategically located depot in the local area, where our milkmen collect and load it onto the vans and then deliver this straight to your doorstep where you can feel the freshness in every drop of fresh and pure milk.
Yoghurts
Produced in our own factory
Golden Valley Yogurts are produced in the only exclusively kosher milk production factory in Europe staffed entirely by shomrei Torah u’mitzvos.
The milk for Golden Valley products is sourced from farms located within walking distance to the dairy it is so fresh that it is usually produced the same day it is milked.
All the machinery in the factory is only ever used for kosher productions.
When the milk for yogurt production is brought into the factory from the farm, it is pumped from the tanker via special filters into a pasteurization chamber, where it is pasteurized at 78˚C and then instantly cooled down. It is then next heated to 40 ˚C and ingredients such as sugar and other substances which contribute to the ultimate flavour and texture of the yogurt are added.
The enhanced milk is then heated again, this time to around 85˚C. This double pasteurization is an extra precaution, as the higher temperature will destroy any remaining pathogens or bacteria which may have survived the first pasteurization. The milk is left at this high temperature for about 30 minutes. It is then cooled to the yogurt incubation temperature of around 42 ˚C at which point the yogurt cultures are added. The mixture is then mixed with special equipment for five minutes to ensure even distribution of the culture and then transferred to an incubation tank.
Five or six hours later, the yogurt will be ready and it is cooled and transferred to pots. At this point, the flavours are added. Golden Valley uses a range of natural flavourings, sourced from reputable kosher suppliers, authorised Machzikei Hadass Manchester.
Flavours include strawberry, cherry, peach and apricot, toffee and vanilla, as well as natural, unflavoured yogurt.
The yogurt is then refrigerated at a temperature of less than 3 ˚C, at which point it is transferred in refrigerated lorries and distributed to your local kosher grocery shop.
Golden Valley’ delicious yogurt is made with healthy semi-skimmed milk, which combines the benefits of lower fat, with the taste of a higher fat content.
We are hoping to expand the range further in the near future.
Golden Valley’ exclusive kosher production fulfils all Food Hygiene requirements to the highest standards and ensures that our delicious products make the transition from farm to table in the shortest possible time, providing the heimishe kehillah with tasty and nutritious foods.
Milk - an important source of Calcium
While milk products aren’t the only source of calcium, enjoying them as part of a healthy diet makes it easier to meet our needs for calcium and many other nutrients needed for bone health. Calcium is particularly important for the health of our children whilst they are growing up.
Calcium is essential for growing strong bones and teeth during childhood and adolescence. Having strong bones helps to protect against fractures when you are older. Calcium is also needed for our heartbeat, blood pressure control and muscle function.
Milk products, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt, are the main source of calcium in the diet. Milk and milk products contain good amounts of calcium that has good bioavailability, meaning that it is easily accessible to the body. In contrast, most plant sources contain lower amounts of calcium and/or calcium that’s less bioavailable, meaning it’s less available to the body.
Golden Valley milk is naturally enriched with the antioxidant Selenium, something that up to 90% of the UK population is deficient in. The producers add a natural, traceable safe source of organic yeast Selenium to the cow’s diets which optimises the selenium levels to enhance the cow’s health and performance. According to experts in the field, the human benefits of Selenium can be facilitating a healthy immune system, maintaining a healthy thyroid gland, sustaining male fertility, helping to prevent heart disease and it is also believed to slow down the onset of Alzheimer’s Dementia
