During the last decade, research into genetic markers in the casein gene cluster has been actively introduced in cattle breeding programs. A special interest has been paid to the polymorphism of the CSN3 gene, responsible for the expression of the k-casein, playing a key role in protein coagulation, interaction with whey proteins, stabilization, and aggregation of casein micelles. This paper aimed to determine the effect of CSN3 genetic polymorphism on acid; rennet; acid–rennet; heat- and acid-induced as well as heat- and calcium-induced coagulation in skimmed milk; and protein-standardized milk systems (UF, NF, RO, VE). The influence of polymorphic variants of the CSN3 gene on the coagulation ability of milk proteins was assessed by the particle size of casein micelles, protein retention factor in the clot, and coagulation ability (duration of induction period, mass coagulation period, dynamic viscosity in gel point). The correlation between CSN3 gene polymorphism and protein coagulation was revealed. Milk systems obtained from CSN3 BB milk were found to have the shortest duration of coagulation, formation of better gel strength values, and increased yield compared to CSN3 AA. This study will improve the efficiency of milk processing and optimize the technology of dairy product production.

Whey is a by-product of the production of various types of cottage cheese and cheese, casein, and coprecipitates. Conditions of milk coagulation directly affect the physico-chemical properties of whey and the formation of its protein profile. This fact makes it difficult to standardize the protein profile of milk whey for its further processing. Whey proteins have a great potential to release a wide range of bioactive peptides (BAP), capable of reducing the risk of a number of chronic food-related diseases. Computer modeling of an enzymatic hydrolysis of proteins is one of the ways to increase the efficiency of BAP release studies and to reduce the number of labor consuming experiments. This research is aimed at generating a digital model of the peptide complex of different whey types with predicted bioactivity, safety, and sensory properties using bioinformatic modeling approaches. The study was performed with the use of the proteomic databases tools according to the algorithm of hybrid strategy of bioinformatic modeling developed earlier. As a result of the study, taking into account the ranking of the proteins ratio in the protein profile, the hydrolysis by the protease complex chymotrypsin C-subtilisin was characterized as the maximum efficacy method to release peptides with both antioxidant and ACE-inhibitory activity. It was also observed that the bioactive peptides obtained as a result of in silico hydrolysis after GI digestion simulation can be considered safe in terms of allergic reactions and toxicological effects.

Sweetened condensed milk (SCM) is a product widely used by both consumers and other food production branches. However, it contains a lot of sucrose. This study aimed to examine the effects provided by sugar substitutes, such as trehalose, isomaltulose, and polydextrose, upon the SCM sensory profile and valuable quality indicators, such as water activity, viscosity, acidity, crystals size, and Maillard reaction potential (browning index, color change, loss of free amino acids). The study was performed by making model systems of SCM (MSCMs) using the method of reconstitution of powdered ingredients. All the presented carbohydrate compositions in MSCMs provided Aw value typical of intermediate-moisture food, which contributes to the long-term shelf-life of the product. However, only 2 MSCMs with compositions consisted of isomaltulose, trehalose (22.55% and 22.55%); trehalose (28.19%), sucrose (5.64%), polydextrose (5.64%), isomaltulose (5.64%) showed the stability of Aw within 14-d storage period. Trehalose and polydextrose in MSCMs with mono-carbohydrate added fraction demonstrated their high structure-forming ability expressed in high values of dynamic viscosity (>30 Pa·s), provided not by crystallization. MSCMs containing trehalose in predominant amount in the carbohydrate compositions (≥50%) showed lower average crystal size (<16 μm) compared with other MSCMs with di- and tetra-carbohydrate added fractions with predominant amount of isomaltulose and polydextrose. Isomaltulose and polydextrose added to MSCMs led to pronounced browning, while trehalose and sucrose reduced this effect in MSCMs with di- and tetra-carbohydrate added fractions. Addition of 22.55% of polydextrose to carbohydrate fraction of MSCMs caused bitterness, while 5.64% didn't affect the taste. Based on the results of all the research conducted the most optimal carbohydrate compositions to produce SCM with lower calorie, sucrose contents and stable adequate values of processing and sensory properties were trehalose (22.55%) with isomaltulose (22.55%) and trehalose (28.19%) with sucrose (5.64%), polydextrose (5.64%), isomaltulose (5.64%).

Spoilage markers that appear during food processing and storage are important quality and safety indicators. Canned milk powder is a popular raw material used in the food industry. The identification and assessment of changes occurring at each stage of its shelf life are an important food safety issue. This review systematizes the current scientific knowledge on spoilage types, markers, mechanisms, and detection. The results may help to improve the current quality control strategy for long shelf-life dairy products. The review covered Russian and English-language publications registered in eLIBRARY.RU, Google Scholar, CyberLeninka, PubMed, and ScienceDirect in 2015-2024. The article describes the degradation of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, as well as the most effective methods of its detection. The main processes affecting the quality of milk powder are protein-carbohydrate interactions, e.g., the Maillard reaction, as well as various forms of hydrolytic and oxidative spoilage. Despite the recent progress in the early detection of milk powder spoilage, this field of food science has some unresolved tasks, e.g., detection and monitoring of marker compounds that develop during technological processing. The data can be used to strategize the quality control, increase the stability, and extend the shelf life of canned milk powder.

Sucrose is an important component in many foods. However, it can be dangerous for consumers’ health, if overconsumed. For instance, it may cause tooth decay. As a rule, sucrose provides sweetness and a certain dry matter content. Alternative sweeteners and bulking agents can also perform these two functions. Unfortunately, they almost always fail to serve as an osmotically active agent in canned products. The research objective was to study the properties of trehalose and isomaltulose as sugar substitutes in sweetened condensed milk. The study covered fifteen years of domestic and foreign research reported in the open databases of the Russian Scientific Citation Index, Scopus, and Web of Science. The list of search descriptors included twelve words and word combinations, e.g., sweetened condensed milk, water activity, sucrose, trehalose, isomaltulose, etc. The review focused primarily on the important properties of sucrose in the sweetened condensed milk and the physico-chemical features of the milk system. The analysis provided a system of criteria to evaluate the optimality of alternative substances for sweet concentrated milk production. These criteria were applied to trehalose and isomaltulose. The article introduces a list of criteria that can be used to evaluate sweeteners and sugar substitutes as regulators of certain technological properties in the production of sweetened concentrated milk products with intermediate moisture content. According to these criteria, trehalose and isomaltulose can serve as alternative sweeteners in condensed milk. However, the review revealed some gaps in experimental data on a number of properties of considered carbohydrates in sweetened concentrated milk products, which imposes further research.