Health Promoting Compounds in Milk and Dairy Products

Milk and dairy products are key components of the human diet, as they supply most of the nutrients essential for growth and development. This Reprint “Health-Promoting Compounds in Milk and Dairy Products” highlights the dairy matrix concept, showing how the interactions among lipids, proteins, minerals, vitamins, and bioactives influence digestion, bioavailability, and health effects. Contributions cover advances in analytics (e.g., mid-infrared spectroscopy, multiplex immunoassays), milk lipid and protein profiling, mineral and vitamin content, and functional enrichment strategies such as vitamin C, folate, saffron bioactives, and probiotic-driven CLA enhancement. Results emphasize the matrix’s role in stability, bioactivity, and sensory quality, guiding the design of functional dairy products. Future research should deepen mechanistic understanding, optimize microbial consortia, advance processing technologies, and validate health outcomes. Collectively, these studies position milk and dairy products as dynamic platforms for nutritional innovation and public health impact.