Detection of adulteration in market ghee using FT-IR Spectroscopy

Dairy ghee is a prominent synergistic fat product that is comprised of various health benefiting compounds such as milk fat globule membrane, conjugated linoleic acid, and short-chain free fatty acids. It emanates numerous beneficial actions on human heath are anticancer, antidiabetic, anticholesterolemic, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiatherogenic and anitadipogenic properties. In order to increase the quantity for marketing purposes, ghee is adulterated with low quality fats. These adulterated low quality fats have long-chain fatty acids and trans-fats which causes cardiac diseases, obesity and renal dysfunction. Hence, the present study aimed to detect the adulterant in ghee by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy method. It also shows the quantitative increase of adulterated animal body fat with ghee. The peak C=C increases with the raise of alkene concentration. The N-H bend peak, which represents amines, determines the trans-fat adulteration, causes health-related issues. Thus, FT-IR technique proved the ideal tools for detecting and estimating the degree of ghee adulteration. Keywords: FT-IR, Ghee, Adulteration, Commercial brands, Beef fat.

Infant Formula with Added Bovine Milk Fat Globule Membrane and Modified Iron Supports Growth and Normal Iron Status at One Year of Age: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Inclusion of bovine-derived milk fat globule membrane (bMFGM) or bMFGM components in infant formulas (IFs) may support healthy brain development. This double-blind, prospective trial evaluated growth, tolerance, and iron status in infants receiving added bMFGM and modified protein, iron, and arachidonic acid (ARA) concentrations in IF. Healthy term infants were randomized to: control (marketed, routine cow’s milk-based IF/100 kcal: 2.1 g protein, 1.8 mg iron, 34 mg ARA) or INV-MFGM (investigational cow’s milk-based IF/100 kcal: 1.9 g protein, 1.2 mg iron, 25 mg ARA and whey protein-lipid concentrate, 5 g/L (source of bMFGM)). Anthropometrics, stool characteristics, fussiness, and gassiness through day 365 and blood markers of iron status at day 365 were evaluated. The primary outcome was rate of weight gain from 14–120 days of age. Of 373 infants enrolled (control: 191, INV-MFGM: 182), 275 completed the study (control: 141; INV-MFGM: 134). No group differences in growth rate (g/day) from day 14–120 or study discontinuation were detected. Few group differences in growth or parent-reported fussiness, gassiness, or stool characteristics were detected. No group differences were detected in hemoglobin, hematocrit, or incidence of anemia. In healthy term infants, bMFGM and modified protein, iron, and ARA concentrations in a cow’s milk-based IF were well-tolerated, associated with adequate growth throughout the first year of life, and supported normal iron status at one year of age.

Human milk-based fortifier is associated with less alteration of milk fat globule size than cow milk-based fortifier

We aimed to evaluate if human milk-based fortifier (HMBF) affects human milk fat globule (MFG) size less than cow milk-based fortifier (CMBF), which may impact overall infant feeding tolerance. Measurements of donated human milk were performed before fortification as well as at 1 hour, 24 hours, and 48 hours after fortification with CMBF or HMBF. MFG size in each sample of fortified milk was measured by laser light scattering. MFG size in the fortified milks increased gradually over time. At 24 and 48 hours after fortification, MFG size in the milk with CMBF was larger than that in the milk with HMBF (4.8 ± 0.5 vs 4.3 ± 0.3 μm, p<0.01, 5.1 ± 0.7 vs 4.5 ± 0.4 μm, p = 0.03, respectively). HMBF is associated with less alteration of MFG size than CMBF. This may have an impact on feeding tolerance of very preterm infants.

Ultrasound homogenization of milk cream at low temperature

Ultrasonication has been identified as a particularly promising technology for homogenization of dairy products. Homogenization of cream, by reducing fat globule size, can be utilized to inhibit creaming. The homogenization of cream usually leads to increased viscosity. Cream with fat level greater than 17% cannot be homogenized with satisfactory results since conventional homogenization methods cause coalescence and mostly agglomeration. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of ultrasonication on milk cream (5-30% fat) and to study the phenomenon of formation of fat clusters during sonication (0.5-15 mins) at low temperature (2°C). The results showed that ultrasonication can reduce the fat globule size, although it resulted in the formation of fat clusters at short time (<1min), but at longer time, fat clusters can be broken. On the other hand, ultrasound homogenization tends to increase the viscosity of cream at various fat contents. Microstructure of solid phase showed that there was formation of double emulsions and partial fat coalescence. Ultrasound homogenization with the addition of SDS as small-molecule surfactant can prevent the formation of fat clusters. Fatty acid composition in solid phase shows that it consists of long-chain fatty acids in higher amount compared to that present in the liquid fraction. Whereas the concentration of short and medium chain fatty acids in the liquid phase was higher compared to that in solid phase. The utilization and optimization of ultrasound for cream homogenization has a potency to solve the limitation of conventional method (pressure homogenizer) which commonly used in dairy industry.