UNIVERSITAT POLITÈCNICA DE VALÈNCIA Desarrollo ... - RiuNet

I. Introducción 13
ABSTRACT
The so-called vegetable milks are in the spotlight of the food and beverage
industry thanks to the lactose-free, animal protein-free, cholesterol-free and
low-calorie features linked to the current demand for healthy food products.
Nevertheless, and with the exception of soya, little information is available
about these types of milks and their derivatives. The aim of this review,
therefore, is to highlight the main nutritional benefits of the nut and cereal
vegetable milks available on the market, fermented or not, to describe the
basic processing steps involved in their manufacturing process and to analyse
the major problems affecting the overall quality together with the current
possible, feasible solutions. On the basis of the information gathered,
vegetable milks and their derivatives exert excellent nutritional properties
which provide them a high potential and positive market expectation, in
agreement with the current demand of healthy products.
Nevertheless, optimal processing conditions for each raw material or the
application of new technologies have to be reviewed to provide better quality
of the products. Hence, further studies need to be developed to ensure the
physical stability of the products through their whole shelf life. These studies
would also allow to decrease the amount of additives added (hydrocolloids
and/or emulsifiers) and thus, to reduce the costs. In the particular case of
fermented products, the use of proper starters able to both improve the quality
(by synthesising proper flavors and providing optimal textures) and exert
healthy benefits to consumers (i.e. probiotics) is the main challenge to be
faced in future studies.
Key words: nut milk; cereal milk; processing; fermentation