KANSAS CITY, MO. — Conventional milk features 13 essential nutrients, including calcium, iodine, phosphorus, potassium, protein, selenium, zinc and vitamins A, D, B2, B3, B5 and B12 along with non-essential bioactives that make it a nutritional powerhouse. Many bioactives only recently have been isolated and identified, and their contributions to health and wellness show promise.
“Drying and skimming are well-established milk concentration technologies to make milk powders,” said Terri Rexroat, vice president of global ingredients marketing for the US Dairy Export Council, Arlington, Va. “More recently, the advancement of fractionation technologies to separate milk into increasingly smaller components has provided exciting opportunities for formulating with these valuable and unique ingredients.”
The compounds always have been in milk and mainstream dry dairy ingredients, such as casein and whey. Improvements in production are making them more affordable as value-added ingredients. Because of their neutral color and flavor profile, they are a canvas for flavor innovation that is not possible with many plant proteins.
One such innovation comes from Fit Butters LLC, Minneapolis. The company markets nut butters formulated with whey protein isolate to create such flavors as Boston cream pie cashew and butterscotch toffee peanut butter. Most recently, the company partnered with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products, New York, to offer creamy cashew nut butters paired with Pebbles cereal, either cocoa or fruity varieties.
New York-based David offers a protein-centric nutrition bar marketed as the David Protein Bar. One bar includes 28 grams of protein, 150 calories and no sugar. David’s protein formulation consists of milk protein isolate, collagen, whey protein concentrate and egg white.
Opportunities in protein fractions
Specialty protein fractions are common ingredients. They have been in commercial production for more than a decade. But today, processes have improved, and more producers have entered the business.
“Dairy protein fractions are receiving more attention, a trend likely to continue,” said Tucker Smith, senior research and development manager, Glanbia Nutritionals Inc., Chicago. “Fractionation of these proteins has been carried out for some time, but as the health benefits of various fractions are studied, certain products are becoming more mainstream.”
Mark Stout, research and development scientist at Glanbia Nutritionals, added, “Dairy proteins are getting much more specialized due to advancements in purification. This allows companies to make whey proteins that are stable when heated, useful in protein bars or have unique bioactive properties.”
Beta-lactoglobulin and alpha-lactalbumin are the two largest-volume whey proteins. Isolates of either contain high concentrations of valuable essential amino acids, especially the branched-chain amino acids leucine, isoleucine and valine, which have been shown to stimulate the building of protein in muscle and possibly reduce muscle breakdown. The components increase the ingredient’s value for applications like infant formula and sports nutrition products.
Lactoferrin is another fraction found in whey. Lactoferrin’s bioactivity continues to be the subject of widespread research.
“Lactoferrin is a multi-functional component that can inhibit undesirable bacteria, fungi, parasites, viruses and carcinogens, and contribute immunomodulatory effects,” Rexroat said. “US lactoferrin production is anticipated to increase in the coming years, strengthening new opportunities for use in extended health and wellness applications.”
Smith added, “Lactoferrin has also been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties and may support gut health. In general, it can be used at low dosages to enhance nutritional value for consumers to take advantage of its health benefits.”
Advancements in purification processing have led to wider adoption of casein-based ingredients. Micellar casein, for example, is the purest type of casein. It is processed using membrane filtration and contains 90% to 95% casein.
“It can be used as a replacement for sodium caseinate in a lot of processed cheese-type applications and in high-protein ready-to-drink beverages,” said Kimberlee Burrington, vice president of technical development, American Dairy Products Institute, Elmhurst, Ill. “The advantage of using a micellar casein in such a beverage is its very low level of whey protein. This helps with heat stability and reduces gelling, but it also reduces the level of sulfur flavors that develop during the ultra-high temperature process.”
BellRing Brands, St. Louis, kicked off the new year with the introduction of Premier Protein Indulgence. After water, the next two ingredients listed on its ingredient panel are milk protein concentrate and calcium caseinate.
Other milk fractions are still in their infancy in terms of industrial production and applications. However, growth is expected to accelerate during the next few years.
“Glycomacropeptide is a specialized casein fraction that is in strong demand for medical food formulations, including foods for people with phenylketonuria,” Rexroat said. “Galacto-oligosacharides are prebiotics that support probiotic growth.”
Because of limited supply, use of galacto-oligosacharides is currently exclusive to infant formula. More suppliers are starting to produce the ingredient and new product development is increasing, Rexroat said. Future applications may include meal replacement beverages, especially those used for medical purposes, and products formulated to boost gut health.
Milk fat globule membrane (MFGM), also referred to as dairy phospholipid, is another emerging dairy fraction. It fuels infant formula and toddler foods by delivering key nutrients for proper growth and development. It is naturally present in mother’s milk, with dairy MFGM the next best thing. Now studies show consumption of MFGM throughout the lifecycle may assist with healthy aging.
The MFGM sourced from bovine milk has been clinically shown to support cognition, cardiovascular health, gut health and mobility in adults. Age-related muscle wasting and weakness is particularly important to the aging person, as reduced agility is associated with adverse effects on quality of life and life expectancy. Research indicates daily ingestion of MFGM, combined with regular exercise, may enhance agility.
Brainiac Foods, Burlingame, Calif., now offers the Neuro+ line of baby foods that are marketed as providing nutrition for the brain. Formulated with full-fat dairy they come in 3.5-oz perishable pouches.
“It is incredibly hard to get kids enough omega 3 DHA, choline and MFGM in their regular diets, and as a result most kids do not get the amounts recommended by experts to support brain development,” said Tanya Altmann, founder and pediatrician at Calabasas Pediatrics and a Brainiac Foods advisory board member.
A natural dairy fraction is bovine colostrum. It is the first form of milk produced by cows after giving birth. After the new-born calf has enough, colostrum is being collected for human applications.
“It has a much higher ratio of immunoglobulins and growth factors, compared to typical milk or whey protein, which may provide immune support, gut health and support sport performance,” Smith said. “By collecting the colostrum, you bypass the need for specialized fractionation to achieve high concentrations of the highly desirable immunoglobulins. This is currently useful in human and animal infant nutrition and growing in popularity as a supplement in humans.”
The future of dairy ingredients
Many emerging dairy ingredients are poised to provide desirable functionality in food applications, in particular dairy products. The functionality may eliminate the need for chemical-sounding food additives.
In both yogurts and cheeses, for example, milk powders and milk proteins may be used to contribute gelation, viscosity and water binding. They may replace non-dairy solids, such as starch and maltodextrin.
“High-protein yogurts, for example, rely less on the addition of stabilizers because the dairy proteins provide added gel formation and control syneresis,” Burrington said. “Whey protein concentrates have been added to yogurt instead of starch to also help control syneresis. Starches work but they also will mute the yogurt flavor and a term like modified starch might not be as clean label to some consumers.
“Many dairy companies have developed custom whey protein and milk protein ingredients to provide the functions of gums, emulsifiers and stabilizers in dairy products, so it is worth evaluating them in the development process. It makes sense to use a dairy ingredient in a dairy product because you could reduce the need for these other additives, many of which have unfamiliar names to consumers.
Other functional benefits dairy ingredients may provide include gelation, viscosity, foaming/whipping, emulsification, browning, water binding, heat stability and acid stability.
“One particularly pleasant surprise is dairy permeate’s flavor-potentiating capability, especially for enhancing salty flavors,” Rexroat said. “This makes it ideal for replacing salt in many savory applications while maintaining consumer-acceptable flavor.”
Looking ahead, Smith believes more carbohydrate-based ingredients will be replaced by dairy proteins. The potential is especially attractive in cereals, snacks and baked foods.