TECHNOLOGICAL APPROACHES FOR INFANT FOOD MANUFACTURE FROM MODIFIED BUFFALO MILK

Abstract

ABSTRACTHitherto infant foods were developed by the modification of cow's milk. Because of the significant production of buffalo milk in this country, attempts have been made to evolve a method for the manufacture of infant food from modified buffalo milk simulating human milk. Buffalo milk being richer in calcium, protein, fat, and higher in curd tension than human milk, myriad technological approaches have been made to modify it. Modifications in the manufacture of this new product to simulate human milk were: (a) calcium in the skim milk was reduced by 50% by electrodialysis which decreased curd tension and improved heat stability; (b) milk proteins particularly αscasein was degraded by regulated proteolysis of milk with trypsin; (c) vegetable oil and milk fat in distinct proportions were incorporated resulting in improved polyunsaturated fatty acid profiles; and (d) fortification with lactose and vitamin mixture. The spray‐dried powder obtained from the modified buffalo milk was analyzed for compositional assessment simultaneously in the authors' laboratory, by Morinaga Milk Industries Ltd. (Japan) and by Nestlé Technical Assistance (Switzerland). The product has 3.lg protein, 3.5g fat, and 628 mg of linoleic acid per 100 calories with a Ca/P ratio of 2.2. These data satisfy the standards for infant food formula according to FAO/WHO (1955, 1966).