Question

Carotene in Indian cow's milk causes _ _ _.

• A. Creamish white colour
• B. Yellow colour
• C. Deep yellow colour
• D. No change

Hint:

Buffalo milk looks creamish white because the buffalo converts nearly all carotene into colourless vitamin A, unlike the cow.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Know what carotene is.
Carotene is a yellow orange pigment found in green fodder and grass. Animals that graze on this fodder absorb carotene through the gut, and depending on the species, it may be stored in the milk fat as it is, or converted into colorless vitamin A before reaching the milk.

Step 2: See how the cow handles carotene.
The Indian cow's body does not convert all of the absorbed carotene into vitamin A. A part of the pigment stays as it is and gets deposited in the milk fat. Because carotene itself is yellow, this gives cow's milk a light yellow tinge.

Step 3: Compare with the other options.

(A) Creamish white colour: This describes buffalo milk, not cow's milk. The buffalo converts almost all the carotene into colorless vitamin A, so its milk fat stays white with a creamish shade. Incorrect for cow's milk.

(C) Deep yellow colour: The amount of unconverted carotene in normal cow's milk is small, so the tinge produced is a light or pale yellow, not a deep or intense yellow. Deep yellow overstates the actual shade. Incorrect.

(D) No change: Carotene is a pigment and does affect the colour of the milk fat, so saying there is no change is wrong. Incorrect.

Step 4: Final answer.
The carotene retained in Indian cow's milk gives it a characteristic yellow colour, which is also why cow ghee looks more yellow than buffalo ghee. \[ \boxed{\text{Yellow colour}} \]