Search Results (544)

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming dairy quality assessment by enabling rapid, non-destructive, and data-driven monitoring across the dairy supply chain. Conventional analytical methods, although accurate, are often labor-intensive, time-consuming, and unsuitable for real-time applications. The integration of advanced sensing technologies with AI has therefore emerged as a promising approach for improving dairy quality control and food safety. This review examines recent advances in AI-enabled dairy quality assessment, covering spectroscopy-based sensing technologies, biomimetic sensing systems, machine vision, and multimodal data fusion. Particular attention is given to their applications in major dairy products, including raw milk, milk powder, cheese, and yogurt. Comparative analysis shows that AI-assisted sensing significantly enhances the accuracy, efficiency, and automation of compositional analysis, adulteration detection, microbial screening, freshness evaluation, and defect inspection, while multimodal approaches offer new opportunities for comprehensive quality assessment. The review further highlights the emerging role of explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) in improving the transparency and trustworthiness of dairy detection systems. Recent advances in feature attribution, decision interpretation, and uncertainty quantification are discussed, together with challenges related to data scarcity, model generalization, cross-instrument transferability, and explainability evaluation. Future developments in multimodal foundation models, standardized datasets, and explainable intelligent systems are expected to accelerate the deployment of trustworthy and scalable dairy quality assurance frameworks. Full article

Although the development of fermented plant-based milk alternatives has become quite popular, the relatively low nutritional value and functional properties of these products present significant challenges. This situation is driving the search for alternative protein sources to improve the quality of plant-based products, and legume proteins are attracting attention as promising components. Accordingly, this study aimed to enrich oat-based vegan yogurt alternatives with different legume protein isolates and evaluate their effects on product quality. In the present study, physicochemical, microbiological, antioxidant capacity, FAA profile, peptide profile, and FTIR analyses were performed on vegan yogurts produced using oat milk as well as mung bean and black bean protein isolates. It was determined that different plant protein isolates used in vegan yogurt production had a statistically very significant (n = 2, p < 0.01) effect on dry matter, protein, pH, L. acidophilus, antioxidant capacity, and all FAA profiles except asparagine and aspartic acid. The addition of legume protein isolates to vegan yogurts contributed to an increase in dry matter content (11.57–14.14%), protein content (2.92–5.20%), ash content (0.22–0.32%), and pH value (4.49–4.59) compared to the control group. Similar effects were also observed in S. thermophilus count (5.79–6.38 log cfu/g), L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus count (5.72–6.43 log cfu/g), DPPH inhibition (10.29–19.93%), and ABTS inhibition (14.66–28.48%). It was determined that the addition of mung bean protein isolate (MBPI-2 and MBPI-4), compared to black bean protein isolate, contributed more to nutritional properties in vegan oat yogurt samples. Vegan yogurts were found to match more frequently with antioxidant, ACE inhibitor, DPP III, and DPP IV inhibitor activity in potential bioactivity predictions. FTIR analysis revealed that using different legume protein isolates in vegan yogurt production did not result in the formation of new absorption bands, but it did affect the intensity of existing regional bands. In conclusion, the addition of different legume protein isolates to oat yogurt was found to generally contribute positively to the parameters examined and represents a promising approach for individuals who cannot consume cow milk due to health problems, as well as for vegans. Full article

This study evaluates the impact of plant-derived additives (Melissa officinalis L., Plantago major L., and Inula helenium L.) on the physicochemical, microbiological, and antimicrobial properties of yoghurt formulated with a combined base of milk and buttermilk concentrate (solid content 8–10%). Over 14 days of refrigerated storage, all fortified yoghurts maintained pH within acceptable limits, while Plantago and Inula slightly enhanced post-acidification without compromising quality. Notably, the buttermilk concentrate significantly boosted initial lactic acid bacteria (LAB) viability, and the yoghurt with Plantago major L. extract showed a 314% higher viable LAB count during storage compared with the control. In contrast, Inula helenium L. reduced LAB viability by 67.6%, indicating a trade-off between bioactivity and starter compatibility. Antimicrobial testing via disk-diffusion revealed selective activity against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (maximum inhibition radius: 5.8 ± 0.5 mm for Plantago yoghurt), with no effect on Gram-negative E. coli or P. aeruginosa. Activity was driven primarily by acid-dependent metabolites, with Plantago retaining residual non-acidic bioactivity after neutralization. The combination of Plantago major L. with buttermilk concentrate emerged as optimal for functional yoghurt, enhancing higher viability of lactic acid bacteria during refrigerated storage. These findings support the use of compatible plant–dairy combinations to develop yoghurt products with improved physicochemical properties, LAB viability and microbiological stability under the tested conditions. Full article

Objective: To investigate the effect of milk minerals on bone mineral density (BMD) and bone quality in growing rats and explore the underlying mechanisms related to calcium absorption, bone metabolism, and the gut–bone axis. Methods: Sixty healthy 4-week-old male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided to five groups based on their body weight: Low-Calcium Control Group (Control), Low-Dose milk mineral Group (Low), Medium-Dose milk mineral Group (Medium), High-Dose milk mineral Group (High) and Calcium Carbonate Control Group (CaCO₃), which received the same dose level (elemental calcium) as the High group. The milk mineral dosage was set at 5, 10, and 15 times the human recommended intake of elemental calcium. After 12 weeks of intervention, femurs were collected for analysis of BMD, bone microstructure, and bone mechanical strength. Additionally, analyses included calcium levels in the femur, feces, and diet; serum bone metabolism biomarkers; tissue protein expression; as well as gut microbiota composition and short-chain fatty acid content. Result: Milk mineral exhibited non-inferior efficacy to CaCO₃ in increasing femoral calcium content, enhancing BMD, and improving bone microarchitecture. Notably, the Medium group achieved comparable bone-protective effects to the CaCO₃ group despite a 20.8% lower calcium content, which was accompanied by a relatively high calcium absorption rate (90.9% vs. 86.5%). With respect to serum markers, milk mineral maintained bone formation while suppressing bone resorption, resulting in a net anabolic state comparable to that of CaCO₃. Milk mineral significantly upregulated the protein expression of renal CYP27B1 and intestinal calcium ion transporters, and increased serum IGF-I levels. Furthermore, milk mineral promoted the enrichment of certain specific gut microbial genera, which showed a significant positive correlation with IGF-I, bone calcium content and BMD. Conclusions: Milk mineral supplementation appears to promote bone formation and mineralization in growing rats, accompanied by enhanced intestinal calcium absorption, enrichment of characteristic gut microbes and elevated microbial metabolite concentrations. Full article

Dairy products are an important source of high-quality protein, calcium, and various micronutrients in the human diet. The detection of milk components spans the entire industrial chain, including raw milk quality control, processing management, and market supervision. It has evolved from traditional pass/fail judgment toward an integrated approach encompassing risk early warning, quality enhancement, and traceability and authentication. This paper reviews the classification of dairy components targeted for detection and summarizes major technical systems, including conventional physicochemical methods, chromatography and spectroscopy techniques, biosensing and microfluidic rapid detection, as well as multi-omics-based deep profiling. The principles, advantages, and application limitations of each method are compared. Key challenges such as complex matrix interference, lack of reference standards, and standardization of rapid detection methods are analyzed. Future directions toward intelligent, on-site, precise, and panoramic detection are also discussed, aiming to provide technical references for quality and safety control, quality improvement, and high-quality development of the dairy industry. Full article

Milk preservation requires technologies that extend shelf life while minimising undesirable changes in product quality. This study compared the effects of pasteurisation, sterilisation, and high hydrostatic pressure processing (HHP) on the physicochemical properties and protein profiles of raw whole bovine milk. The samples included untreated raw milk as the control, pasteurised milk (72 °C for 42 s), sterilised milk (121 °C for 15 min), and HHP-treated milk processed at 300, 400, 500, or 600 MPa for 5 min. Colour, pH, rheological behaviour, SDS-PAGE, and Native-PAGE were evaluated. Sterilisation caused the greatest total colour difference (ΔE* = 13.95), whereas pasteurisation resulted in a barely perceptible change (ΔE* = 0.64), and HHP-treated samples showed perceptible but lower colour differences (ΔE* = 3.42–3.97). Sterilisation also caused the most pronounced pH decrease and the highest shear stress values over most of the measured shear-rate range. SDS-PAGE profiles of raw and HHP-treated milk remained broadly similar, while Native-PAGE revealed pressure-dependent reductions in native β-lactoglobulin band intensity, particularly at 500 and 600 MPa. Pasteurisation and 600 MPa treatment reduced the κ-casein-associated band intensity by 54% and 58%, respectively. Overall, HHP induced less pronounced physicochemical and electrophoretic changes than sterilisation, although higher pressure levels caused measurable protein restructuring. Full article

Probiotics play an important role in maintaining human gastrointestinal health and immune function, driving a rapidly expanding global market for probiotic-fortified foods. Lacticaseibacillus paracasei is one of the most widely applied probiotic strains in functional foods and dairy formulations, with well-documented health-promoting properties. For probiotic foods, authenticity requires rigorous verification for efficacy and compliance, which depends on rapid strain-specific identification. However, conventional culture-based methods are time-consuming and cannot distinguish closely related Lacticaseibacillus species, while PCR-based assays require expensive thermal cyclers and trained personnel, barring deployment in resource-limited settings. Here, we report the development and validation of a MIRA-CRISPR/Cas12a fluorescence assay for rapid, species-specific, and highly sensitive on-site detection of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei. This integrated workflow combines 8 min rapid crude DNA extraction, 30 min isothermal MIRA pre-amplification, and 20 min CRISPR/Cas12a signal amplification with naked-eye fluorescence readout under blue light excitation, and requires only miniaturized portable equipment. The assay achieved a reliable limit of detection of 100 CFU/mL in milk-matrix spiked samples, showing no cross-reactivity across 17 tested lactic acid bacteria strains. In a validation set of 48 food samples, our method demonstrated 100% concordance with the gold-standard species-specific qPCR assay. This field-deployable method is appropriate for on-site quality control in probiotic manufacturing, label compliance verification, and frontline market regulatory inspections. Full article

This study evaluated the effects of milk type, UV-C treatment condition and refrigerated storage on selected quality characteristics of ayran. Cow and buffalo milk was standardised to 1.5% fat and subjected to UV-C treatment at flow rates of 20 or 40 mL/min, corresponding to calculated nominal doses of 54 and 27 J/mL, respectively. Conventionally pasteurised milks were used as controls. During ayran production, all samples were subsequently heated at 90 °C for 5 min, fermented to pH 4.30 and stored at 4 °C for 14 days. Physicochemical, instrumental textural, colour, starter culture and organic acid characteristics were evaluated during storage. The measured responses varied according to milk matrix, UV-C treatment condition and storage duration, and no single treatment was consistently favourable for all parameters. At day 14, C20 showed the highest dry matter content (5.12%), firmness (15.43 g), consistency (292.32 g·s) and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus count (7.52 log CFU/mL). In contrast, B40 showed the highest Streptococcus thermophilus count (8.14 log CFU/mL), lactic acid concentration (15,092.95 mg/kg) and concentrations of most of the other organic acids evaluated, whereas C20 showed the highest acetic acid concentration (1122.14 mg/kg). During storage, pH, dry matter, citric acid, ascorbic acid and starter culture counts generally decreased, while most other organic acids increased. Instrumental colour parameters also changed according to treatment group and storage duration. These findings provide preliminary laboratory-scale evidence that UV-C pretreatment can influence selected quality characteristics of ayran. However, because UV-C-treated samples subsequently underwent thermal processing, the results represent a combined UV-C and thermal processing sequence rather than an exclusively non-thermal process. Sensory acceptability, pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms, oxidative stability, extended shelf life, and scale-up performance should be evaluated before practical application is considered. Full article

Functional fresh cheeses can serve as effective carriers of bioactive compounds and probiotic cultures. This study developed a Casu Axedu cheese fortified with olive leaf phenolics and a probiotic-candidate Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (LP) strain. Three formulations were produced from thermised sheep milk: a control (CA-I), a cheese with LP (CA-IL) and a cheese combining olive leaf extract (OLE; 20 mg GAE 100 g⁻¹ milk) and LP (CA-IOL). In all experimental cheeses, inulin was included as a dietary fibre, and lactose hydrolysis was performed to improve product accessibility for lactose-intolerant consumers. Cheeses were stored at 3 ± 1 °C for 30 days and analysed for polyphenol profile, antioxidant capacity, physicochemical and nutritional characteristics, microbiological quality, sensory properties and consumer acceptance. OLE fortification approximately doubled the total polyphenols and produced a more than threefold increase in FRAP antioxidant capacity in CA-IOL, with a high percentage of the main olive leaf phenolics retained after 30 days. Composition, fatty acid profile, vitamin A/E and cholesterol contents were unaffected by OLE and LP addition; all formulations met “high in protein” and lactose-free label criteria (according to the guidelines issued by the Italian Ministry of Health DGISAN Communication No. 27673 of 7 July 2015), and the inulin-based “source of fibre” claim was supported by formulation and mass-balance calculation. Presumptive lactobacilli remained at high counts throughout storage in the LP-containing cheeses, and OLE neither impaired the lactic microflora nor promoted coliform growth. OLE addition increased perceived bitterness, astringency and olive-like notes in CA-IOL, moderately reducing liking scores relative to those of the control among the tested consumer panel (5.25 ± 1.7 at 30 d); mean liking nonetheless remained above the neutral point of the 9-point hedonic scale. Overall, combining inulin, olive leaf extract and a probiotic-candidate L. plantarum strain enabled the production of a Casu Axedu cheese with enhanced antioxidant properties and improved nutritional features while retaining acceptable sensory quality. This approach represents a promising strategy for the valorisation of olive by-products and the development of innovative sheep milk dairy products consistent with circular economy principles. Full article

The peripartum period in prolific ewes is associated with increased metabolic demands, and dietary lipid supplementation may increase the energy density of the prepartum diet. This study evaluated the effects of prepartum supplementation with alternative lipid matrices on the physicochemical characteristics and comprehensive fatty acid (FA) profiles of mature and transitional sheep milk. Thirty-two pregnant Olkuska ewes were randomly assigned to four cohorts (n = 8/group): Control (basal diet), flaxseed oil (low n-3/high n-6 variety; FO), black soldier fly larvae oil (BSFL oil), and Mix oil (2:1 ratio of FO to BSFL oil). Dietary treatments exerted no significant effects (p > 0.05) on transitional milk composition or lipid quality indices. In contrast, in mature milk, BSFL oil supplementation significantly increased milk fat content (6.09%) compared to the Control group (4.70%; p < 0.01). Furthermore, all oil treatments significantly reduced total saturated FAs (p < 0.01), while the BSFL oil and Mix oil supplementation significantly increased the monounsaturated FA fraction (p < 0.01). The differences, particularly the increase in cis-9, trans-11 CLA concentration and the significant reduction in both the atherogenic and thrombogenic indices (p < 0.01), were observed exclusively in mature milk. These findings suggest that the combination of sustainable insect lipids with high-linoleic plant oils may represent a viable strategy to transform sheep milk into a functional food with potential cardiovascular health benefits for consumers. These findings additionally indicate that prepartum lipid supplementation may exert a persistent carry-over effect into early lactation, influencing the fatty acid composition of mature sheep milk. Full article

Camel milk (CM), which is produced by both Camelus dromedarius and Camelus bactrianus, is gaining increasing popularity as a value-added functional dairy product, but the science of managing its shelf life has progressed more slowly than its commercial expansion. Unlike bovine milk, CM lacks β-lactoglobulin (β-LG), has a unique casein (CN) micelle structure with a high β-CN-to-αs1-CN ratio, and low κ-CN protein content, and contains an unusually rich bioactive protein fraction including lactoferrin (LF), immunoglobulin G (IgG), lysozyme (LZ), and peptidoglycan recognition protein (PGRP). These compositional characteristics imbue CM with both significant inherent antimicrobial benefits and place it at risk of processing weaknesses that do not have direct analogs in bovine dairy science. The review discusses three key areas of CM shelf life science that have not been sufficiently addressed in the published literature. The first relates to physicochemical mechanisms of deterioration, including lipid oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), destabilization of CN micelles in the structural absence of β-LG, and Maillard browning during thermal treatment and storage of powder. The second addresses the fate of bioactive proteins, with the majority being lactoferrin (LF), immunoglobulin G (Igs), and heavy chain-only antibodies (HCAbs), under both thermal and non-thermal processing conditions. The third looks at new non-thermal preservation methods, such as high-pressure processing (HPP), pulsed electric field (PEF), ultrasonication, ultraviolet irradiation, cold plasma, and electromagnetic (EM) field treatment, and functional packaging innovations, which contribute to longer shelf life. Of the non-thermal options examined, HPP at 200–400 MPa today provides the most mechanistically proven evidence for camel-specific microbial deactivation with satisfactory quality preservation. The latest primary CM research also indicates that processing with EMs in the 850 mT range can potentially be as effective as conventional pasteurization in microbial control and may be more effective than pasteurization in retaining desirable bioactive markers, although this result needs to be independently replicated before more responsible conclusions can be drawn. The review ends with four priority research gaps: standardized kinetic shelf life modeling frameworks, systematic characterization of bioactive protein stability under commercial processing conditions, life cycle assessment of preservation chains across the camel dairy supply continuum, and the urgent validation of camel-specific pasteurization adequacy indicators to replace bovine alkaline phosphatase, which remains active in CM after conventional high-temperature short-time (HTST) pasteurization. Full article

Background/Objectives: This study aimed to compare the effects of two distinct dietary protein sources, soybean meal (SBM, 454 g CP/kg dry matter [DM]) and fermented protein source (FPS, 635 g CP/kg DM), on milk yield (MY), milk quality traits, and serum biochemistry in crossbred dairy cows. Methods: This study employed a randomized complete block design with four groups (n = 6 per group): Control (120 g/kg SBM), FPS30 (30 g/kg FPS and 75 g/kg SBM), FPS40 (40 g/kg FPS and 60 g/kg SBM), and FPS50 (50 g/kg FPS and 45 g/kg SBM). Results: After 66 days (21-day adaptation period and 45-day feeding trial), DM intake, milk protein content, and milk density did not differ significantly across groups. However, MYs were significantly higher in the FPS50 group (p = 0.043). Additionally, milk fat (p = 0.021), DM (p = 0.013), solids-non-fat (SNF, p = 0.047), and lactose content (p = 0.007) were significantly higher in the FPS groups. Although serum biochemistry did not differ across groups on day 0, blood urea nitrogen (BUN, p = 0.044) and serum Ca (p = 0.041), P (p = 0.039), and Mg (p = 0.041) concentrations were significantly lower in the FPS groups on day 66. Moreover, FPS intake correlated positively with MY (R = 0.680), milk DM (R = 0.706), fat (R = 0.665), SNF (R = 0.566), lactose content (R = 0.653), and fat-to-protein ratio (R = 0.507) and negatively with milk density (R = −0.429) and mineral content (R = −0.271). Conclusions: These findings indicate that FPS is effective in increasing productivity and improving/maintaining milk quality traits in cows fed diets substituting specific amounts of SBM with FPS. The induced reduction in BUN can be interpreted as increased protein utilization. Full article

The increasing demand for plant-based beverages as alternatives to dairy milk requires rapid and reliable methods to assess their composition and authenticity. This study investigated the feasibility of mid-infrared (MIR) and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy for classifying plant-based beverages and predicting their nutritional profile. A total of 57 commercial beverages from five categories (oat, almond, soybean, rice, and coconut) were analyzed. Canonical discriminant analysis was used to discriminate among beverage categories, and modified partial least-squares regression models were developed using reference chemical analyses and spectral data to predict protein, fat, sugars, ash, acidity traits, minerals, and amino acid composition. Both MIR and NIR successfully discriminated among the five beverage categories. Quantitative prediction models were generally more accurate with MIR than with NIR. The most robust MIR models were obtained for protein, fat, glucose, ash, and selected minerals (P and K), reaching accuracy levels suitable for quality-control applications. Protein was predicted with excellent accuracy by both technologies. The most robust prediction models were achieved for amino acid composition, with all amino acids except phenylalanine showing satisfactory predictive performance, particularly with MIR spectroscopy. In conclusion, these results demonstrate the feasibility of infrared spectroscopy for the authentication and compositional assessment of plant-based beverages. In particular, MIR spectroscopy showed considerable potential for integration into routine quality-control workflows, similar to those currently implemented for dairy milk analysis. Full article

(1) Background: Sunflower hulls (SFHs) are an abundant agro-industrial by-product that may serve as an alternative fiber source in sheep diets, particularly in arid production systems. This study evaluated the effects of graded levels of dietary SFH during late gestation and lactation on colostrum and milk composition, lamb growth performance, neonatal survival, and serum biochemical parameters in Naemi sheep. (2) Methods: Seventy-two primiparous Naemi ewes (initial body weight = 55.0 ± 3.8 kg) were randomly allocated to four dietary treatments containing 0, 12, 20, or 28% SFH (n = 18 ewes per treatment) from late gestation until lamb weaning at 90 days postpartum. Data were analyzed using mixed-model procedures, and treatment effects were considered significant at p ≤ 0.05. (3) Results: Dietary SFH supplementation did not affect lamb birth weight or overall survival rate (p > 0.05). However, weaning weight declined from 28.03 kg in the control group to 25.11 kg in the 20% SFH group, showing a significant linear decrease with increasing SFH inclusion (p = 0.044). Likewise, average daily gain decreased linearly by 10.4% (p = 0.044). Colostrum composition was partially affected by dietary treatment, with fat and protein concentrations at 48 h postpartum increasing quadratically by 46.6% and 33.50%, respectively, in ewes fed 20% SFH compared with the control group (p < 0.05). In contrast, milk fat and total solids contents decreased quadratically by 30.7% and 13.4%, respectively, in ewes receiving 12% SFH (p = 0.01). Most serum metabolite variables were unaffected by dietary treatment and remained within normal physiological reference ranges. However, overall serum triglyceride concentration decreased linearly with increasing SFH inclusion (p = 0.023). (4) In conclusion, SFH can be incorporated into the diets of Naemi ewes during late gestation and lactation as an alternative fiber source without adversely affecting lamb birth weight, survival, or overall metabolic health. However, increasing dietary SFH inclusion reduced pre-weaning lamb growth despite improvements in selected colostrum quality traits. Based on the productive and physiological responses observed, 12% dietary SFH appears to be the optimal inclusion level, providing the best balance between animal performance and sustainable feed utilization. Full article

The Carpathian water buffalo represents a locally adapted but under-characterized genetic group found in Central and Eastern Europe. Genome-wide information on its genetic diversity, population structure and potential adaptive variation remains limited, particularly for Hungarian and Romanian populations. In this study, we genotyped 263 water buffalo individuals from Hungary and Romania using the GeneSeek Genomic Profiler Bovine 100K SNP array to evaluate genetic diversity, the population structure, runs of homozygosity (ROH) and candidate genomic regions showing signatures of selection. After quality control, 214 Hungarian and 33 Romanian individuals and 6605 SNPs were retained for downstream analyses. Both populations showed moderate genetic diversity, with the Romanian population displaying higher minor allele frequency, observed heterozygosity and nucleotide diversity than the Hungarian population. In contrast, the Hungarian buffalo showed a higher burden of runs of homozygosity, including a larger proportion of long ROH segments, suggesting stronger recent autozygosity or a more restricted breeding structure. Principal component analysis and neighbor-joining phylogeny separated the two populations, whereas ADMIXTURE indicated shared ancestry and a within-population substructure rather than complete population-specific differentiation. The integration of standardized F_ST, absolute allele-frequency differences and ROH islands identified six candidate regions under a positive signature of selection in each population. These regions harbored genes previously associated with immune response, reproduction, growth, milk production and thermotolerance in bovids. Functional enrichment was limited, with significant Gene Ontology terms detected only in the Hungarian candidate regions. Our results provide a regional genomic baseline for the future conservation and breeding management of Carpathian water buffalo. Given the use of a cross-species SNP array and unequal sample sizes, the candidate selection signals should be interpreted as hypothesis-generating and warrant validation using higher-density buffalo-specific genomic data. Full article