Research Needs and Market
Potential of Pasture-Based Animal Products
Peggy M. Tomasula
Dairy Processing &
Products Research Unit
Eastern Regional Research
Center, USDA, ARS
Wyndmoor, PA 19038
ptomasula@arserrc.gov
Overview of the DPPRU
DPPRU’s resources
What the dairy industry is doing
Relevant Research
Knowledge Gaps
Dairy Processing & Products Research Unit
Mission – To apply knowledge
of the
chemistry and biochemistry
of milk to the
development of new methods
and processes
to increase its utilization,
nutrition, safety
and security.
Only Research Unit in ARS
doing “post-harvest research”
on milk and dairy products.
Chemists, chemical engineers, food scientists, microbiologists, molecular
biologists
DPPRU Research at ERRC
nDairy
Food Processing and Development
nDairy
Starter Culture/Biotechnology
nDairy
Food Quality and Preservation
nDairy
Food Science and Technology
nBiosecurity
of Milk and Dairy Products
nSupport
USDA and action agencies (School Lunch Program, Food for Peace, APHIS, the
Military)
nSupport
stakeholder needs.
Selected Accomplishments:
ERRC Dairy Program
nReduced
lactose and lactose-free milk (Lactaid) and other products
Low-fat Mozzarella Cheese
nERRC
Mozzarella cheese has < 10% fat, melts well and has good texture.
nUsed
by the School Lunch Program, sales have reached over 23M pounds with an
estimated value of $34.5M.
Low-fat, low-sugar shake for the school lunch program
Fortification of snack
products with dairy components to enhance nutritional profile.
DPPRU Collaborators
Universities
Cal Poly
Cornell
Fort Valley St.
Langston
North Carolina St
Penn State
Rutgers
University of Arkansas
University of Delaware
University of Hawaii
University of Wisconsin
Utah State University
ARS
Athens
Beltsville
NCAUR
Penn State
PIADC
Other Govt
APHIS
FDA
Natick
Foreign
CIAD
Moorepark
Embrapa,Br
Stakeholder Groups
NMPF
DFA
DMI
IDFA
Companies
Devine Foods
EnerGenetics
Grande Cheese
M&M Mars
SMBI
Current Project Titles – Relevance to the
Consortium
Use of Novel
Processing Methods to
Develop Specialty Cheeses
With Unique Functional
Properties
Molecular Basis for
Improved Milk Protein
Based Dairy Products
New and Improved
Processes to Foster
Utilization of Milk
Components
Protein Processing
Using High Pressure Gases
and Supercritical Fluids
Development of Lactic
Fermentation Bacteria for
the Production of Bioactive
Food Ingredients
Biosecurity of Milk from the
Farm to
the Dairy Processing Plant
Processing Methods for Specialty Cheese with Unique
Functional Properties
Lead Scientist – D.
VanHekken; M. Tunick; A. Bricker;
J. Renye; P. Tomasula
Objectives:
1) Characterize, quantify, and establish the properties
of four
selected Hispanic-style cheeses
2) Identify the
cheesemaking steps that are key elements in
developing the desired
characteristics in these cheeses
3) Develop cheesemaking procedures
to extend the shelf life
of selected fresh – Hispanic style cheeses.
4) Identify the peptides formed during aging that are
responsible
for cheese flavor, functionality and nutrition aspects.
Overview of the DPPRU
DPPRU’s resources
What the dairy industry is doing
Relevant Research
Knowledge Gaps
DPPRU Needs
ERRC Core Technologies
-
Microscopic Imaging
Unit – Peter Cooke
TEM, SEM, atomic force, confocol microscopy
- Magnetic Resonance
Spectroscopy Unit – Gary Strahan
-
Nucleic Acid Sequencing Unit – David
Needleman
-
Proteomics Laboratory – Alberto Nunez
2-D HPLC, capillary electrophoresis, amino acid analysis,
mass spectrometry
Proximate
analysis/functionality
of dairy products
Identification of proteins
and other components
Instrumentation for Textural
and Structural Studies
Sensory analysis of dairy
products
Milk processing equipment
Cheese facility
Pilot plant facilities
Overview of the DPPRU
DPPRU’s resources
What the dairy industry is doing
Relevant Research
Knowledge Gaps
DPPRU Needs
Dairy’s Nutrient Package Is
Superior – The power is in the combination of nutrients, how they interact, and
how they are absorbed (Cubillos, DMI, 2004)
Dairy’s Benefits Go
Beyond Bone Health
1. Body composition
2. Weight management
3. Cardiovascular health
4. Immunity
5. Enhance nutrient
absorption
Recent Emphasis:
6. Digestive health -
probiotics
7. Oral health –toothpaste,
gums
8. Dermatology –skin
preparations
What’s Hot ?
n Healthy dairy products –yogurt, yogurt
drinks, dairy drinks, ice cream,
ingredients – especially whey-based
n Specialty Cheeses
n In Research - Identifying / characterizing
minute milk components (bio-actives, milk
fat globule membrane)
Specialty Cheese…
• Hand crafted
• Artisan
• Farmhouse
• Farmstead
• Goat milk
• Sheep milk
• Blend of milks
From Jerry Dryer, DMI,
2/2004
Specialty Cheese
Trends and Opportunities
• High flavor profile is
important
• High flavor-to-fat ratio
• Blue as an ingredient
• Feta as an ingredient
From Jerry Dryer, DMI,
2/2004
Trends & Opportunities
Population Changes
• Italian
• Hispanic
• Indian
• Middle Eastern
Asian?
From Jerry Dryer, DMI,
2/2004
Pasture Related Nutrition
Research to Date
nCLAs – isomer in dairy pdts and ruminant meat appears to
be the isomer that demonstrates anticarcinogenic activity. Dose level
for similar response in humans is unknown; study was done with supplements.
nRats
fed butter with increased CLA developed fewer mammary tumors than
controls. This demonstrated that natural CLA is biologically active.
nCLA May modulate immune function
nTriglycerides – May enhance long-chain fatty acid and calcium
absorption
nSphingolipids – may reduce risk of colon cancer
nButyric
acid, milk proteins – reduce colon
cancer risk
nStearic
acid – may modulate blood lipids to
reduce risk of cardiovascular and heart disease, reduces LDL.
nUnknown
– enhances Vitamin E absorption –Vit
E fortified dairy foods.
CLAs, Omega 3,Stearic Acid,Triglycerides, Butyric Acid, Sphingolipids, Unknown
fatty acids
Pariza, J. Nutrition. 2000.;Hoolihan,
L. Health Benefits of Dairy Foods Beyond Calcium. 2004. Nutrition Today, 39:
69- 77.
nIncrease
metabolic rate
nDecrease
abdominal fat
nEnhance
muscle growth
nLower
cholesterol
nLower
insulin resistance
nLower
food allergic reaction
nEnhance
immune system
nCardiovascular
effects
nAntitumor
effects
nEnhance
calcium absorption and vitamin absorption
So do other dairy
components! None substantiated by human nutrition studies and difficult to look
at just one component.
But….
nA
study from Wisconsin Initiative for Value-Added Development said that consumers
don’t know what CLAs are or care that much about buying something for the
health benefits. They want Flavor and High Functionality.
nLSZ
Greenberg, D. Klasna. The market potential of CLA in cheese. May 2002. SARE Program, IFAFS
www.farmprofitability.org/services/research/cla/cla/pdf
Opportunities for Marketing
nFlavorful
cheese
nCheese
produced from milk from grazed animals
nAnimals
raised humanely
nFarming
methods which attend to the environment
nProducts
from a group of small farmers – label that it’s from grass-fed animals
Consumers must be educated about the health benefits-soy
industry. The dairy industry is focusing on obesity now.
Knowledge Gaps
of pasture-based products on human health.
2. Studies that characterize
all compositional properties
of pasture-based milk for comparison to commercial
milk.
3. Studies that characterize
the health-enhancing properties
of pasture-based dairy products – bioactive properties –
and develop improved products to deliver health.
4. Studies that investigate
the impact of pasture-feed on milk
flavor and products made from that milk.
Research Objective
nMaximize
the market potential of pasture-based animal products by quantifying their
human health benefits, chemistry, flavor and functional attributes and
developing new production and management guidelines for pasture-based animal
systems to enhance these benefits.
DPPRU’s Needs
nAn
additional researcher who can
leverage our resources and those of
our collaborators, especially in the
area of lipid chemistry, flavor and
functionality. The position
will be responsible for examining
the effects of grass –based feeding
systems on all aspects of milk and
milk processing and products.