The processing of milk as a raw material: past developments and future prospects

As the sole and complete food for humans from birth, milk is an extraordinary substance. A source of essential nutrients, it has gradually become a platform for additional health benefits and a source of high value-added ingredients. A significant proportion of its current utilisation still takes the form of cheese and fermented milk products, where research – particularly into the genomics of the ecosystems involved – has led to notable advances in the diversification of flavours and textures. At the same time, several generations of dairy ingredients – particularly protein-based ones – have been developed through an ever-more sophisticated understanding of fractionation using membrane technologies (ultrafiltration, microfiltration). Dairy proteins are unique in their multifunctionality; endowed with excellent nutritional value, they possess a wide range of texturising, emulsifying and bulking properties that make them indispensable as an ingredient, not only in infant nutrition, of course, but also in a vast array of food products. The processes involved (fractionation, drying, incorporation into matrices) affect the functional and nutritional properties of these fractions, and a better understanding of this field is needed to optimise their use. The dairy industry is the leading agri-food industry in France; thanks to the diversity, quality and innovative nature of its products, it ranks amongst the very best in the world. This dynamism is underpinned by close and long-standing links with academic research.