CULTURAL CENTER

Dairy Field, Oct 2004 by Petrak, Lynn

Dairy cultures prove they are truly "good" bacteria with recent innovations and applications.

When it comes to the successful development of cultured dairy products, many processors and manufacturers are going with a gut feeling.

The human gut, in this case, happens to be a focal point of live bacterial cultures that have been shown to improve the human digestive system. Such microorganisms are common ingredients in many dairy products and are increasingly added to others as a way to boost nutritional profiles. Beyond enhancing the health benefits of a product, cultures have long been used for a variety of functional purposes in a wide range of finished foods and beverages.

Cultures, in fact, have been a part of dairy products for centuries, as an integral part of the fermentation of products like cheese, yogurt and certain milks. Interest in the health benefits of food-grade cultures dates back to the early 1900s, when a Nobel laureate researcher linked the intake of certain fermented dairy products with longevity and overall good health. In the ensuing years, more research was devoted to both the health benefits and performance of cultures, as strains were isolated and applied to various dairy goods, including yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese, buttermilk, cheese and milk.

These days, there is a plethora of food-grade cultures on the market being formulated in new and innovative ways. Strains are available for a range of desired properties; for instance, there are designated classes of cultures for use in cheese starter cultures, yogurt, milk, buttermilk and sour cream.

Much of the development in recent years has been driven by technological advancements, as university researchers, ingredient suppliers and independent laboratories have identified and utilized emerging and increasingly sophisticated beneficial bacterial strains. Many such strains are being selected and adapted for specific products and purposes.

At the same time, the competitive climate of the food and beverage industry has led dairy processors to differentiate themselves with items that can be marketed as having a nutritious edge and that feature the flavors, texture and appearance that consumers demand.

Such converging trends have made it a comparatively busy time on the research and development front, both for dairy culture suppliers and for the processors they serve.

"It's a wonderful time to be in dairy," remarks Beth Jones, product manager of fresh dairy and probiotics for Danisco USA Inc., Madison, Wis., an ingredient company with an extensive line of cultures. "You are starting to see market shifts that allow the [dairy] companies to think about new products and niche markets, which allows the dairy ingredient suppliers to create more value for them - a win-win for everyone."

Likewise, David Burrington, director of marketing of dairy ingredients for global ingredient supplier Chr. Hansen, Milwaukee, cites more activity in the dairy category, driven by new product introductions, changing consumer tastes and processing needs. "It seems like now there are always developments in cultures and cultures going into fermented and cheeses," he says.

Working on Wellness

Over the past few years, much R&D work in suppliers' laboratories and processors' test kitchens and plants has centered on the nutritional advantages of various cultures. Such an emphasis is natural, given the longtime interest in so-called "good" bacteria.

Suppliers and marketers of cultured dairy products can likely rattle off any number of health benefits associated with the intake of cultured dairy foods. Cultures tested for their health effects have shown, among other results, to aid digestion of milk in lactose-intolerant individuals, guard against ulcers, help lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels, possibly protect against certain type of cancers, enhance the body's immune defense responses and maintain intestinal health. There have been several other promising studies indicating that consumption of certain cultured dairy products can ward off other chronic diseases and conditions as well.

In addition to enhancing or maintaining wellness, cultures can also play a role in food safety, according to some studies. Industrially produced dairy cultures, for instance, are found in pasteurized milk, which helps prevent the spreading of disease. Research has also shown that certain probiotic cultures can protect not only against gastrointestinal problems but can help inhibit infection by food-borne pathogens like listeria monocytogenes and salmonella.

Recently, there has been a great focus on probiotic cultures, naturally found in the digestive tract and shown to improve intestinal function. Probiotics, used in dairy products like yogurts and functional beverages, may well represent the next generation of cultures and span a variety of strains, including Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and Lactobacillus reuteri, among others.