Caracterização de mistura láctea condensada

Abstract

Milk and dairy products are widely consumed products, being important sources of nutrients and also one of the main sources of calcium. Among the dairy products there is the whey, which, due to its high polluting potential, a use for whey is increasingly necessary. There are nutritional benefits in whey, due to the presence of proteins with attributes related to health, such as antimicrobial, antiviral and antioxidant properties. Milk and whey can undergo concentration processes in vacuum heat exchangers. In this context, there is the condensed milk mixture, a concentrated dairy product, in which whey is used as a partial replacement for milk and this mixture becomes a good option for using the whey, in addition to generating a final product at a lower cost. This product does not have technical regulation of identity and quality and, therefore, the objective of this work was to distinguish the physical-chemical composition, color and microbiological characteristics, evaluating the existing differences among the brands and the quality of the product. Samples of several different brands were acquired from the market , with 3 batches of each brand. The list of ingredients was evaluated and it was observed that in some brands, in addition to ingredients of dairy origin and sugar, there was the presence of thickeners, stabilizers and preservatives. Regarding the physical-chemical components, the fat and protein contents showed much lower amounts in relation to sweetened condensed milk due to the use of whey, however these fat and protein amounts did not show any significant differences among the different brands, demonstrating to be a trend within this market. Regarding the other evaluated solids, the percentage of dairy solids, non-fat dairy solids, sucrose, starch and lactose showed significant differences among the brands, demonstrating a certain variability in the composition of the products. Regarding viscosity, which is an important parameter in use in confectionery, the amount presented by the condensed milk mixture for some brands were even higher than the amount described on the labels for sweetened condensed milk, demonstrating potential cookery use similar to sweetened condensed milk. Regarding microbiological parameters, some brands had high numbers of microorganisms of interest to public health, such as Staphylococcus aureus, which corroborates the urgent need to establish specific legislation. So, it is expected this work to be seen as a basis to establish as soon as possible the standards required for the preparation of condensed milk mix, in order to guarantee a standard product, safe for consumers use.