ABSTRACT
Nowadays, consumers pay particular attention to the quality of the products they buy. They also expect a high level of innovation. Hence, the offer from the dairy sector is increasingly focusing on the use of various additives with proven health benefits. Many scientific teams from various regions of the world are engaged in research, and their aim is to identify plant additives that have beneficial effects on the human body. The aim of this article was to summarize the latest literature pertaining to the effects of plant additives used in the production of yoghurts on their physicochemical, functional, microbiological and sensory properties. It was found that a wide range of additives in a variety of forms are used in the production of yoghurts. The most common include fruits, vegetables, cereals, nuts, seeds, oils, plant or herbal extracts, fruit or vegetable fibre, and waste from fruit processing. The additives very often significantly affected the physicochemical and microbiological characteristics as well as the texture and sensory properties of yoghurt. As follows from the analysed reports, yoghurts enriched with additives are more valuable, especially in terms of the content of health-promoting compounds, including fibre, phenolic compounds, vitamins, fatty acids and minerals. A properly selected, high quality plant supplement can contribute to the improvement in the generally health-promoting as well as antioxidant properties of the product. For sensory reasons, however, a new product may not always be tolerated, and its acceptance depends mainly on the amount of the additive used. In conclusion, "superfood" yoghurt is one of the products increasingly recommended both preventively and as a way of reducing existing dysfunctions caused by civilization diseases, i.e., diabetes, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. The studies conducted in recent years have not shown any negative impact of fortified yoghurts on the human body.
ABSTRACT
Milk, as one of the basic raw materials of animal origin, must be of adequate hygienic and physicochemical quality for processing. The aim of the article was to compare the quality of raw milk from three production systems, intensive, traditional (together referred to as conventional), and organic, as material for processing, as well as the quality of products made from it. Particular attention was focused on hygienic quality (somatic cell count and total bacterial count), physical characteristics (acidity), basic nutritional value (content of dry matter, total protein, casein, fat, and lactose), content of health-promoting substances (whey proteins, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals), and technological parameters (rennet clotting time, heat stability, and protein-to-fat ratio). Research assessing the quality of organic milk and dairy products is significantly less extensive (if available at all) than for milk from conventional production (intensive and traditional). The available reports indicate that raw milk from organic farms is more valuable, especially in terms of the content of health-promoting compounds, including vitamins, fatty acids, whey proteins, and minerals. This applies to organic dairy products as well, mainly cheese and yoghurt. This is explained by the fact that organic farming requires that animals are kept in the pasture. However, the hygienic quality of the raw milk, and often the products as well, raises some concerns; for this reason, organic milk producers should be supported in this regard, e.g., through consultancy and training in Good Hygienic Practices. Importantly, milk production in the traditional and organic systems is in line with the concept of the European Green Deal.
