Nutrition Quality and Microbiology of Milk

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Dairy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 August 2023) | Viewed by 10738

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Institute of Sciences of Food Production, Italian National Council of Research, ISPA-CNR, Via Amendola 122/O, 70126 Bari, Italy
Interests: food quality; food safety; allergen discovery and characterization; mass spectrometry; allergenicity assessment
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The utilization of milk for human consumption began 11,000 years ago. While its consumption varies across the globe, on average it reaches 15/kg/capita/year.

Milk is one of the most nutritious drinks in the world, containing a wide variety of essential nutrients, fats, proteins (caseins, whey proteins, and minor proteins), essential amino acids, anti-inflammatory and digestive enzymes, bioavailable vitamins, and minerals.

Due to its high nutritious content, a heterogeneous number of microorganisms can grow in milk, posing a microbiological issue relevant both to the safety and quality of the product. Milk is also an important source of diverse and abundant probiotic microorganisms which have a number of known health benefits, inhibiting pathogenic organisms, increasing the bifidobacteria counts in the gut and alleviating inflammatory disorders.

Potential topics for this Special Issue include studies on the nutritional quality of milk, its chemical and microbiological content, and the effect on the quality and safety of this product.

Dr. Francesca Fanelli
Dr. Vincenzina Fusco
Dr. Linda Monaci
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • milk quality
  • milk microbiology
  • nutritional quality
  • probiotics
  • human health
  • allergens
  • food safety

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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9 pages, 1598 KiB  
Article
Brucella spp. Contamination in Artisanal Unpasteurized Dairy Products: An Emerging Foodborne Threat in Tunisia
by Awatef Béjaoui, Ibtihel Ben Abdallah and Abderrazak Maaroufi
Foods 2022, 11(15), 2269; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11152269 - 29 Jul 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3411
Abstract
Brucellosis is a worldwide zoonotic disease transmitted to humans, predominantly by the consumption of contaminated raw milk and dairy products. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of Brucella spp. in 200 raw milk, ricotta, and artisan fresh cheese samples, collected from individual [...] Read more.
Brucellosis is a worldwide zoonotic disease transmitted to humans, predominantly by the consumption of contaminated raw milk and dairy products. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of Brucella spp. in 200 raw milk, ricotta, and artisan fresh cheese samples, collected from individual marketing points in four districts in Tunisia. Samples were analyzed for the presence of Brucella spp. by IS711-based real-time PCR assay. Positive samples were further analyzed by qPCR for B. melitensis and B. abortus species differentiation. The DNA of Brucella spp. was detected in 75% of the samples, B. abortus was detected in 31.3%, and B. melitensis was detected in 5.3% of positive samples. A percentage of 49.3% of samples co-harbored both species, while 14% of the Brucella spp. positive samples were not identified either as B. abortus or B. melitensis. High contamination rates were found in ricotta (86.2%), cheese (69.6%), and raw milk (72.5%) samples. The study is the first in Tunisia to assess the occurrence of Brucella spp. contamination in artisanal unpasteurized dairy products and showed high contamination rates. The detection of both B. abortus and B. melitensis highlights that zoonotic high-pathogen agent control remains a challenge for food safety and consumer health protection and could represent a serious emerging foodborne disease in Tunisia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition Quality and Microbiology of Milk)
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Review

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48 pages, 1128 KiB  
Review
Milk and Its Derivatives as Sources of Components and Microorganisms with Health-Promoting Properties: Probiotics and Bioactive Peptides
by Laura Quintieri, Francesca Fanelli, Linda Monaci and Vincenzina Fusco
Foods 2024, 13(4), 601; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13040601 - 16 Feb 2024
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2142
Abstract
Milk is a source of many valuable nutrients, including minerals, vitamins and proteins, with an important role in adult health. Milk and dairy products naturally containing or with added probiotics have healthy functional food properties. Indeed, probiotic microorganisms, which beneficially affect the host [...] Read more.
Milk is a source of many valuable nutrients, including minerals, vitamins and proteins, with an important role in adult health. Milk and dairy products naturally containing or with added probiotics have healthy functional food properties. Indeed, probiotic microorganisms, which beneficially affect the host by improving the intestinal microbial balance, are recognized to affect the immune response and other important biological functions. In addition to macronutrients and micronutrients, biologically active peptides (BPAs) have been identified within the amino acid sequences of native milk proteins; hydrolytic reactions, such as those catalyzed by digestive enzymes, result in their release. BPAs directly influence numerous biological pathways evoking behavioral, gastrointestinal, hormonal, immunological, neurological, and nutritional responses. The addition of BPAs to food products or application in drug development could improve consumer health and provide therapeutic strategies for the treatment or prevention of diseases. Herein, we review the scientific literature on probiotics, BPAs in milk and dairy products, with special attention to milk from minor species (buffalo, sheep, camel, yak, donkey, etc.); safety assessment will be also taken into consideration. Finally, recent advances in foodomics to unveil the probiotic role in human health and discover novel active peptide sequences will also be provided. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition Quality and Microbiology of Milk)
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14 pages, 753 KiB  
Review
Recent Advances in the Determination of Milk Adulterants and Contaminants by Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy
by Carlotta Ceniti, Anna Antonella Spina, Cristian Piras, Francesca Oppedisano, Bruno Tilocca, Paola Roncada, Domenico Britti and Valeria Maria Morittu
Foods 2023, 12(15), 2917; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12152917 - 31 Jul 2023
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3036
Abstract
The presence of chemical contaminants, toxins, or veterinary drugs in milk, as well as the adulteration of milk from different species, has driven the development of new tools to ensure safety and quality. Several analytical procedures have been proposed for the rapid screening [...] Read more.
The presence of chemical contaminants, toxins, or veterinary drugs in milk, as well as the adulteration of milk from different species, has driven the development of new tools to ensure safety and quality. Several analytical procedures have been proposed for the rapid screening of hazardous substances or the selective confirmation of the authenticity of milk. Mid-infrared spectroscopy and Fourier-transform infrared have been two of the most relevant technologies conventionally employed in the dairy industry. These fingerprint methodologies can be very powerful in determining the trait of raw material without knowing the identity of each constituent, and several aspects suggest their potential as a screening method to detect adulteration. This paper reviews the latest advances in applying mid-infrared spectroscopy for the detection and quantification of adulterants, milk dilution, the presence of pathogenic bacteria, veterinary drugs, and hazardous substances in milk. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition Quality and Microbiology of Milk)
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