UHT Milk Research Articles

Assessment of Brazilian consumers' perception about the presence of stabilisers in UHT milk: A study using virtual focus groups

Several countries use stabilisers in the product to avoid undesirable alterations, such as aggregation/gelation of proteins after thermal processing of UHT milk. Brazilian consumers' perception of these additives was investigated using virtual focus groups. Several relevant factors to the decision of consumers were elicited. The results show that most consumers do not have the habit of reading the UHT milk label and demonstrate a lack of knowledge about using stabilisers in UHT milk, even confusing it with preservatives. It is noted that the dairy sector must improve its communication strategies for UHT milk consumers.

Differential behavior of Lactobacillus helveticus B1929 and ATCC 15009 on the hydrolysis and angiotensin-I-converting enzyme inhibition activity of fermented ultra-high-temperature milk and nonfat dried milk powder

Consumers' growing interest in fermented dairy foods necessitates research on a wide array of lactic acid bacterial strains to be explored and used. This study aimed to investigate the differences in the proteolytic capacity of Lactobacillus helveticus strains B1929 and ATCC 15009 on the fermentation of commercial ultra-pasteurized (UHT) skim milk and reconstituted nonfat dried milk powder (at a comparable protein concentration, 4%). The antihypertensive properties of the fermented milk, measured by angiotensin-I-converting enzyme inhibitory (ACE-I) activity, were compared. The B1929 strain lowered the pH of the milk to 4.13 ± 0.09 at 37°C after 24 h, whereas ATCC 15009 needed 48 h to drop the pH to 4.70 ± 0.18 at 37°C. Two soluble protein fractions, one (CFS1) obtained after fermentation (acidic conditions) and the other (CFS2) after the neutralization (pH 6.70) of the pellet from CFS1 separation, were analyzed for d-/l-lactic acid production, protein concentration, the degree of protein hydrolysis, and ACE-I activity. The CFS1 fractions, dominated by whey proteins, demonstrated a greater degree of protein hydrolysis (7.9%) than CFS2. On the other hand, CFS2, mainly casein proteins, showed a higher level of ACE-I activity (33.8%) than CFS1. Significant differences were also found in the d- and l-lactic acid produced by the UHT milk between the 2 strains. These results attest that milk casein proteins possessed more detectable ACE-I activity than whey fractions, even without a measurable degree of hydrolysis. Findings from this study suggest that careful consideration must be given when selecting the bacterial strain and milk substrate for fermentation.

Comparison of commercial allergen extract with various milk products of skin prick tests in diagnosing cow's milk protein allergy

Introduction: In this study, we aimed to solve the incompatibilities between the skin prick test (SPT) result and the clinical picture encountered among patients. Thus, we used various milk products (raw, ultrahigh temperature [UHT], and pasteurized cow's milk) with commercial milk allergen extract in patients we think may have cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA) and made a comparison among the milk types. Methods: This study was conducted retrospectively between February 1, 2019, to June 1, 2019, at a pediatric allergy polyclinic of the university training/research hospital. A pair of 79 individuals, as control and patient groups, ages between 1 month and 21 years who were presented with a suspicion of CMPA and defined with SPT and/or allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels were included in the study. Allergen-specific IgE tests (specific IgE cow's milk, β-lactoglobulin, α-lactalbumin, casein) were evaluated. SPT was performed with fresh/raw, UHT, and pasteurized (daily) cow's milk besides the standard used commercial extract. Results: In the group included in the study and defined as IgE-mediated CMPA, 52.9% of the 79 patients were boys (n = 46), 47.1% were girls (n = 33), and the median age was 6 months (5.0-8.0 months). In the group of specific IgE cow's milk reaction that was sought, frequency and wheal (induration) size of SPT reaction to fresh/raw milk was also found to be statistically significant between positive- and negative-reaction groups, not detected against other milk products. The area under the curve for the diagnostic value of fresh milk was 93.1%. For the cutoff value of 2.50 mm, 88.1% sensitivity and 90.8% specificity were determined. In the group of specific IgE β-lactoglobulin reaction searched, there was a statistically significant difference in the frequency of SPT positivity and wheal size against UHT, fresh, and daily/pasteurized milk between positive and negative reaction groups. When the correlations of the mean induration axis in the tests were examined, it was found that, among raw milk, daily milk, cow's milk allergen extract, and UHT milk, a strong positive correlation was also statistically significant. Conclusion: The positivity that could not be detected with SPT when using allergen extract in a patient with positive specific IgE cow's milk result in the clinic can be detected with SPT made with fresh (raw) milk, which can be an alternative. In addition, specific IgE β-lactoglobulin seems to be the most compatible with the SPT wheal size (induration) of other milk types rather than extract. Comparative studies of SPT allergen extracts and various milk types used in the diagnosis of CMPA are very scarce in the literature, and more studies are needed on this subject.

Occurrence and survival of Campylobacter spp. in dairy matrices investigated by viability qPCR

The aim of this study was to investigate the survival of Campylobacter jejuni in dairy matrices by viability qPCR. Survival in UHT milk was examined first and the cheese outbreak strain, C. jejuni 11 218 showed enhanced tendency to become viable but nonculturable (VBNC). It survived for long at different pH values, in raw and fermented milk and cheese. Viability qPCR was also used to examine the occurrence of viable Campylobacter spp. in raw milk, detecting the bacteria in 40.9% of 25 mL samples negative on culture. Results showed that viability qPCR is valuable in estimating Campylobacter risk in dairy products.

Evaluation of Physicochemical Characteristics And Detection of Most Type Adulterant of Uht Milk Solds in The Markets of Erbil City

Evaluation of Physicochemical Characteristics And Detection of Most Type Adulterant of Uht Milk Solds in The Markets of Erbil City

Isparta İlinden Toplanan Çiğ, Pastörize ve UHT Sütlerde Okratoksin A Miktarının Tespiti

Süt bileşiminde bulunan proteinler, yağlar, laktoz, vitaminler ve mineral maddeler ile en temel besin kaynaklarından biridir. Özellikle çocukların beslenmesinde, içeriğinde bulunan ve fizyolojik olarak önemli olan enzimler, büyüme hormonları, enzim inhibitörleri ve anti bakteriyel ajanlardan dolayı elzemdir. Fakat süt yararlı ve elzem bileşenleri içerirken aynı zamanda sağlığımızı tehdit edici Okratoksin A (OTA) gibi toksin maddelerini taşıyabilmektedir. Bu çalışmada Isparta ilinden iki farklı mevsimde toplanan çiğ, pastörize ve UHT sütlerde okratoksin A miktarı belirlenmiştir. Bulunan değerlere mevsim etkisi araştırılmıştır. Ağustos 2020 ve Mart 2021 aylarında iki farklı dönemde Isparta pazarlarında satılan 18 çiğ süt, marketlerden toplanan 18 pastörize süt ve 28 UHT süt örneği olmak üzere toplam 64 adet süt örneği incelenmiştir. OTA miktarlarının süt cinsine ve mevsime göre bulunan değerleri; çiğ süt yaz ortalaması 0,06± 0,004 ppb ve kış ortalaması 0,14±0,005 ppb; pastörize süt OTA yaz ortalaması 0,07± 0,002 ppb, kış ortalaması 0,21± 0,011 ppb; UHT süt yaz ve kış ortalamaları sırası ile 0,06± 0,003 ppb ve 0,18± 0,06 ppb bulunmuştur. Tüm süt örneklerinde OTA tespit edilmiştir. Süt türlerine ait OTA miktarlarının kış ortalamaları, yaz ortalamalarına göre anlamlı olarak daha yüksek bulunmuştur (p<0,05).

Bacterial extracellular vesicles and associated functional proteins in fermented dairy products with Lacticaseibacillus paracasei.

Cells of all kingdoms produce extracellular vesicles (EVs); hence, they are present in most environments and body fluids. Lacticaseibacillus paracasei produces EVs that have attached biologically active proteins (P40 and P75). In this study, EV and functional proteins were found in five different commercial dairy-fermented products carrying L. paracasei. Strains present in those products were isolated, and with one exception, all produced small EVs (24-47 d.nm) carrying P40 and P75. In order to winnow bacterial EV from milk EV, products were subjected to centrifugal fractionation at 15,000 × g (15 K), 33,000 × g (33 K), and 100,000 × g (100 K). P75 was present in all supernatants and pellets, but P40 was only found in two products bound to the 15 and 33 K pellets, and 16S rDNA of L. paracasei could be amplified from all 100 K EVs, indicating the presence of L. paracasei EV. To investigate the interactions of bacterial EV and proteins with milk EV, L. paracasei BL23 EV was added to three commercial UHT milk products. Small-size vesicles (50-60 d.nm) similar to L. paracasei BL23 EV were found in samples from 100 K centrifugations, but intriguingly, P40 and P75 were bound to EV in 15 and 33 K pellets, containing bovine milk EV of larger size (200-300 d.nm). Sequencing 16S rDNA bands amplified from EV evidenced the presence of bacterial EVs of diverse origins in milk and fermented products. Furthermore, L. paracasei 16S rDNA could be amplified with species-specific primers from all samples, showing the presence of L. paracasei EV in all EV fractions (15, 33, and 100 K), suggesting that these bacterial EVs possibly aggregate and are co-isolated with EV from milk. P40 and P75 proteins would be interacting with specific populations of milk EV (15 and 33 K) because they were detected bound to them in fermented products and milk, and this possibly forced the sedimentation of part of L. paracasei EV at lower centrifugal forces. This study has solved technically complex problems and essential questions which will facilitate new research focusing on the molecular behavior of probiotics during fermentation and the mechanisms of action mediating the health benefits of fermented products.

Influence of storage time on protein composition and simulated digestion of UHT milk and centrifugation presterilized UHT milk in vitro

The centrifugation presterilizing UHT (C-UHT) sterilization method removes 90% of the microorganism and somatic cells from raw milk using high-speed centrifugation following UHT treatment. This study aimed to study the changes in protein composition and plasmin in the UHT and C-UHT milk. The digestive characteristics, composition, and peptide spectrum of milk protein sterilized with the 2 technologies were studied using a dynamic digestive system of a simulated human stomach. The Pierce bicinchoninic acid assay, laser scanning confocal microscope, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and AA analysis were used to study the digestive fluid at different time points of gastric digestion in vitro. The results demonstrated that C-UHT milk had considerably higher protein degradation than UHT milk. Different processes resulted during the cleavage of milk proteins at different sites during digestion, resulting in different derived peptides. The results showed there was no significant effect of UHT and C-UHT on the peptide spectrum of milk proteins, but C-UHT could release relatively more bioactive peptides and free AA.

Neonicotinoids residues in cow milk and health risks to the Chinese general population

The application of neonicotinoid insecticides (NEOs) has increased dramatically in the world since being introduced in 1990s, yet the extent of human exposure and potential health risk is not fully unraveled. In this study, the residues were analyzed of 16 NEOs and their metabolites in 205 commercial cow milk samples circulating in Chinese market. All the milk samples contained at least one quantified NEO, and over 90% of samples contained a cocktail of NEOs. Acetamiprid, N-desmethyl acetamiprid, thiamethoxam, clothianidin and imidaclothiz were the most commonly detected analytes with detection frequencies of 50–88% and medians of 0.011–0.038 ng/mL in milk. Geographical origin was an important factor to influence abundances and levels of NEOs contamination in milk. Chinese local milk bore a significant higher risk from NEOs contamination than the imported milk. In China, the northwest presented the greatest concentrations of the insecticides relative to the north or south. Organic farming, ultra heat treatment and skimming could significantly reduce levels of NEOs contamination in milk. A relative potency factor method was used to evaluate estimated daily intake of NEO insecticides, and found the children had 3.5–5 times higher exposed risk via milk ingestion than the adults. The high frequency of NEOs detection in milk offers us a snapshot of the ubiquity of NEOs in milk, with possible health implications especially for children.

Changes in the physiochemical, flavor and stability of whey protein solutions during UHT processing and storage: a review

A growing product on the worldwide dairy market is ultra-high temperature (UHT) milk, which can be kept at room temperature for 6 to 9 months. As the milk undergoes either direct or indirect UHT treatment at 140 ℃ for a few seconds, could kill the majority of bacteria and heat-resistance enzymes. The whey protein in milk will experience a series of physiochemical reactions such as denaturation, proteolysis, age gelation, sedimentation and Maillard after UHT treatment and following storage. The aims of this review were to screen occurred reactions in whey protein, allocate the generated flavor and analysis the volatile compounds. This review explained the mechanisms of the physiochemical reactions, and analysed the related flavor and relevant compounds of the flavor. Also, proposing several suggestions to improve UHT milk quality and find out suitable treatment conditions to prevent or minimize the effects of UHT on whey proteins.

The Impact of Low-Temperature Inactivation of Protease AprX from Pseudomonas on Its Proteolytic Capacity and Specificity: A Peptidomic Study

The destabilization of UHT milk during its shelf life can be promoted by the residual proteolytic activity attributed to the protease AprX from Pseudomonas. To better understand the hydrolysis patterns of AprX, and to evaluate the feasibility of using low-temperature inactivation (LTI) for AprX, the release of peptides through AprX activity on milk proteins was examined using an LC-MS/MS-based peptidomic analysis. Milk samples were either directly incubated to be hydrolyzed by AprX, or preheated under LTI conditions (60 °C for 15 min) and then incubated. Peptides and parent proteins (the proteins from which the peptides originated) were identified and quantified. The peptides were mapped and the cleavage frequency of amino acids in the P1/P1′ positions was analyzed, after which the influence of LTI and the potential bitterness of the formed peptides were determined. Our results showed that a total of 2488 peptides were identified from 48 parent proteins, with the most abundant peptides originating from κ-casein and β-casein. AprX may also non-specifically hydrolyze other proteins in milk. Except for decreasing the bitterness potential in skim UHT milk, LTI did not significantly reduce the AprX-induced hydrolysis of milk proteins. Therefore, the inactivation of AprX by LTI may not be feasible in UHT milk production.

Kefir fermented milk as starter culture in Minas Frescal cheese production

The present work aimed to produce Minas Frescal cheese with the replacement of the commercial lactic culture by fermented kefir milk with kefir (FKM) and verify some of its physicochemical characteristics, aiming mainly at the development of a new commercial probiotic dairy product with low production cost as compared to the use of commercial probiotic cultures. Kefir grains were added to whole UHT milk and fermented at 22ºC/24 hours in an incubator, after fermentation the grains were separated and the FKM was used in the manufacture of cheeses with the addition of 1, 3 or 5% of the total volume of milk. They were analysed the concentrations of fat and protein in the milk used in cheese manufacturing; the acidity of FKM, milk, FKM-added milk, whey and cheeses; in those ones their total solids (TS), fat and fat in the total solids (FTS) and manufacturing yields were evaluated. The results obtained indicated that it was possible to produce Minas cheeses using KFM in all of the tested concentrations because the results for all treatments were close to those found in the literature with the use of commercial lactic cultures and among the treatments only the acidity had significant differences, however more studies should be carried out mainly aiming at the standardization of kefir cultures for the industrial process of manufacturing these cheeses.

Peptidomic Fingerprints of Stored UHT Milk Inoculated with Protease Extracts from Different Pseudomonas Strains Relative to aprX Expression and Visible Spoilage

Lately, concern about the protease AprX produced by Pseudomonas has increased in the dairy industry due to its ability to survive UHT treatment and spoil UHT milk. Efficient prediction methods for UHT milk spoilage are currently lacking, mainly due to high diversity in proteolytic potential between Pseudomonas strains. The present study aimed to gain more insight into the variability between Pseudomonas strains regarding proteolytic potential by comparing their proteolytic capability with their aprX expression levels and differences in peptide formation. The variability in aprX expression levels in four Pseudomonas strains were related to physical stability, milk proteolysis and peptidomic cleavage patterns of milk proteins in a storage experiment of UHT milk inoculated with protease extracellular extracts and stored for 45 days at 20 °C. A positive relationship was observed between the relative expression of aprX and milk proteolysis during storage, with the strain Pseudomonas panacis DSM 18529 showing the highest level in both parameters. This strain was the only strain to show visual gelation, which occurred after 21 days. The peptide formation analysis showed a similar protein hydrolysis pattern between strains and high hydrolysis of αs1-caseins during long-term spoilage putatively due to the activity of AprX was observed.

Exploration of interaction between α-lactalbumin and β-lactoglobulin under dUHT treatment and storage: Experimental and molecular dynamics study

Direct ultra-high temperature (dUHT) milk is considered as the next generation of liquid milk product because it keeps more nutritional ingredients and better flavor than UHT milk. However, sedimentation and age gelation are urgent problems to develop dUHT milk. The role of whey protein interaction in the destabilization of dUHT milk is rarely reported. In this study, the interaction between α-lactalbumin (α-La) and β-lactoglobulin (β-Lg) was investigated by thermodynamics, spectroscopy and silico approach at 75 °C (preheat), 145 °C (dUHT) and 37 °C (storage). The results showed that α-La could interact with β-Lg via hydrophobicity along with exothermic reaction. During dUHT and storage, the average molecular weight (MW) distribution of α-La/β-Lg complexes increased from 20.3 kDa to 274.4 kDa. The particle size increased from 135.53 ± 5.26 nm to 153.50 ± 3.83 nm and the zeta potential decreased from −27.80 ± 5.90 mV to −7.73 ± 2.65 mV. Fibrous cluster-like protein bridges promoted the formation of α-La/β-Lg aggregates. The interaction mechanism between α-La and β-Lg was explored by molecular docking and dynamics simulations. It was found that heat treatment reduced the binding free energy of α-La and β-Lg and promoted the formation of α-La/β-Lg complexes. Electrostatic and van der Waals were the main energy contributors to the binding. UHT treatment increased the number of hydrogen bonds and weakened the hydrophobic interaction. These findings indicate that the interaction between α-La and β-Lg forms aggregates during heat treatment and storage, which help to optimize process and storage of dUHT milk.

A theoretical analysis of bubble-related fouling in ultra heat treatment plants for milk

A thermodynamically based theoretical analysis of bubble formation on hot heat-exchanger wall surfaces in systems for continuous indirect thermal treatment of milk was performed. Whereas previous research on bubble-related fouling has been experimental with just hypothesis about mechanisms behind the impact of bubble formation on fouling, this research contribute with a novel theoretical anadlysis. The analysis was based on the combined effect of bubble formation due to decreased gas solubility caused by heating, and water evaporation into the thus formed bubbles. The analysis arrived at equations for the relationship between the conditions (amount of dissolved gas, pressure, temperature) and the amount of evaporated water, which causes drying at the hot wall surfaces. The calculated amount of evaporated steam correlated well with the amount of foulant reported in previous research. The analysis demonstrates that bubble formation on hot wall surfaces is strongly related to the presence of dissolved air. Moreover, the analysis provides complementary explanations to reasons for the benefits with commonly applied solutions to reduce fouling, such as small delta-T and preholding. The derived equations and diagrams, e.g. the equation for the minimum pressure required to eliminate formation of bubbles, are applicable when designing plants in order to minimize fouling. • Theoretical analysis of bubble-related fouling, based on thermodynamics. • Novel derived equations that can be applied right away. • Elevated understanding of milk fouling in UHT lines for milk. • Relevant for production costs, product quality, environment load and food safety.

Sade ve Aromalı UHT Sütlerde Tetrasiklin Kalıntılarının Araştırılması

In this study, tetracycline group antibiotic residue was investigated in plain and flavored UHT milk of different brands. A total of 90 UHT milk samples (62 plain and 28 flavored) were analyzed by ELISA method. Tetracycline residues were detected in all samples as a result of the analysis. The mean level of tetracycline was determined as 6.98±0.38 ppb in plain milk and 6.53±0.48 ppb in flavored milk. Residue levels in analyzed UHT milk were found to comply with the legal limits announced by the European Union (EU) commission and Turkish Food Codex Communiqué.

Variability in Cold Tolerance of Food and Clinical Listeria monocytogenes Isolates.

The aim of this study was to investigate the level of strain variability amongst food and clinical Listeria monocytogenes isolates growing at low temperatures (4 and 7 °C) in both laboratory media and real food matrices. Isolates (n = 150) grown in laboratory media demonstrated a large variation in growth profiles measured using optical density. Overall, it was noted that clinical isolates exhibited a significantly higher growth rate (p ≤ 0.05) at 7 °C than the other isolates. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests of isolates grouped using Multi Locus Sequence Typing (MLST) revealed that clonal complex 18 (CC18) isolates were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) faster growing at 4 °C than other CC-type isolates while CC101, CC18, CC8, CC37 and CC14 were faster growing than other CC types at 7 °C. Euclidean distance and Ward method-based hierarchical clustering of mean growth rates classified 33.33% of isolates as faster growing. Fast and slow growing representative isolates were selected from the cluster analysis and growth rates were determined using plate count data in laboratory media and model food matrices. In agreement with the optical density experiments, CC18 isolates were faster and CC121 isolates were slower than other CC types in laboratory media, UHT milk and fish pie. The same trend was observed in chocolate milk but the differences were not statistically significant. Moreover, pan-genome analysis (Scoary) of isolate genome sequences only identified six genes of unknown function associated with increased cold tolerance while failing to identify any known cold tolerance genes. Overall, an association that was consistent in laboratory media and real food matrices was demonstrated between isolate CC type and increased cold tolerance.

In Vitro Digestion and Colonic Fermentation of UHT Treated Faba Protein Emulsions: Effects of Enzymatic Hydrolysis and Thermal Processing on Proteins and Phenolics.

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) protein is a new plant protein alternative source with high nutrient content especially protein and phenolic compounds. The present study investigated physicochemical properties, phenolic content, antioxidant potential, and short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) production during in vitro digestion and colonic fermentation of faba bean hydrolysates and oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions. Results indicate that the enzymic hydrolysates of faba proteins exhibited higher protein solubility, increased electronegativity, and decreased surface hydrophobicity than native faba protein. O/W emulsions showed improved colloidal stability for the faba protein hydrolysates after ultra-high temperature processing (UHT). Furthermore, UHT processing preserved total phenolic content, DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging abilities while decreasing total flavonoid content and ferric reducing power. Besides, the release of phenolic compounds in faba bean hydrolysates (FBH) and emulsions (FBE) improved after intestinal digestion by 0.44 mg GAE/g and 0.55 mg GAE/g, respectively. For colonic fermentation, FBH demonstrated an approximately 10 mg TE/g higher ABTS value than FBE (106.45 mg TE/g). Total SCFAs production of both FBH and FBE was only 0.03 mM. The treatment of FBH with 30 min enzymatic hydrolysis displayed relatively higher antioxidant capacities and SCFAs production, indicating its potential to bring more benefits to gut health. Overall, this study showed that enzymic hydrolysis of faba proteins not only improved the colloidal emulsion stability, but also released antioxidant capacity during in vitro digestibility and colonic fermentation. Colonic fermentation metabolites (SCFAs) were related to the degree of hydrolysis for both FBH and FBE. Additional studies are required to further elucidate and differentiate the role of phenolics during faba protein processing and digestion stages in comparison to contributions of peptides, amino acids and microelements to digestion rates, antioxidant capacities and colonial SCFA production.

PH-dependent sedimentation and protein interactions in ultra-high-temperature-treated sheep skim milk

Sheep milk is considered unstable to UHT processing, but the instability mechanism has not been investigated. This study assessed the effect of UHT treatment (140°C/5 s) and milk pH values from 6.6 to 7.0 on the physical properties of sheep skim milk (SSM), including heat coagulation time, particle size, sedimentation, ionic calcium level, and changes in protein composition. Significant amounts of sediment were found in UHT-treated SSM at the natural pH (∼6.6) and pH 7.0, whereas lower amounts of sediment were observed at pH values of 6.7 to 6.9. The proteins in the sediment were mainly κ-casein (CN)-depleted casein micelles with low levels of whey proteins regardless of the pH. Both the pH and the ionic calcium level of the SSM at all pH values decreased after UHT treatment. The dissociation levels of κ-, β-, and αS2-CN increased with increasing pH of the SSM before and after heating. The protein content, ionic calcium level, and dissociation level of κ-CN were higher in the SSM than values reported previously in cow skim milk. These differences may contribute to the high amounts of sediment in the UHT-treated SSM at natural pH (∼6.6). Significantly higher levels of κ-, β-, and αS2-CN were detected in the serum phase after heating the SSM at pH 7.0, suggesting that less κ-CN was attached to the casein micelles and that more internal structures of the casein micelles may have been exposed during heating. This could, in turn, have destabilized the casein micelles, resulting in the formation of protein aggregates and high amounts of sediment after UHT treatment of the SSM at pH 7.0.

Preliminary Analysis of Voluntary Information on Organic Milk Labels in Four European Union Countries

The concern for the environment among European consumers is growing and in the future the need for sustainable shopping is expected to increase. Through transparent on-packaging communication with consumers, organic producers have the opportunity to show attributes of organic production system and build a strong market position. The aim of the study was to analyse voluntary packaging information on organic milk from four European markets in the context of organic food quality, i.e., Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Poland. More specifically, the textual content of 106 organic milk packages was analysed and voluntary information on each package was categorized according to process- and product-related organic milk attributes. The assortment and content of voluntary packaging information varied across the four countries. The largest number of products was found on the German market (37) and the smallest on the Polish market (14). Dutch milk had the greatest amount of voluntary information on animal welfare, product locality, environmental protection, quality confirmation, naturalness and nutritional value. German milk had the most information on enjoyment and conditions of processing, while the Italian milk on the social perspective. The products available on the Polish market had the least voluntary information. Pasteurized organic milk had noticeably more information about organic quality attributes than micro filtrated and UHT milk.