Functional characteristics and nontraditional applications of milk lipid components in food and nonfood systems

Milk fat can be modified to improve its functionality and expand its usage for traditional and nontraditional applications. The triglyceride, diglyceride, monoglyceride, and individual fatty acid components of milk fat determine functionality. Milk fat functionality is expressed through crystallization and melting behaviors, surface-active properties, and nutritional properties. Methods that are available to modify the functional properties of milk fat include fractionation by melt crystallization and supercritical fluid extraction, blending, texturization, interesterification, and glycerolysis. The selection of modification procedures is often driven by the requirements of the application. Modification of selected functionalities can expand the opportunities for milk fat as nontraditional ingredients in traditional applications, such as the use of milk fat fractions in chocolate and bakery products. New applications include the use of intact milk fat and milk fat fractions in the production of structured lipids, sucrose polyesters, edible films, emulsifiers, and cosmetics. Other nontraditional functionality associated with milk lipid components includes the antioxidant and anticarcinogenic properties of conjugated linoleic acid and the antimicrobial properties of lauric acid.