Non-thermal Processing Technologies for Dairy Products: Their Effect on Safety and Quality Characteristics

Abstract

Thermal treatment has always been the processing method of choice for food treatment in order to make it safe for consumption and to extend its shelf life. Over the past years non-thermal processing technologies are gaining momentum and they have been utilized especially as technological advancements have made upscaling and continuous treatment possible. Additionally, non-thermal treatments are usually environmentally friendly and energy-efficient, hence sustainable. On the other hand, challenges exist; initial cost of some non-thermal processes is high, the microbial inactivation needs to be continuously assessed and verified, application to both to solid and liquid foods is not always available, some organoleptic characteristics might be affected. The combination of thermal and non-thermal processing methods that will produce safe foods with minimal effect on nutrients and quality characteristics, while improving the environmental/energy fingerprint might be more plausible.

Application of novel technologies to reach net‐zero greenhouse gas emissions in the fresh pasteurised milk supply chain: A review

“…Thermal treatments involve large amounts of energy due to high temperatures (up to 72°C for 15 seconds for HTST) and subsequent cooling, both contributing to milk carbon footprint (0.12 kg CO 2 eq/kg of milk [Tomasula and Nutter 2011]). Additionally, thermal treatments can alter milk nutritional and organoleptic quality (Bousbia et al, 2021;Shabbir et al 2021;Neojleous et al 2022).…”

Enhancing Raw Bovine Milk Quality using Ultraviolet-C (UV-C) Irradiation: A Microbial and Lipid Peroxidation Study

“…To mitigate these alterations in nutritional and sensory properties, alternative non-thermal technologies have been introduced, including ultraviolet (UV) treatment, pulsed electric fields, high-pressure processing, ultrasound, cold plasma, ionizing radiation, and chemical treatment. These methods aim to enhance food safety, extend the shelf life of food products, and maintain their quality ( Alexandre et al, 2012 ; Choi and Nielsen, 2005 ; Mahalik and Nambiar, 2010 ; Neoκleous et al, 2022 ; Roobab et al, 2023 ; Suthiluk et al, 2023 ).…”

Thermosonication as a pretreatment of raw milk for Minas frescal cheese production

“…Conventional thermal treatments, such as pasteurization, can ensure the microbiological safety of processed foods, but their application can result in adverse effects such as nutrient degradation and sensory changes. Therefore, emerging technologies, particularly nonthermal treatments, have been increasingly studied and applied to process foods [2] , [3] , [4] , [5] , [6] .…”