Monitoring cheese ripening by single-sided nuclear magnetic resonance

The noninvasive, longitudinal study of products and food processing is of interest for the dairy industry. Here, we demonstrated that single-sided nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) can be used for noninvasive monitoring of the cheese ripening process. The maturation of soft-ripened Camembert-like molded cheese samples was monitored for 20 d measuring 1-dimensional and 2-dimensional NMR relaxation and diffusion data at various depths, ranging from the hard surface layer to the soft center. Gelation and gel shrinkage were observed throughout ripening, and a complete loss of free water signal was observed at the cheese rind. Transversal (T₂) relaxation distributions include 3 components that evolve with ripening time and position, corresponding to water inside the casein gel network, water trapped in casein, and fat. Two-dimensional T₁-T₂ relaxation experiments provided enhanced resolution of the 3 components, allowing quantification of the relative proportions of each phase. Furthermore, diffusion (D)-T₂ relaxation correlation experiments revealed the bimodal size distribution of fat globules. The study demonstrated that single-sided NMR can provide spatially resolved signal intensity, relaxation, and diffusion parameters that reflect structural changes during the ripening process and can be exploited to understand and monitor the ripening of cheeses.     

In vivo determination of fat content in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) with a mobile NMR spectrometer

A new method for the rapid measurement of the fat content in live (or slaughtered) Atlantic salmon, based on a mobile low‐field NMR analyser, has been developed and tested. The instrument, calibrated against a set of reference samples (fish oil in agarose), was used for non‐destructive fat determination of the Norwegian quality cut (NQC) of anaesthetized fish. The total analysis time per fish was about 20 s. The fat content (range 90–182 g kg^?1) showed significant correlation (r = 0.92) with chemical extraction data obtained after slaughtering the same fish. The spatial distribution of fat in the NQC was obtained and visualized as a ‘fat image’ using novel software. It was concluded that the mobile NMR spectrometer has potential for implementation in connection with on‐line quality control. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Determination of the lipid content in fish muscle by a self‐calibrated NMR relaxometry method: comparison with classical chemical extraction methods

A low‐cost, accurate NMR method was developed to determine the lipid content in fish flesh. The fish samples are dried before NMR measurements, and the method is self‐calibrated with an oil reference. The NMR technique gave an intermediate fat content value, 4.7% lower in relative value than those obtained by a chemical cold extraction method and 6.7% higher than those from a petroleum ether extraction method at high temperature. Taking into account this systematic bias, the prediction error was only 3 g kg^?1 fat content between NMR and Soxhlet method determinations (R² = 0.98). The NMR technique thus offers a promising alternative method for determining the lipid content in previously dried fish flesh, since it is rapid, easily usable and solvent‐free, unlike chemical extraction methods. Furthermore, this accurate NMR method should be valuable to calibrate the fast but less accurate NMR, NIR and microwave methods based on fresh samples and to estimate the fat content in other animal meats when the fat is maintained in an amorphous state. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) concentration,fatty acid composition and cholesterol content of some Turkish dairy products

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) concentrations, fatty acid composition and cholesterol content of some Turkish dairy products (butter, processed cheese, Kaymak and cream) were determined by capillary gas chromatography. The CLA and cholesterol content of some Turkish dairy products ranged from 1.50–5.60 mg/g fat and 148.30–369.04 mg/g fat, respectively. The most abundant saturated fatty acids in the dairy products investigated were palmitic acid (C16:0), stearic acid (C18:0) and myristic acid (C14:0). In all dairy products, C18:1 cis-9, 12 unsaturated fatty acid content (23.12–32.78 g/100 g) was considerably higher than others. In all samples studied, there was no correlation between CLA content of products and the linoleic acid content, or any other unsaturated fatty acid. A positive correlation between cholesterol and fat content of dairy products was observed.     

核磁共振技术在乳制品研究中的应用

在简述NMR的基本原理之上，综合国内外的研究成果，重点介绍了NMR技术在乳制品中的脂肪、水分和蛋白质研究中的应用．并在测定脂肪固液比、脂肪结晶温度、持水量、水分结合状态、蛋白质变性、蛋白质聚集状态等方面做了详细的阐述，列举了丰富大量的实例．最后展望了NMR在这个领域的应用前景。     

Potential for improving the carbon footprint of butter and blend products

To reduce the environmental impact of a product efficiently, it is crucial to consider the entire value chain of the product; that is, to apply life cycle thinking, to avoid suboptimization and identify the areas where the largest potential improvements can be made. This study analyzed the carbon footprint (CF) of butter and dairy blend products, with the focus on fat content and size and type of packaging (including product waste at the consumer level). The products analyzed were butter with 80% fat in 250-g wrap, 250-g tub, and 10-g mini tub, and blends with 80% and 60% fat in 250-g tubs. Life cycle assessment was used to account for all greenhouse gas emissions from cow to consumer. A critical aspect when calculating the CF is how emissions are allocated between different products. Here, allocation of raw milk between products was based on a weighted fat and protein content (1:1.7), based on the price paid for raw milk to dairy farmers. The CF (expressed as carbon dioxide equivalents, CO₂e) for 1 kg of butter or blend (assuming no product waste at consumer) ranged from 5.2 kg (blend with 60% fat content) to 9.3 kg of CO₂e (butter in 250-g tub). When including product waste at the consumer level, the CF ranged from 5.5 kg of CO₂e (blend with 60% fat content) to 14.7 kg of CO₂e (butter in mini tub). Fat content and the proportion of vegetable oil in products had the greatest effect on CF of the products, with lower fat content and a higher proportion of vegetable oil resulting in lower CF. Hence, if the same functionality as butter could be retained while shifting to lower fat and higher proportions of vegetable oil, the CF of the product would be decreased. Size and type of packaging were less important, but it is crucial to have the correct size and type of packaging to avoid product losses at the consumer. The greatest share of greenhouse gas emissions associated with butter production occurred at the farm level; thus, minimizing product losses in the whole value chain—from cow to consumer—is essential for efficient production.     

The Effective Factors on the Structure of Butter and Other Milk Fat‐Based Products

Butter and other milk fat‐based products are valuable products for the dairy industry due to their unique taste, their textural characteristics, and nutritional value. However, an increased consumer demand for low‐fat‐based products increases the need for an increased essential understanding of the effective factors governing the structure of milk fat‐based products. Today, 2 manufacturing techniques are available: the churning method and the emulsification method. The first is typically used for production of butter with a globular structure, which has become increasingly popular to obtain low‐fat‐based products, typically without presence of milk fat globules. The microstructure of milk fat‐based products is strongly related to their structural rheology, hence applications. Structural behavior is not determined by one single parameter, but by the interactions between many. This complexity is reviewed here. Parameters such as thermal treatment of cream prior to butter making, water content, and chemical composition influence not only crystal polymorphism, but also the number and sizes of fat crystals. The number of crystal–crystal interactions formed within the products is related to product hardness. During storage, however, postcrystallization increases the solid fat content and strengthens the fat crystal network. The fat crystal network is strengthened by the formation of more and stronger crystal–crystal interactions due to mechanically interlinking of fat crystals, which occurs during crystal growth. Postcrystallization is directly linked to chemical composition. The initially observed microstructural difference causing different rheological behavior will disappear during storage due to postcrystallization and formation of more crystal–crystal interactions.     

Cholesterol and Antioxidant Vitamins in Fat Fraction of Whole and Skimmed Dairy Products

The skimming procedure is a common practice in dairy industry, and skimmed products contain less fat, less cholesterol and less fat-soluble vitamins than whole products. The aim of this research is to verify if something else happens during the skimming process to these compounds in milk and dairy products. Experimental milk and cream samples, ranging from 0.1 to 51.5 g fat/100 g, have been studied for beta carotene, alfa-tocopherol and cholesterol contents. The degree of antioxidant protection (DAP), useful to estimate the potential oxidative stability of fat in foods, has been calculated, combining these values. The same analytical protocol has been also applied to commercial products (fat content ranging from 0.1 to 85.0 g/100 g). As was expected, there is a good linear correlation between these compounds and fat content in experimental and in commercial samples; nevertheless, the composition of milk fat changes differently. During skimming process, in the residual fat matter, cholesterol concentration increases while antioxidant compound concentration decreases or remains unchanged. Moreover, in experimental and in commercial milk and dairy, the DAP values show that the residual cholesterol is more susceptible to oxidation in skimmed than in whole products. This aspect is particularly important from a safety point of view: actually, cholesterol oxide ingestion can be harmful and should be avoided even in a small amount.     

Carbon footprint of Canadian dairy products: Calculations and issues

The Canadian dairy sector is a major industry with about 1 million cows. This industry emits about 20% of the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the main livestock sectors (beef, dairy, swine, and poultry). In 2006, the Canadian dairy herd produced about 7.7 Mt of raw milk, resulting in about 4.4 Mt of dairy products (notably 64% fluid milk and 12% cheese). An integrated cradle-to-gate model (field to processing plant) has been developed to estimate the carbon footprint (CF) of 11 Canadian dairy products. The on-farm part of the model is the Unified Livestock Industry and Crop Emissions Estimation System (ULICEES). It considers all GHG emissions associated with livestock production but, for this study, it was run for the dairy sector specifically. Off-farm GHG emissions were estimated using the Canadian Food Carbon Footprint calculator, (cafoo)²-milk. It considers GHG emissions from the farm gate to the exit gate of the processing plants. The CF of the raw milk has been found lower in western provinces [0.93 kg of CO₂ equivalents (CO₂e)/L of milk] than in eastern provinces (1.12 kg of CO₂e/L of milk) because of differences in climate conditions and dairy herd management. Most of the CF estimates of dairy products ranged between 1 and 3 kg of CO₂e/kg of product. Three products were, however, significantly higher: cheese (5.3 kg of CO₂e/kg), butter (7.3 kg of CO₂e/kg), and milk powder (10.1 kg of CO₂e/kg). The CF results depend on the milk volume needed, the co-product allocation process (based on milk solids content), and the amount of energy used to manufacture each product. The GHG emissions per kilogram of protein ranged from 13 to 40 kg of CO₂e. Two products had higher values: cream and sour cream, at 83 and 78 kg of CO₂e/kg, respectively. Finally, the highest CF value was for butter, at about 730 kg of CO₂e/kg. This extremely high value is due to the fact that the intensity indicator per kilogram of product is high and that butter is almost exclusively fat. Protein content is often used to compare the CF of products; however, this study demonstrates that the use of a common food component is not suitable as a comparison unit in some cases. Functionality has to be considered too, but it might be insufficient for food product labeling because different reporting units (adapted to a specific food product) will be used, and the resulting confusion could lead consumers to lose confidence in such labeling. Therefore, simple units might not be ideal and a more comprehensive approach will likely have to be developed.     

Development of reduced‐fat cheeses with the addition of Agave fructans

Cheeses containing Agave fructans were compared with both full‐fat and reduced‐fat samples without fructans. Microstructure results showed that the cheeses obtained were very similar to the control samples (without fructans), even the full‐fat control sample, demonstrating the texturing role of the carbohydrates. Regarding the composition, a moisture content of 47.96 ± 1.45 and a good protein retention with a low‐fat content were found. Therefore, the cheese yield was not adversely affected, and no significant differences were observed in sensory aspects. Considering the health benefits of fructans and their abundance, this development could represent an innovation for dairy industry.