Alphonsus Utioh, P. Eng.
Manager, Product and Process Development
Food Development Centre
Manitoba Agriculture Food and Rural Initiatives
810 Phillips Street
Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada R1N 3J9
Presented at the Western Dairy Ingredient Seminar, Winnipeg, MB, October 14, 2009
• Introduction
• Characterization of Milk Fat
• Milk Fat Fractionation Technologies
• Characteristics of Milk Fat Fractions
• Applications of Milk Fat Fractions in
Foods
• Future directions for Milk Fat Fractions
• Summary
• Historically, milk fat has been a part of
human diets through consumption of:
– Fluid milk, butter and cheese
• More recently through:
– Commercially prepared foods that
contain milk fat-based ingredients such
as:
• Baked goods and bakery mixes
• Confectionery items, frozen dinners
and entrée mixes
• Soups and snacks
• Milk fat is obtained from milk
by first separating the cream
and churning to butter
• It is the most varied among all fats in its
chemical and physical characteristics
• It possesses a uniquely pleasing flavour not
found in other fats
• Its higher proportion of short-chain fatty
acids contributes to ease of digestibility
Milk Fat Fraction
Very High Melting Fraction
Melting Temperature
Range (oC)
>50oC
High Melting Fraction
35 - 50oC
Middle Melting Fraction
25 - 35oC
Low Melting Fraction
10 - 25oC
Very Low Melting Fraction
Dairy Management Inc.
<10oC
•
•
•
•
Crystallization from Melted Milk Fat
Crystallization using Solvents
Supercritical Fluid Extraction
Short-Path Distillation
• Crystallization from Melted Milk Fat
– Temperature-based process
– Controlled cooling of melted fat to crystallize
portion of the milk fat
– Separation of the crystals
by filtration or centrifugation
– Often referred to as the
Tirtiaux process
(S.A Fractionnement Tirtiaux, Belgium)
Melted Milk fat
Cooling/
Crystallization
600C
290C
Filtration
S-29
Solid Fraction
Liquid Fraction
L-29
Cooling/System
190C
Filtration
Solid Fraction
Amer et al.
S-19
Liquid Fraction
L-19
Process Continues
!
Whole
Milk Fat
Solid
Fraction
Liquid
Fraction
Short chain,
saturated
C4:0 to C10
12.97
10.40
13.34
Medium chain,
saturated
C12:0 to C15:0
16.86
17.52
16.49
Long chain,
saturated
C16:0 to C20:0
40.65
47.38
38.89
Cis,
unsaturated
C10:1 to C18:3
24.92
20.43
26.50
Fatty Acids
Amer et al.
• Crystallization from Melted Milk Fat using
Solvents:
– Involves dissolving melted milk fat in a solvent
prior to crystallization
– Solvents employed is generally acetone, ethanol,
pentane or hexane
– Temperature used is similar to dry fractionation
– Crystals separation is done by filtration
– Fractions are heated to remove the solvent
Supercritical Fluid Extraction
(SFE)
Phase Diagram
• A gas above its critical pressure and
temperature exhibits unique solvent
properties
• SFE of milk fat is generally
performed with carbon dioxide
• Milk fat fractions are selectively
dissolved in SFE CO2 and separated
when pressure and temperature
return to atmospheric conditions
SFE Extractor
"
Extractor
Thar Design SFE System at FDC
#$
"%
%&
'
!
"
Whole
Milk Fat
Residue
Extract
Short chain,
saturated
C4:0 to C10
9.80
7.70
19.60
Medium chain,
saturated
C12:0 to C15:0
15.90
24.20
22.90
Long chain,
saturated
C16:0 to C20:0
38.90
39.70
34.10
Cis,
unsaturated
C10:1 to C18:3
28.40
22.10
15.80
Fatty Acids
unpublished
"*
( )
&
+ %
• Residue
– Shows a shift to higher
temperatures and high
proportions of high
melting triglycerides
• Extract
– Lacks the peak typical of
milk fat indicating a
complete liquid at 17oC
)
,
$
)
Crystallization
from melted fat
Advantages
•No additives
•Simple process
•Successfully
commercialized
Crystallization
from solvents
Supercritical CO2
extraction
•More discrete
fractions produced
•Can use low
temperatures
•Reduced time for
crystal formation
•No additives
•CO2 is nontoxic
•More discrete
fractions produced
Disadvantages •Less pure fractions •Potential toxicity of •High capital
•Limited
temperature range
•Long residence
time for crystal
formation
investment
solvent
•Flavour changes in
milk fat
•High cost of
operation and
solvent recovery
• Low Melting Fraction <15oC
– Has strong butter flavour
– Can be incorporated into milk powder to
improve functionality
– Has applications in confectionery products
– Can be used to make normal butter
spreadable at refrigerator temperatures
• Medium-Melting Fraction 15-30oC
– Can be used as shortening to
provide a crusty, flaky texture
to croissants and pastries
– Can be used in making cakes
and biscuits such as shortbread
• High-Melting Fraction > 30oC
– Hard fraction can be used in chocolate
manufacturing instead of cocoa butter
– Has been reported to act as bloom inhibitor
in dark chocolate
– Can be used as a flavour and texture agent
in milk chocolate
– Hard fraction can improve the whipping
properties of cream which is desirable in ice
cream manufacturing
-
#
• Milk fat is blended with other
fats for:
– Increased functionality
– Decreased cost
– Improved flavour
.
• Butter-Margarine Blends:
– To add butter flavour to margarine
– To provide a more spreadable product at a
lower cost than butter
– To potentially enhance the nutritive value of the
product
• Milk Fat and Cocoa Butter Blends:
– To inhibit blooming in dark chocolate
– To enhance flavour and texture in milk
chocolate
– To reduce cost
"
Product Name
General Properties
Alaco– New Zealand 42oC melting point
Butterfat 42
Applications
•Confectionery
•Chocolate
Soft Butteroil 21
21oC melting point
•Ice cream
•Recombined dairy
products
Pastry Butter
37oC melting point
•Croissants
•Danish and puff
pastries
Aveve- Belgium
Concentrated Butter
4/4
22-32oC melting point •Doughs
•Biscuits
•chocolate
Kaylegian and Lindsay
'
$
Application-Based Research Needs:
• Milk fat ingredients for bakery products
• Milk fat ingredients for chocolates
• Milk fat ingredients for cold spreadable butter
• Milk fat ingredients for dairy-based spreads
$)
Special Operating Agency of
Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural
Initiatives
$)
• Provide facilities and expertise to the
agri-food industry
• Develop and commercialize food products
• Create positive economic impact in
urban and rural communities
-
/
• Product and Process Development
• Pilot Plant Production
• Partnerships
- Great Plains Aseptic Processors (GPAP)
• Technology Transfer and Training
$)
Research
• Product Development
•
•
•
•
48 new products in 2008-2009
Shelf-Life Studies
Sensory Evaluation
Analytical Services
• Library services
• FDC developed flavoured
dairy beverages using 1%
partly skimmed milk powder
• No sugar added (sweetened
with sucralose)
• Nutritional profile similar to
1% fluid milk
• Packaged in Tetra-Pak™ for
>12 month shelf life and ease
of transportation to remote
locations
Vanilla DairyNice
Chocolate DairyNice
$)
Technology Transfer & Training
• Seminar, workshops and courses
International Programs
• Scientist exchange
• Partnerships
• Agri-business knowledge
transfer
• New markets
• Test market production
• Equipment rental
• Storage of raw and finished products
"
• Milk fat can be fractionated to yield fractions of
different physical and chemical characteristics.
• Fractions can be used in different food
formulations.
• Milk fat fractionation presents opportunities for
increased use of this important dairy
ingredient; hence the need for further research
and development on its applications.
THANK YOU
Alphonsus Utioh, P. Eng.
Manager, Product and Process Development
Food Development Centre
810 Phillips Street
Portage la Prairie, Manitoba Canada R1N 3J9
Tel: 204-239-3179
Fax: 204-239-3180
Cell: 204-856-9472
Email: alphonsus.utioh@gov.mb.ca