PROTEOMIC APPROACH TO DAIRY PRODUCTS PROCESSED WITH INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES
Authors: Yaman Hulya 
Published: June 2024

The thermal processes used in milk pasteurization lead to undesired chemical, physical, and sensory changes, such as browning, a cooked taste, and loss of essential vitamins or amino acids, depending on the applied heat parameters and conditions. Interest in new technologies has begun to increase to minimize the negative effects of conventional heating methods and to meet consumers' demand for milk with ideal properties. These technologies can be classified as thermal and non-thermal processing methods. Non-thermal processing involves techniques that are effective at ambient temperatures and do not involve lethal heat treatment. They offer advantages such as energy savings, pathogen destruction, longer shelf life, and better preservation of nutrients compared to traditional approaches. Some new technologies studied in laboratory and pilot scales for milk processing include ohmic heating, microwave heating, radio frequency heating, high-pressure treatment, irradiation, pulsed electric field, and ultrasonication methods. Generally, these new technologies are used with fermentation and enzymatic hydrolysis combination as they are less disruptive to proteins than conventional methods. They have the potential to increase yields, modify peptide configurations, and release a high rate of bioactive peptides compared to existing heating technologies. These innovative methods focus on enhancing microbial food safety and enzyme inactivation in food research and have shown positive and reliable results in reducing the microbial load in various food products, including milk. Besides decreasing microbial load, these techniques also influence food compounds in physical, chemical, and sensory properties. Among the components in milk, milk proteins with technological and functional properties are most affected. Technologically important properties of milk proteins, such as foaming, gelling, emulsification, and solubility, play a significant role in stabilizing desired characteristics in the final product. The gelling properties of milk in yogurt and cheese processing, the potential for bioactive peptide formation in fermented milk products, and the foaming, emulsification, and solubility properties in ice cream and gastronomy applications are noteworthy. In addition to the technological impact of milk processing, its health implications are also crucial. Changes in the biochemical structure of milk during processing can reduce the bioavailability and digestibility of milk proteins. While new techniques effectively reduce the microbiological load, it is essential to ensure that proteins retain a structure that can be assimilated by the digestive system in the body. The food industry and researchers should evaluate the efficacy of food products in terms of both food safety and bioavailability. This review emphasizes denaturation, functional and structural changes in milk proteins from a proteomic perspective. Additionally, it investigates the potential of bioactive peptide formation through applied innovative processes, their impact on protein digestibility, structural changes in proteins, and their acid and rennet gel formation potentials. This comprehensive review can guide researchers and industry leaders in evaluating green and sustainable technologies and developing new applications.