New Dairy Directions

Be it from yak, goat or cow, milk as a foodstuff has been around nearly as long as man. Even commercial products are not new. Powdered milk was developed in the early 1800s, and evaporated milk is more than 100 years old. With such a well-established category, what could possibly be new?

Fortunately for the food scientist, dairy continues to innovate.

Power of proteins

“Whey protein is showing up in a variety of mainstream categories,” says Kara McDonald, director of ingredient marketing and communications, Dairy Management Inc.™, Rosemont, IL. “In the past, it has been overdeveloped around young and active males, but it is now becoming more mainstream and popular among women.”

Whey protein’s branched-chain amino acids stimulate muscle-building synthesis following exercise. Increased muscle tissue decreases body fat. Whey protein isolate (WPI) is often used in drinks, because “it can deliver a clear end product,” McDonald notes.

With whey, customization is key to diverse use. For example, cold-membrane-processed MPI (CM-MPI), produced by Protient, Inc., St. Paul, MN, is unique in its physicochemical properties. “CM-MPI retains the physical and biological functionalities of both undenatured whey proteins and casein micelles,” says Ewan Ha, Ph.D., vice president of technology, Protient. The product also “retains most of milk’s calcium,” he says. “Therefore, any nutritional and RTD beverage products containing more than 5 grams of CM-MPI per serving can be labeled as a ‘good source of calcium.’”

Ha notes that CM-MPI shows excellent solubility, heat stability, dispersibility, emulsion capacity and foam stability, and has a bland, clean flavor note. With its low lactose and fat content, CM-MPI is a good choice for low-carbohydrate, low-fat, protein-fortified nutritional beverages in the neutral pH range, he notes.

An advantage of milk protein isolate (MPI) over WPI is that MPI has high heat stability and excellent solubility, although it tends to precipitate at low pH. It also has good foam and emulsion stability. Applications include beverages, ice cream, cheese, milk enhancement and protein bars.

Milk protein concentrate, once available exclusively from overseas, is becoming readily available from several U.S. manufacturers. “Dessert-friendly categories for milk protein concentrates would be smoothies, protein meal bars and a chocolate-coated truffle with a milky center fortified with calcium and vitamin D,” McDonald says.

Lowering fat

The movement toward lower fat and sugar reduction in dairy requires development savvy.

The trick to reducing fat is replacing its creamy mouthfeel. “There are specific gels or gel systems which can mimic fat,” says Joshua Brooks, vice president of sales, Gum Technology Corporation, Tucson, AZ. “A blend of konjac, alginate, cellulose gel and xanthan will provide the smooth, creamy texture of fat, while also acting as a moisture binder. This would be an excellent stabilizer for a low-fat ice cream, for example, since you would also have a freeze/thaw-stable product.”

Cargill Texturizing Solutions, Wayzata, MN, developed several systems centered on fiber to significantly reduce fat and protein without loss of texture and mouthfeel. “These same systems can also help to make a product more healthful by reducing total fat, saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol,” says Bob Loesel, technical manager, dairy applications, Cargill Texturizing Solutions.

Cream sauces are another area where cost-effective ingredients can extend dairy. CF Chefs Ingredients, Dallas, offers product used as a 1:1 replacement for 31% to 36% cream in sauces, according to Sanford Dalton, general manager, CF Chefs Ingredients. “It has the same texture and mouthfeel of cream, with a stronger, more-stable emulsion,” he says. “It allows the product developer to reduce the fat levels of sauces, as it has about half the fat, saturated fat and trans fat of regular cream. It is also significantly lower in cholesterol than regular cream.”

However, keep in mind that dairy products are subject to FDA standards of identity with minimum levels of fat and dairy solids. “We are seeing some interest in nonstandard frozen desserts, where you can go outside the legal definition of ice cream and go below legal standards for fat and solids, but with the correct stabilization system, still maintain the desirable eating qualities of regular ice cream,” says Loesel.

There are also ways to reduce fat and costs yet retain label terms that are familiar and appealing to consumers. “If the name of a product infers that cream is in the product, then cream must remain on the label; however, a percentage of the cream could be replaced with our ingredient,” Dalton says.

Transglutaminase (TG) builds structure in yogurt and cheese, and also delivers cost savings by reducing the amount of milk protein needed. “In cheese processing, TG acts to bind additional whey protein within the cheese itself to enhance overall product yields,” says Joe Formanek, Ph.D., associate director, business development and application innovation, Ajinomoto Food Ingredients, Chicago. In yogurt, TG maintains texture while allowing a reduction in nonfat solids.