Rennet Effects and Partitioning of Bacterial Cultures During Quarg Cheese Manufacture

Fat-free fermented concentrated milk products as milk protein-based microgel dispersions: Particle characteristics as key drivers of textural properties

The popularity of fat-free fermented concentrated milk products, such as fresh cheeses and high-protein yogurt, has increased over the recent years, attributed to greater availability and improvements in taste and texture. These improvements have been achieved through modifications and new developments in processing technologies, for example, higher heat treatment intensities and incorporating different membrane filtration technologies. Though numerous processing parameters are discussed in the literature, as well as reasons behind the developments, detailed examinations of how process modifications affect the final textural attributes of these products are lacking. To draw links between processing parameters and texture, we review the literature on fat-free fermented concentrated milk products from the perspective of fermented milk protein-based microgel particles as the basic structural unit. At each main processing step, relationships between process parameters, micro- and macrostructural and sensory (textural) properties are discussed.An overview of particle characteristics that drive structural changes at each processing step is developed in relation to textural characteristics. Using this approach of assessing relationships between structural characteristics of concentrated dispersions of fat-free fermented milk protein-based microgel particles and processing parameters provides a basic context for the selection of optimal parameters to achieve a desired texture.

Lactose absorption by postweaning rats from yogurt, quarg, and quarg whey

Lactose-intolerant postweaning rats were fed experimental diets including yogurt, quargs prepared from yogurt culture and buttermilk culture, and two types of whey obtained from quarg processing. After feeding each diet for a period of 7 d, absence of blood glucose elevation and occurrence of diarrhea were used as indicators of lactose malabsorption. Blood glucose assays and absence of diarrhea indicated that yogurt and quargs prepared from yogurt and buttermilk culture were well tolerated by the rats. Wheys containing the same levels of viable organisms and lactose as the quargs caused severe symptoms of diarrhea and poor lactose absorption as indicated by no changes in blood glucose levels. Plate counts and enzyme assays of gastrointestinal contents confirmed presence of viable culture organisms and beta-galactosidase activity after feeding the two types of quarg. The availability of viable organisms, the exogenous lactase activity, and especially the slow gastric emptying may all have contributed to more efficient hydrolysis and digestion of lactose from quargs and yogurt than from the wheys.