Supercritical fluid extraction application on dairy products and by-products

Abstract

© 2014 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.The consumer trend and preferences towards healthier food choices increased the interest in new functional dairy products with a long shelf-life and in particular those with health benefits. There are a number of possible methods to meet these demands in search of better economies or enhanced functionality, as is the case in many dairy products with nutraceutical emphasis. Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE) is one such process, and it consists of separating one component (the extract) from another (the matrix) using supercritical fluids, most commonly carbon dioxide. This process uses the fluid dissolving power, which under specific conditions above its critical temperature and pressure results in different dissolving properties. Supercritical fluids have been used extensively during the last decades to modify different food products obtaining new ones. In this sense, some studies have been developed using SFE in dairy products and byproducts. This chapter is a review to discuss what was done of applications of this technology in dairy foods and mainly in butter, cheese, cheese whey, whey cream and buttermilk. In cheese, the results can be as surprising as cheese lower in triglycerides and cholesterol and richer in phospholipids. Furthermore, this technology is potential for obtaining a high self-life product decreasing the microbial population. Applying SFE on buttermilk also is possible for obtaining concentrates of polar lipids, as phospholipids, from milk fat globule membrane (MFGM). Supercritical fluid extraction with 2 hasgreat potential in the dairy industry and in commercial applications for offering functional food products and ingredients with a higher economic and bioactive value.