Effect of Ultrafiltration of Milk Prior to Fermentation on Mass Balance and Process Efficiency in Greek-Style Yogurt Manufacture

Application of Functional and Edible Coatings and Films as Promising Strategies for Developing Dairy Functional Products—A Review on Yoghurt Case

Edible coatings and films appear to be a very promising strategy for delivering bioactive compounds and probiotics in food systems when direct incorporation/inoculation is not an option. The production of dairy products has undergone radical modifications thanks to nanotechnology. Despite being a relatively new occurrence in the dairy sector, nanotechnology has quickly become a popular means of increasing the bioavailability and favorable health effects of a variety of bioactive components. The present review describes, in detail, the various processes being practiced worldwide for yoghurt preparation, microencapsulation, and nanotechnology-based approaches for preserving and/or enriching yoghurt with biologically, and its effect on health and in treating various diseases. In the case of yoghurt, as a perfect medium for functional ingredients supplementation, different gums (e.g., alginate, xanthan gum, and gum arabic), alone or in combination with maltodextrin, seem to be excellent coatings materials to encapsulate functional ingredients. Edible coatings and films are ideal carriers of bioactive compounds, such as antioxidants, antimicrobials, flavors, and probiotics, to improve the quality of dairy food products. Yoghurt is regarded as a functional superfood with a variety of health benefits, especially with a high importance for women’s health, as a probiotic. Consumption of yoghurt with certain types of probiotic strains which contain γ-linolenic acid or PUFA can help solve healthy problems or alleviate different symptoms, and this review will be shed light on the latest studies that have focused on the impact of functional yoghurt on women’s health. Recently, it has been discovered that fermented milk products effectively prevent influenza and COVID-19 viruses. Bioactive molecules from yoghurt are quite effective in treating various inflammations, including so-called “cytokine storms” (hypercytokinaemia) caused by COVID-19.

Thermosonicated whey protein concentrate blends on quality attributes of reduced fat Panela cheese

Aiming at producing a reduced fat cheese (RFC) as an alternative to full-fat Panela cheese, a highly consumed fresh Mexican dairy product, thermosonication (TS) processes (24 kHz, 400 W nominal power, 2, 4 and 6 min; 50, 55 and 60 °C) were evaluated to treat WPC (80% protein) blended with reduced-fat milk (1 and 2% fat), which were later LTLT pasteurized. TS blends were compared in terms of their technological properties (water holding capacity-WPC, gel firmness- GF, color, pH and titratable acidity) with those of a regular full fat (3%) LTLT pasteurized milk used as a control. Afterwards, a regression analysis was carried out with the obtained data in order to select the most appropriate conditions for cheesemaking purposes (similar GF, higher WHC with respect to the control), minimize both fat content and TS treatment duration to minimize energy expenses. According to these restrictions, the selected conditions were 1.5% fat milk-WPC blend, TS treated at 60 °C for 120 s; 1% fat milk-WPC blend, TS treated at 50 °C for 120 s and 1% fat milk-WPC blend, 50 °C for 144 s, which allowed preparing low fat cheeses (LFCs). These TS treatments were applied in a larger scale to elaborate Panela-type LFCs comparing different technological properties (cheese yield, syneresis, water content, texture profile analysis, color and titratable acidity) with those of a full fat variety, at day 1 and during 14 days of refrigerated storage. Results showed similar texture profiles of LFC cheeses and full fat milk cheeses throughout their storage period with significant changes in composition parameters (higher moisture, protein and salt contents, with low fat percentages), syneresis, selected color parameters (hue, b*), with no observed changes in cheese yield, TA and pH during cheese storage. These promising results are encouraging to develop LFCs with no physicochemical or technological defects using novel processing techniques that may help reducing calorie consumption without compromising sensory acceptability.

Strategies for lowering the added sugar in yogurts

The rising awareness about the adverse health effects of high sugar consumption has led to regulatory amendments for triggering sugar reduction in food products. Sugar reduction in yogurt is a challenging endeavor due to the changes in taste, flavor, texture, maintenance of food functionality, shelf-life, cost and consumer acceptability. A review of the scientific literature, patents, and web articles revealed several approaches being explored by the dairy industry to reduce the sugar addition. A careful assessment of these strategies and their critical analysis is presented in this review. The strategies for sugar reduction involve multifaceted approaches including the use of alternative low-calorie sweeteners, honey, fruit preparations, novel cultures, lactase addition, inulin fiber addition, and flavor interventions. Much of the work so far has focused on development of low-calorie alternative sweeteners, and novel sweeteners-based solutions are evolving. The use of food structuring approaches remains to be explored for sugar reduction in yogurt.