Fortification Update: Beyond [Ca.sup.2+], A & D

Dairy Foods, Dec, 2000 by Donna Berry

Omega-3 fatty acids and soy protein expand the nutritional cache of dairy foods

For many years, fluid milk has been one of the most commonly fortified foods. Lower-fat versions have enough fat-soluble vitamin A added to make the per serving level equivalent to whole milk. And, all varieties typically have vitamin D added to prevent rickets.

More recently, dairies have started supplementing fluid milk as well as other dairy foods, such as cheese and yogurt, with extra calcium. Where do dairies go from here?

Omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-3s are polyunsaturated fatty acids that are naturally found in fish and fish oil. These 20-and 22-carbon fatty acids are so named because the first double bond in the carbon chain occurs after the third carbon atom from the end of the chain where the methyl group is located.

Scientific research shows that a diet low in saturated fat and high in omega-3 can have significant long-term health benefits, including protection against cardiovascular disease and various inflammatory and auto-immune conditions.

The primary dietary source of omega-3 is fish and fish oil. Because most people's diets are not high in these foods, product developers are identifying ways to add omega-3 to other foods. A limiting factor in which foods can be fortified, however, is the inherent fishy taste of these fatty acids.

Suppliers are improving the sensory profile of this fishy tasting oil by stabilizing it with other ingredients, yielding a powder or oil that contains a blend of around 10% total of various omega-3 fatty acids ((eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA)). This has made it possible to add omega-3 to delicate tasting foods like dairy.

Within the past two years, fluid milk fortified with omega-3 fatty acids has become available in select European and Asian markets. The first to introduce such an item was Italy's Parmalat Finanziaria S.p.A. in 1998. Earlier this year, Lactel SNC and 3A S.A., both French companies, launched a similar product. These milks are UHT processed and packaged in plastic bottles with a shelflife of three months.

One of the keys to successfully adding omega-3 to dairy is that there must be some fat present in the product. Neither nonfat yogurt nor skim milk are good carriers. For dairy, omega-3 oil is usually used and is added to the formulation using high-pressure homogenization (p1=2,200 psi, p2=735 psi). This evenly disperses the oil in the dairy product.

To make omega-3 fortified chocolate milk drink, 0.2% omega-3 is mixed with about 2.5% of 1.5% fat milk and homogenized under high pressure. This pre-emulsion is mixed with the remaining ingredients and then pasteurized according to desired packaging requirements (i.e., HTST or UHT), again high-pressure homogenized and then properly packaged (i.e., traditional, ESL or aseptic). A 300ml serving delivers 150mg of omega-3 fatty acid.

A good-tasting yogurt can be produced with the addition 0.6% omega-3 oil. This yields 150mg of omega-3 per 100g serving.

Soy protein

Soy protein consumption is associated with reducing the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). There is also on-going research that suggests consumption of soy-based foods has a positive effect on heart health, bone health and women's health, as well as cancer management and prevention.

Since FDA's approval in October 1999 of a health claim associating the consumption of soy protein with reducing the risk of CHD, product developers have been exploring ways to include soy into current formulations, as well as how to make new foods with soy.

Soy beverages and cultured soy desserts are now available nationwide in most mainstream grocery stores. Unfortunately, many of these products have an undesirable beany taste, which limits their popularity to the true health food guru.

One way to overcome such off-notes is to treat soy protein as an ingredient rather than as a base. For example, yogurt is an ideal cows milk product to fortify with soy protein. First, the standard of identity for yogurt allows the addition of stabilizers, which, indeed, is a property of soy protein. Soy protein provides moderate gel strength and helps increase the body of yogurt.

Secondly, unlike cultured soymilk (soy yogurt), cows milk yogurt fortified with soy protein provides consumers with the benefits of cows milk (calcium and vitamin A) and the benefits of soy.

Anderson Erickson Dairy Inc., Des Moines, Iowa, recently introduced the first dairy Fat Free Yogurt Fortified with Soy Protein. In addition to the 6.25g of soy protein, each serving in the five-flavor) line of yogurts has 50% of the RDI for vitamin C, 30% for calcium, 25% for vitamin D and 25% for fiber. Acidophilus and bifidus are also included.

Miriam Erickson Brown, executive v.p., and the daughter of Jim Erickson, the dairy's CEO, spearheaded the yogurt's development and market introduction. "As a breast cancer survivor who was instructed by my physician to include more soy in my diet, I got tired of eating tofu and was looking for other sources of soy," She says. She believes women will truly benefit from this product.