餐桌上的进化论：大有学问的常温奶 UHT milk: what it is and why it’s good for you

餐桌上的进化论：大有学问的常温奶
UHT milk: what it is and why it’s good for you

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Richard Evershed, a biogeochemist at the University of Bristol,has used a new technology to conduct radiocarbon dating of animal fat residues found on pottery.
Evershed’s research team separated compounds of up to two grams from pottery samples and detected very small traces of fatty acid carbon in milk, cheese and meat residues. The new technology could help reveal the dietary changes of prehistoric creatures. 
Evershed’s discovery has been listed among the “Top 10 Discoveries of 2020” by Archaeology, an influential journal published by the Archaeological Institute of America.
岁末将至，美国考古界权威杂志、由美国考古学会出版的《Archaeology》杂志公布了“2020年十大考古发现”。其中一项发现是布里斯托尔大学的生物地球化学家理查德•埃弗谢德使用了新的技术直接对陶器上的动物脂肪残留物进行放射性碳年代测定。他的团队能够从陶器样品中分离出仅重达两克的化合物，并检测出牛奶、奶酪或肉类残留物中残留的极少量的脂肪酸碳。这项技术可以揭示史前生物的饮食变化。

Diet has always been a subject of great interests in archaeology, as it offers important clues for the study of human development. Research has found that frescoes in a temple in Babylon dating back about 6,000 years are the earliest historical records of humanscultivating and drinking milk. Milk's values are not limited to its nutrients. A closer study of it over the centuries could reveal the change and development of human society and even patterns of global civilizations.
在考古历史上，关于饮食的研究一直都是研究人类发展的重要方向。法国最新研究表明，6000年前古巴比伦一座神庙中的壁画，便是迄今为止发现的关于人类获取和饮用牛奶的最早历史记录。研究牛奶史对于揭示人类居所的变迁与开拓以及人类文明社会的发展都具有重要意义。

Milk and dairy products were not popular in Europe until the 19th century. As milk was not easy to preserve and was apt to sour it became a breeding ground for bacteria without refrigeration. .For that reason milk was once banished as a food for the poor and the rich kept it at a distance.
在19世纪之前的欧洲，牛奶和其乳制品其实还尚未普及。由于牛奶不易保存，在常温下容易滋生大量细菌，所以牛奶一度是穷人无奈下的食物选择，有钱人则对它敬而远之。

New technologies changed that. Pasteurization, developed in the mid-19th century,gradually helped milk become a popular consumer good. With the emergence of trains and the advent of refrigerators in the 20th century, milk could be transported and became easier to preserve and gradually more popular worldwide.
随后，技术的发展为牛奶的流行带来了新的机遇。19世纪中期，巴斯德灭菌法出现，牛奶逐渐进入大众消费视野。到了20世纪，随着火车的出现使运输牛奶更为便捷以及冰箱的问世是的牛奶更易保存，牛奶逐渐在全球范围内流行起来。

Then came a major breakthrough. UHT (ultra high temperature) technologyrevolutionized milk consumption. In the 1960s, aseptic packaging and UHT treatment pushed the boundaries of sterilized milk processing, significantly expanding the transportation range of milk products while greatly improving their shelf life and safety. In Western European countries, the market share of UHT milk increased from merely 16% in 1974 to 54% in 2000.
UHT无菌技术为牛奶发展史带来了革命性突破。20世纪60年代，无菌灌装技术与UHT技术完美结合，从而使灭菌乳工艺得以发展，被各国广泛使用，大大提升了牛奶的保质期和安全性。UHT无菌技术扩大了牛奶的运输半径，一面市就受到了广泛的欢迎。在西欧国家，从1974年到2000年，UHT奶市场份额从16%上升到54%。

Market acceptance, just like Rome, wasn’t built in one day and there have always been doubters and rumors along the way. China, in early days a stranger to UHT, was no exception.
然而，先进技术的出现总是伴随着质疑与谣言。尤其在与西方国家相比饮用牛奶时间较短的我国，有关UHT技术制作的常温奶的谣言层出不穷。

There are still doubters wondering if preservatives were added, given that the storage time of UHT milk can be as long as five to eight months. Those privy to what UHT technology is will realize how unfounded that idea is.

UHT (ultra high temperature) sterilization milk, as the name indicates,involves treating milk at a high temperature (usually at least 135 ºC or 275°F) for one or two seconds .
UHT技术下，常温奶的储藏时间被大大延长，可以储存5-8个月。便有人怀疑其中是否添加了防腐剂。实际上了解了UHT技术的原理，便可知道防腐剂一说纯属无稽之谈。

UHT technology can basically eliminate bacteria. In a hermetically sealed environment, milk processed in this way can be kept for several months or even longer without refrigeration. Therefore, its safety level is higher as it poses a lower risk of bacteria and microbial toxins.
常温奶是在超高温（通常高于135℃）下保持一两秒钟，英文为：Ultra - high temperature instantaneous sterilization，因此简称为UHT。经过UHT技术，牛奶中基本上不可能还有细菌存活。在密封条件下，经过这样处理的牛奶不用冷藏，也可以保持几个月甚至更长。因此，从细菌和毒素的角度来说，常温奶的安全性还会更高一些。

There are also concerns about UHT milk’s nutritional value. Some fear that high temperature will hurt its original nutritional components.
常温奶最多被误解的是其营养价值，认为过高温度的处理会使牛奶失去原有的营养价值。

UHTtechnology, however, uses a stringent heating approach in which the rich protein and calcium in milk are not lost. Thus the nutritional value of UHT milk is not inferior to other milk products, as has been proved numerous times by authoritative institutions and scientists.
通过对UHT技术的介绍，我们知道UHT是更“严苛”的加热条件，但是牛奶中富含的蛋白质和钙并不会因UHT而有所损失。常温奶的营养价值并不逊色于其它奶品，这一点已被权威机构及科学家盖棺定论。

According to dietary guidelines issued by the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, UHT milk is fresh milk, and if unopened does not need refrigeration for storage since it uses a distinct process to kill bacteria while maintaining its flavor and nutrition.
美国农业部的食物与营养服务机构在一份膳食指南中提到：“UHT奶是鲜奶，未启封不需要冷藏，该产品用了一种加工方法，杀灭了细菌但保持了牛奶的风味和营养价值”。

At a seminar held by the China Food Information Center in 2019, experts from the China Food Safety Risk Assessment Center, the Nutrition and Health Institute of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Peking University, China Agricultural University, the China National Research Institute of Food and Fermentation Industries andthe Health Communication Society of the Chinese Preventive Medicine Association all agreed that consumers are free to choose whatever dairy products they like on the Chinese market since milk products, including pasteurized milk, milk powder and yoghurt as well as UHT milkare all good and safe sources of high-quality protein and calcium.
科信食品与营养信息交流中心2019年召开的“健康中国 乳品助力”专家研讨会上，国家食品安全风险评估中心、中国疾病与预防控制中心营养与健康所、北京大学、中国农业大学、中国食品发酵工业研究院、中华预防医学会健康传播分会等专业机构已就常温奶达成一致意见：市场上的乳制品，包括常温奶、巴氏奶、奶粉及酸奶等都是补充蛋白质和钙的优质来源，消费者根据喜好、条件选择即可。
 
From a global perspective, UHT milk's market shares vary, influenced by each country’s circumstances such as drinking habits, milk sources, production conditions, storage and transportation, and really have nothing to do with UHT milk’s nutritional value. 
从世界范围来看， UHT灭菌奶的市场占有率与各国的饮用习惯、奶源及生产情况、储运条件等决定的，与其营养成分没关系。

UHT milk’s market shares in Belgium, Spain, and Portugal reach as high as 96.7%, 95.7%, and 92.9% respectively. In Germany and Italy it’s about 60% and in Switzerland it’s nearly 50%. 
很多国家以UHT奶为主，如比利时UHT奶的市场占有率为96.7%，西班牙为95.7%，葡萄牙为92.9%，德国和意大利均接近60%，瑞士为近50%；

In France, the birthplace of pasteurization, UHT milk has an impressive market share of 95.5%. Britain also plans to improve its UHT milk market share to 90% by 2020. Markets in countries like Japan, the United States and New Zealand may have less impressive shares for UHT milkbecause they have highly-developed animal husbandry and dairy industries.
即使在巴氏奶及其加工工艺——巴氏灭菌法的发源地法国，UHT奶的市场份额更高达95.5%。英国为了环保也计划在2020年让UHT奶达到90%。而在日本、美国、新西兰等国家UHT奶占有率低则与其国家畜牧业与奶业发达有关系。

The safety and quality of milk sources deserve more attention.▲安全健康的奶源更值得关注

Therefore, we should ensure that the sources of UHT milk are safe and reliable, instead of worrying about its shelf life and nutritional value. The nutrients of UHT milk are always stable during the product’s shelf life while its fragrance, purity and good taste are preserved. Nevertheless we should ensure that UHT milk is derived from high quality sources such as standardized and modern pastures. 
因此，担心UHT奶的保质期与营养价值，不如去关注牛奶的奶源是否安全可靠。而为了在保质期内确保牛奶营养物质始终处于稳定的状态，具有香浓、纯净、润滑的口感，UHT牛奶需要用标准化、现代化牧场的优质奶源做为原料奶。

Today, milk products on the market in China with a shelf life of six months are all rich in nutrients and taste. Sampling tests in various provinces and cities have shown that they have the highest qualification rates and are safe and reliable.
现在市场上保质期在6个月的牛奶都是富含营养物质、口感很好的产品，从国家各省市的抽检数据看，乳制品也是合格率最高、最安全可靠的食品。

Technology has brought great convenience to our lives and provided a plenitude of healthy food. For centuries, people have been drinking milk. Right now the average milk consumption per person in the world is about 70 kg per year, and the figure in developed countries has reached 200 kg. 
技术发展为我们的生活带来了无穷便利，也使我们的餐桌更加丰富和健康。牛奶的饮用史发展至今日，世界上平均每人每年饮奶70公斤左右，发达国家已经达到200公斤。

The dairy industry plays an essential role in promoting the “Healthy China” Initiative, and milk is an indispensable element of the diet of many Chinese. 
健康中国，离不开奶业，牛奶更是很多国人饮食里不可缺少的内容。

China is catching up in its consumption of dairy products. Its dual priorities are greater milk consumption and better product safety. The market will prove that worries about UHT milk’s nutritional values are really a nonissue.
中国居民乳制品摄入量少，且结构单一，我们的当务之急是提高国人饮用牛奶量、提高牛奶饮用安全。而一些消费者担心高温灭菌会破坏营养等问题实际上无须多虑，不同加工方式对牛奶营养成分影响并不大。