Dairy Products Fortified with Polyphenols and Probiotics

Project entitled:

Integration of Bioactive Compounds into Rennet Curds

Summary

Dairy products are known for their high nutrient density and considered to be privileged vehicles for transporting bioactive molecules. The development of functional dairy products will allow the dairy industry to produce food adapted to the nutritional requirements of consumers. However, adding bioactive compounds to cheese poses a significant technological challenge because of anticipated losses to whey (up to 95%) and the potential impact on sensory qualities. This research project aims to develop effective technology for integrating physiologically active compounds into the matrix of cheese. The results will provide tools to farmers to accelerate the development of new products. Work focused on adding probiotic cultures and phenolic compounds to cheese as well as developing single and double emulsions for encapsulating fat-soluble and water-soluble compounds. Despite high retention in the curd, probiotic cultures added to milk are salt sensitive and show a significant loss of viability during the first days of storage. The phenolic compounds show a high affinity for the casein fraction of milk, and retention in the cheese curd is excellent. Phenolic compounds affect the kinetics of formation and the characteristics of curds, but the performance indicators are the same. The formation of single and double emulsions was optimized to facilitate integration and retention of active compounds in cheese.