Researchers 'mining' milk for health-giving benefits

RESEARCHERS IN Cork have begun “mining” milk to develop new products that will help to reduce blood pressure, create a feeling of fullness in those trying to lose weight and better protect babies and children against illness.

The health-giving properties of milk are currently being investigated by Food for Health Ireland, a consortium made up of research institutions and the four Irish dairy companies.

Infant formula, dairy spreads, yogurts and cheeses are some of the products that the researchers are aiming to improve to maintain health and alleviate conditions associated with serious diseases.

Based in UCC, Food for Health Ireland (FHI) has started its first project, called “Intelligent Milk Mining” which decomposes milk into its molecular components.

The most modern technologies available are being used to analyse the milk components, making it significantly easier to predict the safety and the functioning of the components.

FHI chief executive Jens Bleiel said that once interesting, high activity components have been identified in the screening phase, they are analysed and tested for their specific health properties.

They may have an effect on the blood glucose levels of diabetic patients, may reduce blood pressure, create satiety in consumers wanting to lose weight or better protect babies and children against diarrhoea, he explained. “All these developments will respond to one of the most pressing consumer requests to the food industry – that is healthy, tasty, affordable products from natural sources,” said Mr Bleiel.

The consortium of research institutions involved in FHI include University College Cork, University College Dublin, University of Limerick and Teagasc’s Moorepark Food Research Centre. The four dairy companies involved are Carbery Group, Dairygold Co-operative Society Ltd, Glanbia and Kerry Group.

A very close relationship has been established between research and industry, which Mr Bleiel pointed out, is a key factor if research results are to be commercialised successfully in the future.

“Consumer behaviour and insights are being generated by the dairy companies to give guidance to the research programme, so that the developed ingredients will satisfy real consumer needs,” he said.

FHI is being funded by Enterprise Ireland and the dairy companies to meet the challenge for the global food industry of inventing new, natural, healthy, tasty and affordable ingredients. The consortium will hold its first two-day meeting later this week to share its expertise and vision for the development of Ireland’s functional food industry.