The Milk Producer - January 2012 - (Page 30)

RESEARCH By Natalie Osborne Value-added research U nderstanding how milk proteins and our bodies interact can lead to new opportunities for dairy processors to create enhanced, value-added products that could improve Canadians’ health. A glass of milk and a slice of cheese are great calcium sources, but according to University of Guelph researchers, nutrient delivery can differ from one milk product to another, which could affect how our bodies break down these important structures. A food’s structure—whether liquid or solid—can impact everything from its nutritional value to how full we feel after consuming it. Manipulating these factors could lead to creating value-added milk products that control weight, boost energy or prevent cancer. Professor Milena Corredig, NSERC industrial research chair in dairy technology and Canada research chair in food nanostructures, is exploring how milk’s protein structures deliver nutrients. She’s also interested Understanding how our bodies absorb certain nutrients could lead to more functional milk products taking calcium pills is not the same as drinking a glass of milk—the bioavailability of the mineral depends on how it’s delivered. Corredig and her team studied several dairy beverages and milk protein products to determine which led to better fat digestion. They wanted to determine the effect milk proteins had on overall health. Their findings could lead to developing innovative milk products for people suffering from obesity or cardiovascular disease. The researchers are also interested in learning more about milk protein digestion. Milk proteins could be carriers for other biologically important molecules, which could lead to enhanced functional milk products. Polyphenols—plant components with Researchers want to learn more about nutrient delivery and absorption, which could lead to processors creating innovative milk products that control weight, boost energy or prevent cancer. in modifying these structures to improve milk’s texture, flavour and functionality. How digestion affects nutrient absorption Digestion plays a major role in how our bodies break down nutrients. Certain food ingredients can form new structures during digestion. Corredig wants to learn more about what these structures do once they’re consumed. For example, how our body absorbs fat is determined by 30 | January 2012 | MilkPRODUCER how well our stomach enzymes break down these molecules. “We’ve studied the process of making the product, now it’s time to go from the bottle to the body,” says Corredig. “How can we manipulate structure to control the kinetics of digestion, stomach emptying or the release of important bioactive molecules?” Corredig is also studying food’s physical and chemical structure on digestion and absorption. Until now, researchers thought food was all digested the same way. However, that is not always the case. For example, antioxidant properties—are one area of interest, but incorporating them successfully into value-added food products can be tricky. “We could potentially use milk as a platform for delivering these antioxidants,” says Corredig. “If the polyphenols get absorbed by the milk proteins, then they’ll be carried through our digestive systems efficiently and this could increase their bioavailability to the body.” Natalie Osborne is a student writer with the University of Guelph’s office of research. Funding for this research is provided by the Ontario Dairy Council, Dairy Farmers of Ontario, Dairy Farmers of Canada and the Natural Science and Engineering Council of Canada.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Milk Producer - January 2012

The Milk Producer - January 2012
Contents
Editor’s Notes
DFO Chair’s Message
Dairy Update
DFC Promotion
Farm Finance
Research
Applied Science
Ruminations
Rearing Replacements
Markets
New’N’Noted
Back Forty

The Milk Producer - January 2012