Essential micronutrient fortification in dairy products

Milk in its natural form is almost unique as a balanced source of man's dietary need. The various steps in processing and storage have a measurable impact on some specific nutrients.

Fortification is defined as the practice of deliberately increasing the content of an essential micronutrients such as essential vitamins and minerals to food. The fortification of food products has been practiced for more than 80 years.

The micronutrients which are commonly used in the fortification of the food products such as milk and its products are:
• Vitamins and co-vitamins
• Essential minerals
• Essential fatty acids
• Essential amino acids
• Phytonutrients
• Enzymes

Vitamins are compounds which play a role as cofactors in the body. Fermented milk products such as yogurt can be thought as vitamin sources. Vitamin concentrates with vitamins A and D are used for fortification of fluid milk.

Vitamin fortification has a long history in fluid milk in the United States to reduce rickets in children, and the FDA mandated in the 1990s that fortified fluid milks must be within 100% to 150% of label claims to address documented variability in vitamin amounts.

Iron-fortified yogurt has a relatively high iron bioavailability. Iron fortification of milk and dairy product is considered as a potential approach to prevent the iron deficiency disorder , since dairy foods are an important part of the daily diet in most parts of the world.

Iron fortification of milk or dairy products induces several bio physicochemical modifications with important consequences. Iron fortification of food is regarded as the most cost-effective method for reducing the prevalence of nutritional iron deficiency. Iron deficiency induces anemia, alters mental development, decreases immunity, impairs cognitive scores in children and leads to poor pregnancy outcome.
Essential micronutrient fortification in dairy products

Nutrient content in almond milk

There are a dozens of reason almond milk is worth adding to human diet. The first is that the light, nutty, crisp flavor is almost immediately palatable.

Almond milk is high in protective antioxidants, particularly vitamin E, and rich in flavonoids. Unlike cow’s milk, almond milk contains no cholesterol and no saturated fats so it won’t damage the cardiovascular system. It also contains only 5 mg of sodium per serving. In addition, a serving of almond milk contains 150 mg of potassium, which is particularly beneficial in promoting healthy blood pressure.

Plain almond milk without added sugars or flavoring contains 40 calories per 8 ounce serving. It is good for weight loss or who want maintain a low weight.

One cup of almond milk also includes significant amounts of magnesium, manganese, selenium and vitamin E. Almond milk has the highest concentrations of vitamins and minerals compared to soy and rice milks.

While the taste is significantly different from soy, the most preferred almond milk contains added sugar. Many milk substitutes take some getting used to, but almond milk offers a similar consistency to milk and tastes great in all the same places – over cereal, in a cup of coffee or served ice cold in a glass with a straw.

It has all the creamy goodness of milk, without all of the adverse reactions some bodies experience when consuming dairy.
Nutrient content in almond milk

Vitamin B in dairy milk

Milk contains both water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins. The nonfat portion of milk is especially plentiful in the B vitamin riboflavin, a greenish fluorescent-colored vitamin.

It acts as a photosynthesizer and is readily destroyed upon exposure to sunlight.

Dairy milk contains more vitamin B than soy milk. It has 8 types of vitamin B, compared to soy milk which contains 7 types but lacking in vitamin B12.

Vitamin B12 is necessary for growth, maintenance of nerve tissues and normal blood formation, Milk provides 0.44 μg vitamin B12/100 g. Three glasses of milk would furnish all of the 2.4 μg vitamin B12 recommended for most adults.

Vitamin B12 content was measured in milk samples of 544 Dutch Holstein Friesian cows: content was 4.4 μg/L on average and varied between 1.0 and 12.9 μg/L. This variation between cows could to large extend be attributed to genetic factors.

Riboflavin or B2 vitamin is a yellow-green fluorescent compound and in addition to its role as a vitamin, it is responsible for the colour of milk serum.
Vitamin B in dairy milk

Vitamin A content in cow’s milk

All-trans retinol is the main form of vitamin A present in milk, the cis isomer of retinol being sometimes observed in a very low amount in cow’s milk.

The amount of vitamin A in milk varies with the carotene content of the feed. Normally, vitamin A potency is highest when the cow is on succulent pastures in the spring and lowest when the cow is hay-fed during the winter season.

The vitamin A potency of milk can be increased to a level that approaches summer milk by feeding rations high in carotene content.

Concentrations of vitamin A and carotenoids in milk are also dependent on animal species. Indeed caprine milk is richer (30%) in retinol and conversely beta-carotene is 30% higher in cow’s milk than goat’s milk.

Guernsey milk contained more carotene than preformed vitamin A, Jersey approximately equal proportions whereas the Holstein milk the carotene constituted approximately 30 percent and the vitamin A, 70 percent of the total biological active vitamin A.
Vitamin A content in cow’s milk

Vitamins in Milk

Vitamins in Milk
The vitamins found in milk include vitamins A, D, E and K, ascorbic acid, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, folic acid, and cyanocobalamin.

Ruminant derived all the water soluble vitamins via synthesis by rumen microbial flora, but are dependent on an exogenous supply of the fat soluble vitamins.

The quantities of water soluble vitamins and of vitamin K in milk are little affected by feed, season, breed or stage of lactation, whereas the quantities of vitamins A, D and E are influenced by feed.

All the vitamins appear to be well absorbed from milk products and make important contributions to human diets.
Vitamins in Milk