Proteolysis in ultra‐heat‐treated skim milk after exposure to multispecies biofilms under conditions modelling a milk tanker

Bacteria from milk tankers can form multispecies biofilms and produce heat‐stable enzymes. In this study, milk was exposed to multispecies biofilms in stainless steel vessels and was then used to produce ultra‐heat‐treated (UHT) milk, which was stored for 5 months. The UHT milks were assessed for microbial counts, free peptide concentration and pH. The free peptide concentration, which indicated proteolysis, was higher in UHT milk that had been exposed to multispecies biofilms than in untreated UHT milk. Biofilm formation may be promoted in milk tankers that are not properly cleaned, which may compromise the quality of the final dairy product.     

Effects of homogenisation pressures on physicochemical changes in different layers of ultra‐high temperature whole milk during storage

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of homogenisation pressures (10, 20, and 30 MPa) on the physicochemical changes in top, middle and bottom layers of ultra‐high temperature whole milk stored at 25 °C for 6 months. Fat separation, fat globule sizes, fat and protein contents, viscosity, free amino acids content and pH were analysed at an interval of 15 days. Results showed that higher homogenisation pressure retarded the differentiations of milk fat globule sizes, fat and protein contents and viscosity in different milk layers, but did not affect the final fat separation, proteolysis and pH.     

The effect of two types of mould inoculants on the microbiological composition,physicochemical properties and protein hydrolysis in two Gorgonzola‐type cheese varieties during ripening

The aim of this paper was to investigate the role of two types of Penicillium roqueforti moulds (type esportazione and dolce) in the ripening of two Gorgonzola‐type cheese varieties. Cheeses were analysed after 4, 14, 30 and 60 days of ripening. Microbiological analysis showed high numbers of total bacterial count, yeasts and moulds in both 60‐day‐old cheese varieties. The concentration of water‐soluble N, nonprotein N and 5% phosphotungstic acid‐soluble N increased significantly during ripening. Patterns of proteolysis by urea‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that rind‐to‐core gradients and age‐related changes in moisture and salt content influenced mould and other enzyme activities, which are reflected in various rates of protein degradation. The hydrolysis of αs₁‐ and β‐caseins was more extensive in the core than under the rind of both cheese varieties.     

Assessment of proteolysis in ultra‐high temperature milk using attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

This study investigated the suitability of attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR‐FTIR) as an alternative technique to assess proteolysis in ultra‐high temperature (UHT) milk. Commercial UHT milk samples were stored (5 and 30 °C) and analysed for four months. Milk samples were treated with acetic acid and trichloroacetic acid to obtain milk extracts containing peptides. The concentrated extracts were subjected to ATR‐FTIR, and the spectrum was obtained. Results were compared with techniques like high‐performance liquid chromatography, fluorescamine and 2,4,6‐trinitrobenzenesulphonic acid. The present study indicated that ATR‐FTIR‐based method can be used as an alternative method for assessing proteolysis in UHT milk.     

The effect of refrigerated storage of raw milk on the physicochemical and microbiological quality of Tunisian semihard Gouda‐type cheese during ripening

A Tunisian semihard Gouda‐type cheese made from milk kept at 4 °C for 24, 48, 72 and 96 h was monitored during 45 days of ripening. The effect of milk refrigeration on the evolution of physicochemical parameters in relation to the quantitative variation of the microbial population during ripening of Gouda‐type cheese was investigated. Microbiological and physicochemical analyses were performed on raw milk and cheese samples after curding, 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, 37 and 45 days of ripening time. The raw milk kept under refrigeration at 4 °C for 96 h showed the highest microbial count and proteolysis level. The duration of storage significantly reduced the cheese yield as a result of important solubilisation casein in proteoses‐peptones. Results of different nitrogenous fractions by Kjeldahl method showed enzymatic hydrolysis products of casein whose intensity depended on the maturing stage as well as the refrigeration time. Besides the evident action of the plasmin, original milk protease, on the hydrolysis of casein in soluble fractions, the proteolysis of cheese caseins is also initiated by proteolytic action of the chymosin and extracellular heat‐resistant proteases notably produced by the same psychrotrophic microflora. Lactic acid bacteria starters that constitute the dominant microflora of this type of cheese are also considered as aroma precursors.     

A survey of the quality of extended shelf life (ESL) milk in relation to HTST and UHT milk

Thirty milk samples [high‐temperature short‐time (HTST) milk, extended shelf life (ESL) milk (directly heated, indirectly heated, microfiltered), ultra‐high temperature milk] from 17 German dairies were analysed. Total viable counts of directly or indirectly heated ESL milk were significantly lower than those in microfiltered ESL and HTST milk. Evaluation of indigenous enzyme activity revealed sufficient heat treatments in all milk samples. The manufacturing processes were differentiated by estimating furosine and acid soluble whey proteins. Sensory examinations revealed a preference for HTST heated and microfiltered ESL milk. However, a significant discrimination of drinking milk types was not possible. Vitamin losses were not detected, and concentrations of vitamins in different types of milk were comparable.     

A survey on hygienic practices and their impact on the microbiological quality and safety in the Rwandan milk and dairy chain

This study assessed the status of hygienic practices in the Rwandan milk and dairy chain. Data collection was based on interviews with the help of a survey and site visits to farms, collection centres, milk processing companies, small‐scale cheese plants, wholesale points, supermarkets and milk shops. The observed status of good practices was further linked to actual microbiological data. It was concluded that there is a major gap in compliance with hygienic practices leading to higher levels of contaminated dairy products.     

Direct determination of lactulose in heat‐treated milk using diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy and partial least squares regression

The aim of this work was the direct determination of lactulose (LCT) concentration in freeze‐dried heat‐treated milks using diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (DRIFTS) without any chemical pretreatment of the milk. The ‘actual’ lactulose concentrations estimated by means of high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were correlated with the spectral region 1286–754 cm^?1 of DRIFTS spectra in the second‐derivative form of the milk samples using partial least squares (PLS) regression. A linear relationship was established between the ‘actual’ and the concentrations recalculated using the built model. The proposed DRIFTS method is simple, rapid and low cost.     

Comparison of heat stability of cow's milk subjected to ultra‐high temperature and in‐container sterilisation

Cow's milk of different fat contents with or without stabilising salts was sterilised by in‐container and UHT sterilisation. Heat stability decreased with increasing fat content following both UHT and in‐container sterilisation. Adding small amounts of stabilising salts (6.4 mM) increased heat stability in UHT‐treated milk, while excessive addition (12.8 mM) decreased heat stability. In contrast, increasing stabilising salts from 6.4 to 12.8 mM caused a decrease in heat stability after in‐container sterilisation. Increasing in‐container sterilisation time from 10 to 30 min caused a decrease in heat stability arising from an increase in particle size. This study confirmed discrepancies in heat stability for two sterilisation procedures.     

Effects of somatic cell counts on the physicochemical and rheological properties of yoghurt made from sheep’s milk

In the present work, yoghurts were made from sheep’s milk with two different somatic cell count (SCC), at low (200 000 cells mL^?1) and high (750 000 cells mL^?1) levels. The characteristics of the final product were analysed for pH, acidity, protein, total solids, fat, syneresis, water holding capacity (WHC) and apparent viscosity. Samples were analysed on days 1, 7 and 14 after production of yoghurts. The SCC had no significant effect either on the acidity or pH of the yoghurt at 24 h (P > 0.05) but a significant effect (P < 0.05) was observed at 168 h. No effects of SCC were observed on total solids and fat content of the yoghurt after 24 and 168 h. High SCC (HSCC) yoghurt had higher protein content (P < 0.05). The yoghurt with the highest SCC had the highest level of syneresis. Viscosity of HSCC yoghurt was higher than that of the low SCC yoghurt on days 1, 7 and 14 of storage. The flow properties also showed that the low SCC yoghurt was softer than that from milk with high content in somatic cells.     

The physicochemical and sensory properties of milk supplemented with ascorbic acid‐soluble nano‐chitosan during storage

This study was carried out to assess the feasibility of adding the ascorbic acid‐soluble nano‐chitosan (AANC) into the milk for improving the functionality of milk and to determine the effects of such addition on the physicochemical and sensory properties of the product during storage. The pH and titratable acidity of the AANC milks were not changed significantly when stored at 4°C for 15 days. The addition of the nano‐chitosan solution (1～9%, v/v) into the milk samples led to an increase in the amounts of L‐ascorbic acid, thereby indicating an enhancement in health benefits. The sensory test revealed that astringency scores increased and colour scores decreased when the highest concentration of the nano‐chitosan solution (9%, w/w) was added into the milk samples The colour values, L‐ and a‐, in the milks were not significantly influenced by adding the nano‐chitosan solution (1～9%, v/v); whereas the b‐values significantly increased with the addition of the nano‐chitosan solution (5～9%, v/v). Based on the data obtained from this study, it is concluded that the low concentrations (1～3%, v/v) of the nano‐chitosan solution could be used to produce a nanopowdered chitosan‐added milk without the significantly adverse effects on the physicochemical and sensory properties.     

Microbiological quality of Brazilian UHT milk: Identification and spoilage potential of spore‐forming bacteria

Counts of aerobic mesophilic micro‐organisms and aerobic mesophilic spore‐forming bacteria were determined in 91 ultra‐high‐temperature (UHT) commercial Brazilian samples. Forty‐six spore‐forming bacteria were identified and characterised in terms of their spoilage potential. Among the 20 brands evaluated, 45% had counts of aerobic mesophilic micro‐organisms higher than 1.0 × 102 cfu/mL. The sporulated bacteria were identified as Bacillus subtilis/amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus pumilus and Bacillus megaterium, and 31% and 33% showed proteolytic and lipolytic activity, respectively. Our findings indicate that there is a potential risk of UHT milk samples becoming spoiled during their commercial shelf life.     

Effect of low‐dose irradiation on shelf life and microbiological safety of sliced carrot

Minimally processed non‐irradiated carrots (sliced) exhibited diverse microflora at initial level. During storage, bacterial number increased with the presence of pathogenic bacteria accompanied by a loss of total solids. On the other hand γ‐irradiation at an optimal dose of 2 kGy offered a pathogen‐free, hygienic product with insignificant losses in nutrients such as in sucrose, total carotenes and ascorbic acid content in comparison to controls and 2‐ to 4‐fold increased in shelf‐life at refrigeration temperature. The D₁₀ values of pathogens like Escherichia coli and Yersinia enterocolitica in carrot paste were in a lower range (0.12–0.26 kGy) compared with that of Listeria monocytogenes (0.3–0.5 kGy). The validity of the processing treatment (2 kGy) was challenged by artificially inoculating Listeria monocytogenes in the product. Thus, minimally processed carrots (sliced) are amenable to radiation treatment for extended storage stability and microbial safety. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Microbial inactivation and shelf life comparison of 'cold' hurdle processing with pulsed electric fields and microfiltration, and conventional thermal pasteurisation in skim milk

Thermal pasteurisation (TP) is the established food technology for commercial processing of milk. However, degradation of valuable nutrients in milk and its sensory characteristics occurs during TP due to substantial heat exposure. Pulsed electric fields (PEF) and microfiltration (MF) both represent emerging food processing technologies allowing gentle milk preservation at lower temperatures and shorter treatment times for similar, or better, microbial inactivation and shelf stability when applied in a hurdle approach compared to TP. Incubated raw milk was used as an inoculum for the enrichment of skim milk with native microorganisms before PEF, MF, and TP processing. Inoculated milk was PEF-processed at electric field strengths between 16 and 42 kV/cm for treatment times from 612 to 2105 μs; accounting for energy densities between 407 and 815 kJ/L, while MF was applied with a transmembrane flux of 660 L/h m². Milk was TP-treated at 75 °C for 24 s. Comparing PEF, MF, and TP for the reduction of the native microbial load in milk led to a 4.6 log₁₀ CFU/mL reduction in count for TP, which was similar to 3.7 log₁₀ CFU/mL obtained by MF (P ≥ 0.05), and more effective than the 2.5 log₁₀ CFU/mL inactivation achieved by PEF inactivation (at 815 kJ/L (P < 0.05)). Combined processing with MF followed by PEF (MF/PEF) produced a 4.1 (at 407 and 632 kJ/L), 4.4 (at 668 kJ/L) and 4.8 (at 815 kJ/L) log₁₀ CFU/mL reduction in count of the milk microorganisms, which was comparable to that of TP (P ≥ 0.05). Reversed processing (PEF/MF) achieved comparable reductions of 4.9, 5.3 and 5.7 log₁₀ CFU/mL (at 407, 632 and 668 kJ/L, respectively (P ≥ 0.05)) and a higher inactivation of 7.1 log₁₀ (at 815 kJ/mL (P < 0.05)) in milk than for TP. Microbial shelf life of PEF/MF-treated (815 kJ/L) and TP-treated milk stored at 4 °C was analysed over 35 days for total aerobic; enterobacteria; yeasts and moulds; lactobacilli; psychrotroph; thermoduric psychrotroph, mesophilic, and thermophilic; and staphylococci counts. For both PEF/MF and TP-treated milk an overall shelf stability of 7 days was observed based on total aerobic counts (P ≥ 0.05). Milk hurdle processing with PEF/MF at its most effective treatment parameters produced greater microbial inactivation and overall similar shelf stability at lower processing temperatures compared to TP. With higher field strength, shorter treatment time, larger energy density, and rising temperature the efficacy of PEF/MF increased contrary to MF/PEF. Thus, PEF/MF represents a potential alternative for ‘cold’ pasteurisation of milk with improved quality.     

Changes in physicochemical properties and DNA quality of milk as affected by different heat treatments

The effects of three common heat treatments (pasteurisation, boiling and autoclaving) on milk physicochemical properties and DNA quality were investigated. Milk composition, colour and pH value varied significantly during the heating process. The heat treatment also affected the DNA quality of the milk and, in particular, reduced the content of both mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and nuclear DNA (nDNA). These reached their lowest values when autoclaving was conducted, but the content of nDNA was never greater than that of mtDNA. The physicochemical and DNA quality changes in milk are crucial factors in any authentication process using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐based methods.     

Molecular structure and granule morphology of native and heat‐moisture‐treated pinhão starch

Pinhão seed is an unconventional source of starch and the pines grow up in native forests of southern Latin America. In this study, pinhão starch was adjusted at 15, 20 and 25% moisture content and heated to 100, 110 and 120 °C for 1 h. A decrease in λ max (starch/iodine complex) was observed as a result of increase in temperature and moisture content of HMT. The ratio of crystalline to amorphous phase in pinhão starch was determined via Fourier transform infra red by taking 1045/1022 band ratio. A decrease in crystallinity occurred as a result of HMT. Polarised light microscopy indicated a loss of birefringence of starch granules under 120 °C at 25% moisture content. Granule size distribution was further confirmed via scanning electron microscopy which showed the HMT effects. These results increased the understanding on molecular and structural properties of HMT pinhão starch and broadened its food and nonfood industrial applications.     

Changes in textural, microstructural, and colour characteristics during ripening of cheeses made from raw, pasteurized or high-pressure-treated goats’ milk

Goats’ milk cheeses were made from raw (RA), pasteurized (PA; 72°C, 15 s) or pressure-treated (PR; 500 MPa, 15 min, 20°C) milk to compare textural, microstructural, and colour characteristics in relation to ripening time. Texture, microstructure and colour were evaluated by uniaxial compression and stress relaxation tests, confocal laser scanning microscopy and Hunter colorimetry, respectively.Raw and PR cheeses were firmer and less fracturable than PA cheese, but differences became less notable toward the end of ripening. PA and PR cheeses were less cohesive than RA cheese. Although cheeses exhibited a loss of elastic characteristics with ageing, PR cheese showed the most elastic behaviour initially. Confocal laser scanning micrographs displayed PR cheese with a regular and compact protein matrix, with small and uniform fat globules resembling the structure of RA cheese. Finally, colour evaluation demonstrated significant differences between cheeses due to milk treatments and ripening time.     

Effect of raw and heat–moisture‐treated high‐amylose corn starches on the process of digestion in the rat digestive tract

High‐amylose corn starch (HAS) is widely known as a resistant starch foodstuff. We developed heat–moisture‐treated high‐amylose corn starch (HMT‐HAS) that was more resistant to enzymatic hydrolysis. Resistant starch contents of HAS and HMT‐HAS using the enzymatic–gravimetric method were found to be 30% and 65% respectively. Rats were given 10% ordinary corn starch (CS), HAS or HMT‐HAS by meal feeding for 10 days. The caecum contents increased and the caecal pH was lower after their diets were supplemented with HAS and HMT‐HAS. Starch contents increased in the upper and the lower small intestine with HAS and HMT‐HAS. Caecal starch with HAS and HMT‐HAS was more than that with CS. Particularly, caecal starch with HMT‐HAS was seven times more than that with HAS. There were no differences in starch content in the large bowel between CS and HAS, but the content increased with HMT‐HAS. These results suggested that HAS and HMT‐HAS were resistant to digestion and absorption in the small intestine, and any indigestible starches reached the caecum. In the caecum, HAS was hydrolysed almost completely by intestinal bacteria; however, some HMT‐HAS escaped bacterial hydrolysis. This escaped HMT‐HAS reached the large bowel and was excreted in the faeces. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry