Milk-and-Dairy-Products-in-Human-Nutrition-FAO

Chapter 5 – Dairy components, products and human health 221
Milk fortified with micronutrients was also found to be effective for improving iron
status, anaemia and growth among 1–4-year-old children in India (Sazawal et al.,
2010). Muthayya et al. (2009) examined the effect of two different concentrations
of a combination of micronutrients and n-3 fatty acids on growth and cognitive
performance in low-income, marginally nourished Indian children. The delivery
foods were wheat biscuit and a drink made from flavoured milk powder. The study
concluded that high micronutrient treatment was more beneficial for linear growth,
but no significant differences were found for overall cognitive performance.
National and international authorities recommend daily intakes of 200–650 mg
of EPA and DHA based on the inverse relationship observed between CVD risk and
consumption of these fatty acids (WHO, 2003; EFSA, 2005). However, in countries
with a predominantly Western diet, average fish intake is below the recommended
two or three servings per week (Kolanowski and Weixbrodt, 2007). Over the past
decade, milk fortified with n-3 LC-PUFA (EPA and DHA) has been commercially
available in several countries (Givens and Gibbs, 2008). Lopez-Huertas (2010)
reviewed the results from nine controlled human intervention studies describing the
effects of n-3 enriched milk on health. The results suggested that consumption of
such milk (in the context of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle) improved blood
lipid profiles by reducing mainly cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides
(Lopez-Huertas, 2010).
5.4 From traditional to modern dairy foods
The nature of dairy products has changed dramatically in recent decades, with an
increased orientation towards the production of “value added products”, some
of which are segmented into the “health and wellness” market. According to
Euromonitor International, this sector accounts for one-third of the US$300 billion
global dairy market (GRAIN, 2011). During the 1990s in particular, the dairy industry
started to produce differentiated products that are marketed to improve health
and wellbeing (Nagpal et al., 2012). Such products are often commercially termed
as “functional” and may contain, for example, bioactive components (lactose, whey
proteins) and/or peptides. A multitude of factors underpin the innovation of “health
enhancing” dairy foods, such as changing diets, demographic shifts, increasing
prevalence of diet-related diseases, consumer awareness of health issues, innovation
in food science and technology and health-related research. Arguably, the main
driving factor for the dairy industry is to develop products that will have a market
advantage (Roupas, Williams and Margetts, 2009).
The influence of dietary recommendations on dairy product innovation can be
traced to the 1980s when there was a major shift towards fat-reduced or fat-free
alternatives. Around this time, the change in United States dietary recommendations
to avoid excessive fat, especially saturated fat and cholesterol, led to the increased
popularity of reduced-fat and skimmed milk. As discussed in Chapter 4, many
developed countries currently recommend low-fat milk and dairy. These recommendations
are now being adopted by some middle- and low-income countries
where dietary patterns are being “westernized” and rates of overweight and obesity
are rising rapidly along with increased rates of NCDs. Dairy products such as
yoghurt that are marketed as “low fat” or “natural” are frequently seen by consumers
as a healthy alternative to full-fat varieties, but many of these products are high