19fbtechreview.comNOVEMBER 2024cXo insightsFresh fermented dairy products like cheese, yogurt, and sour cream are dynamic biological systems with active culture populations continuing to grow or decline depending on their extrinsic environments. Temperature and humidity fluctuations can give way to the outgrowth of desirable or undesirable microorganisms, leading to direct (e.g., visual mold growth, high CFU) or indirect (e.g., acidification, gassing, packaging integrity loss) food spoilage events. Fresh uncultured products (e.g., pasteurized cream, liquid eggs, butter) are similarly susceptible to supply chain variation. This can result in food waste at the manufacturer's level when perishables are used as ingredients in formulation or at the level of the consumer when purchased directly for home consumption. Regardless, the effect is the same--loss of brand reputation, loss of repeat purchases, and loss of available nutrients to an ever-growing and increasingly sustainability-focused population. Strategies to mitigate food waste of perishables include improving cold-chain management, transitioning to frozen storage, adding conventional or natural preservatives, reducing the useable age of the ingredient or shelf-life of the end product, or partial/complete replacement of the ingredient, among other options.Dried dairy ingredients have a long history of replacing fresh ingredients to lessen volatile markets, e.g., butter, cheese, and eggs. Most dairy powders have shelf lives ranging from 12-24 months, making them attractive A SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION TO FOOD WASTE AND QUALITY CONTROL IN FERMENTED PRODUCTSBY SARAH ENGSTROM, SENIOR SCIENTIST, GRANDE CUSTOM INGREDIENTS GROUPSarah Engstrom is a Senior Scientist at Grande Custom Ingredients. She holds an M.S. and Ph.D. in food science from the University of Wisconsin. Previously, she was an R&D Manager at Kerry and a food safety microbiologist at the Food Research Institute, Oscar Mayer / Kraft Heinz, and Land OLakes.Through this article, Sarah explores the benefits of using functional dairy powders as a sustainable alternative to fresh fermented dairy products. She discusses how these powders can help mitigate food waste, improve shelf life, and maintain product quality. By addressing temperature fluctuations and reducing reliance on perishables, dairy powders offer solutions for nutrition enhancement and efficient food production while supporting sustainability goals.Sarah Engstrom
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