TITLE:
Potential Applications of Milk Fractions and Valorization of Dairy By-Products: A Review of the State-of-the-Art Available Data, Outlining the Innovation Potential from a Bigger Data Standpoint
AUTHORS:
Serge Rebouillat, Salvadora Ortega-Requena
KEYWORDS:
Milk Product, Milk Fractionation, Casein, Phospholipid, Whey Protein, Non-Food Application, Valorization, Enzyme Modification, Bioactive Peptides, Bigger Data, Innovation: Closed, Open, Collaborative, Disruptive, Inclusive, Nested
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Biomaterials and Nanobiotechnology,
Vol.6 No.3,
July
13,
2015
ABSTRACT: The unique composition of milk makes this basic foodstuff into an exceptional raw material for
the production of new ingredients with desired properties and diverse applications in the food
industry. The fractionation of milk is the key in the development of those ingredients and products;
hence continuous research and development on this field, especially various levels of fractionation
and separation by filtration, have been carried out. This review focuses on the production
of milk fractions as well as their particular properties, applications and processes that increase
their exploitation. Whey proteins and caseins from the protein fraction are excellent emulsifiers
and protein supplements. Besides, they can be chemically or enzymatically modified to obtain
bioactive peptides with numerous functional and nutritional properties. In this context, valorization
techniques of cheese-whey proteins, by-product of dairy industry that constitutes both
economic and environmental problems, are being developed. Phospholipids from the milk fat
fraction are powerful emulsifiers and also have exclusive nutraceutical properties. In addition,
enzyme modification of milk phospholipids makes it possible to tailor emulsifiers with particular
properties. However, several aspects remain to be overcome; those refer to a deeper understanding
of the healthy, functional and nutritional properties of these new ingredients that might be
barriers for its use and acceptability. Additionally, in this review, alternative applications of milk
constituents in the non-food area such as in the manufacture of plastic materials and textile fibers
are also introduced. The unmet needs, the cross-fertilization in between various protein domains,the carbon footprint requirements, the environmental necessities, the health and wellness new
demand, etc., are dominant factors in the search for innovation approaches; these factors are also
outlining the further innovation potential deriving from those “apparent” constrains obliging
science and technology to take them into account.