Reducing Fat in Milk and Dairy Products by Processing

Abstract

Technology exists today for producing most dairy products with lower fat percentages, but the extent to which fat can be reduced is determined principally by effects of composition changes on product acceptability, regulatory standards, and economic considerations. Fat has a marked influence on consumer acceptance of some products. Depending on the product, the most important quality characteristics contributed by fat may be flavor, color, richness, mouth-feel, smoothness, softness, and others. Attempts to merchandise lowfat substitutes for butter have met with little success. Prospects for producing cheeses with reduced fat are promising.The composition of the fat in dairy products can be modified by fractionation, by blending with vegetable oils, by substituting vegetable oil for milk fat, and by feeding cows protected lipid supplements.Competition from products in which vegetable oils replace milk fat (for example, margarine or butter) influences consumption of milk fat. There is interest in using blends of milk fat and vegetable oils to stem the incursion of imitation and substitute products into traditional markets for dairy foods.