Researcher Working With Fonterra To Improve Dairy Products
university-of-canterbury
Thu Apr 18 2013 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
Researcher Working With Fonterra To Improve Dairy Products
Thursday, 18 April 2013, 10:43 am
Press Release: University of Canterbury
UC Researcher Working With Fonterra To Improve Dairy Products
April 18, 2013
Consumers worldwide are looking increasingly at healthy food to improve their well-being that is delivered in a convenient format.
A University of Canterbury (UC) researcher at the Biomolecular Interaction Centre, Dr Justine Cottam, is currently working on a collaborative project with Fonterra which aims to add even more advanced health and nutritional opportunities to Fonterra dairy products.
``The appeal and breadth of acceptance of current low salt and low fat options is severely limited by unappetising flavours and textures, as well as by shelf-life freshness,’’ Dr Cottam says.
``But crosslinking of milk proteins using a natural chemical process, analogous to the one that makes bread crusts (Maillard chemistry) aims to change this by developing dairy-based ingredient formulations that enable consumer-desired tastes and aromas to be delivered in a range of formats, together with management of texture and shelf-life.
``The Maillard reaction, also known as non-enzymatic browning and protein glycation, plays an important role in traditional food systems, because the Maillard products often affect food quality. For example, Maillard products are present in large quantities in chocolate and coffee, where they add unique flavour
``The Maillard reaction is well known to have a strong influence over the colour and flavour of our foods, but there has been less attention as to how these crosslinking reactions might impact favourably on the texture and overall functionality in various food systems.
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``We are specifically interested in exploring the ability of sugars to produce Maillard crosslinks with dairy proteins in solution and assess how these crosslinks might impact on the overall functionality of specific dairy foods. The knowledge gained from these studies will help us to understand and harness the Maillard reaction in dairy food systems.
``The initial step of the Maillard reaction involves reaction of free amino groups, such as those found in proteins and carbonyl groups, particularly sugars.
``Effectively we are attempting to control various aspects of the Maillard reaction by accessing how it can positively impact on the functionality of specific dairy foods.’’
Dr Cottam says the cross-linking of food proteins can influence and improve many properties of food and dairy proteins, including texture, viscosity, solubility, emulsification and gelling properties, colour and flavour.
Future Fonterra dairy foods made with these cross-linked proteins are envisaged to have new formats, low salt and low fat options.
``The precise chemical structures of these Maillard crosslinks in food, however, are less well understood. There is little known about the extent of Maillard crosslinking in processed foods, the impact of this process on food quality, and how the reaction might be controlled to maximize food quality,’’ Dr Cottam says.
Dr Tim Coolbear, Consumer Science Manager, Fonterra Research and Development Centre, says the possibility of harnessing Maillard reactions to enhance functionality and flavour of dairy products and ingredients, and thereby add further consumer benefits to healthy and nutritious foods, is an intriguing proposition.
``Dr Cottam’s work will help identify the nature and extent of the opportunities that would be available to us and will help target the best of those opportunities for the business,’’ Dr Coolbear says.
Photos: Dr Justine Cottam
ENDS
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