The Milk Producer - September 2009 - (Page 31)

RESEARCH By Katelyn Peer A healthier alternative Researcher looks to add vital heart healthy omega-3 acids to cheese and yogurt products University of Guelph researFluid milk and cheese are currently cher is trying to become the made from milk with elevated DHA first to produce starter cul- and EPA levels, achieved by maniputures that put heart-healthy omega-3 lating a cow’s diet. Other fluid prodfatty acids into cheese and yogurt. ucts are made by adding omega-3 The fatty acids, Docosahexaenoic fatty acids during processing. acid (DHA) and Eicosapentaenoic Starter cultures are normally added acid (EPA), are vital for neural devel- to milk to make cheese. They produce opment, general health and cardiolactic acid which lowers milk’s pH vascular disease prevention. We have to consume these Researcher hopes to turn essential nutrients in our gene from marine diets since our bodies are organism into an unable to produce them. easier way of Department of food sci- including omega-3 ence professor Mansel Grif- fatty acids in more fiths has created a strain of dairy products. healthy E. coli bacteria, naturally found in the human gut, to produce DHA and EPA. He created the strain by cloning a gene from Shewanella, a marine organism, into the E. coli bacterium. He’s now trying to clone this gene into starter cultures for cheese and yogurt. “If the organisms used for cheese production are capalevel and turns it into ble of producing EPA and curds. However, expressing DHA and DHA then you don’t have to EPA from the Shewanella gene in extensively manipulate milk to get starter cultures can be difficult. them,” says Griffiths. “This will Unlike E. coli, little is known about hopefully be an easier way to include the genome of starter culture bacteomega-3 fatty acids in more dairy ria, making gene manipulation hardproducts.” er to study. A After spending the last decade on this project, Griffiths believes he’s getting closer. He thinks this could also be a better and easier way of getting omega-3 into fluid milk and cheese. First, he has to get through regulations and consumer perception about genetically modified food products. “As a researcher, I’m a bit concerned about issues around genetically modified food regulations, but I’m interested in proving the concept acceptable to the public and then tackling the regulatory matter,” says Griffiths. “I think it’s an interesting approach to providing dietary DHA and EPA.” Katelyn Peer is a student writer with the University of Guelph’s office of research. This research is being conducted at the Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety laboratory on the university’s main campus. Griffiths has received help from department of food science post-doctoral fellow Mitra Amiri-Jami. The research is being funded as a part of Griffiths’ research chair, sponsored by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and Dairy Farmers of Ontario. MilkPRODUCER | September 2009 | 31

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Milk Producer - September 2009

Milk Producer - September 2009
Contents
Editor's Notes
DFO Chair's Message
Dairy Update
Farm Finance
DFC Promotion
World School Milk Day
Producer Profile
Research
Environmental Issues
Ruminations
Applied Science
Markets
New 'N' Noted
Back Forty

The Milk Producer - September 2009