1.
raw milk; unpasteurized milk; fresh milk directly from the cow
Milk that has not been pasteurized or processed after being collected from dairy cows. The starting material for all dairy products including drinking milk, butter, cheese, and yogurt.
生乳からバターを作る。
To make butter from raw milk.
北海道は日本最大の生乳生産地だ。
Hokkaido is Japan's largest raw milk production region.
生乳の価格が上昇し、乳製品全体に影響が出ている。
Raw milk prices have risen, affecting all dairy products.
Compound of 生 ('raw; unprocessed') and 乳 ('milk'). The industry and regulatory term for milk as it comes from the cow, before any processing. Distinct from the drinking milk (牛乳) sold in stores, which has been pasteurized.
USAGE:
- A technical/industry term that appears in news about dairy farming, food safety, and agricultural economics.
- 北海道 produces over half of Japan's 生乳, making it central to discussions of Japanese dairy.
- In Japan, selling unpasteurized 生乳 directly to consumers is restricted by food safety law — it must be processed into 牛乳 or other dairy products first.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 生乳の生産: raw milk production
- 生乳の価格: raw milk price
- 生乳生産量: volume of raw milk produced
- 生乳から作る: to make from raw milk
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 牛乳: cow's milk — pasteurized drinking milk as sold in stores
- 乳製品: dairy products — the broader category including cheese, butter, and yogurt
- 脱脂乳: skim milk — milk with the fat removed
- 粉ミルク: powdered milk — dehydrated milk, often for infant formula