Caiyun Wang

Traditional cheese products harbor complex microbial communities that influence their quality and safety. However, the effects of processing scale and manufacturing stage on the microbial profile of hurood, a traditional Mongolian cheese, remain poorly understood. This study examined microbial indicators, community composition, and succession dynamics across four manufacturing stages (raw milk, yogurt, whey, and hurood) and three processing scales (pastoral household, workshop, and factory) using plate counting and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Twenty-four samples were collected from Xilin Gol, Inner Mongolia. Total aerobic plate counts and coliform counts decreased significantly from raw milk (7.30 and 4.49 log CFU/g, respectively) to hurood (2.02 and 0.34 log CFU/g, respectively; p < 0.05), reflecting progressive microbial reduction through acidification and thermal treatment, whereas yeast counts remained stable across stages. Firmicutes dominated the fermented stages, with Lactococcus and Lactobacillus as the predominant genera. Whey harbored an exceptionally high abundance of Acetobacter (21.6%), highlighting its valorization potential. Factory-scale production yielded the lowest mold and coliform counts in finished products despite higher initial coliform levels in industrial raw milk, reflecting the effectiveness of standardized hygiene management. In contrast, workshop-scale samples exhibited a higher relative abundance of environmental indicator bacteria, suggesting a comparatively elevated contamination risk this intermediate production scale. PICRUSt2-based functional predictions indicated stage-specific metabolic potential, including predicted enrichment of pyruvate and fatty acid metabolism in yogurt, amino acid metabolism in whey, and vitamin B6 metabolism in hurood. These findings provide a systematic microbial baseline for hurood, identify scale-specific microbiological risk profiles, and offer a foundation for targeted hygiene control and standardized production strategies.

The preference and demand for low-fat diets have increased due to their health benefits. This study aimed to develop a thermally stable water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion. The addition of 3.75 wt% of polysaccharide colloids, including curdlan gum (CG), kappa-carrageenan (kC), gellan gum (GEG), guar gum (GUG), high-ester pectin (HEP), and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), to the aqueous phase resulted in the formation of a gel structure within it. Furthermore, these polysaccharide colloids reduced the excessive mobility of water droplets under high-temperature conditions. The oil phase consisted of anhydrous butter and a lipophilic nonionic surfactant. The emulsion was subjected to a heat treatment at 95 °C for 30 min, and the emulsions before and after the heat treatment were characterized. The results showed that among the above colloidal emulsions, the 3.75 wt% CG emulsion did not show significant changes in viscosity, stability index, mean particle size, friction coefficient, and encapsulation efficiency before and after heat treatment. The 3.75 wt% CG colloid showed the most significant enhancement in the thermal stability of W/O emulsions. This study proposes a novel fat-replacement strategy for products requiring high-temperature processing, such as processed cheese.

Notwithstanding mass vaccination against specific SARS-CoV-2 variants, there is still a demand for complementary nutritional intervention strategies to fight COVID-19. The bovine milk protein lactoferrin (LF) has attracted interest of nutraceutical, food and dairy industries for its numerous properties—ranging from anti-viral and anti-microbial to immunological—making it a potential functional ingredient in a wide variety of food applications to maintain health. Importantly, bovine LF was found to exert anti-viral activities against several types of viruses, including certain SARS-CoV-2 variants. LF’s potential effect on COVID-19 patients has seen a rapid increase of in vitro and in vivo studies published, resulting in a model on how LF might play a role during different phases of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Aim of this narrative review is two-fold: (1) to highlight the most relevant findings concerning LF’s anti-viral, anti-microbial, iron-binding, immunomodulatory, microbiota-modulatory and intestinal barrier properties that support health of the two most affected organs in COVID-19 patients (lungs and gut), and (2) to explore the possible underlying mechanisms governing its mode of action. Thanks to its potential effects on health, bovine LF can be considered a good candidate for nutritional interventions counteracting SARS-CoV-2 infection and related COVID-19 pathogenesis.

Milk proteins have received much awareness due to their bioactivity. However, their encapsulation functions have not attracted enough attention. Milk proteins as encapsulation walls can increase the bioavailability of bioactive compounds. As the benefits of bioactive compounds are critically determined by bioavailability, the effect of interactions between milk proteins and active substances is a critical topic. In the present review, we summarize the effects of milk proteins as encapsulation walls on the bioavailability of active substances with a special focus. The methods and mechanisms of interactions between milk proteins and active substances are also discussed. The evidence collected in the present review suggests that when active substances are encapsulated by milk proteins, the bioavailability of active substances can be significantly affected. This review also provides valuable guidelines for the use of milk protein-based microcarriers.

High hydrostatic pressure (HHP, 600 MPa/15 min), pasteurization (72 °C/15 s) and pasteurization-HHP (72 °C/15 s + 600 MPa/15 min) processing of milk were comparatively evaluated by examining their effects on microorganisms and quality during 30 days of storage at 4 °C. The counts of total aerobic bacteria in HHP-treated milk were less than 2.22 lgCFU/mL during storage, while they exceeded 5.00 lgCFU/mL in other treated milk. Although HHP changed the color, it had more advantages in maintaining the nutrient (fat, calcium and β-lactoglobulin) properties of milk during storage. Moreover, the viscosity and particle size of HHP-treated milk were more similar to the untreated milk during storage. However, consumer habits towards heat-treated milk have led to poor acceptance of HHP-treated milk, resulting in a low sensory score. In sum, compared with pasteurization- and pasteurization-HHP-treated milk, HHP-treated milk showed longer shelf life and better nutritional quality, but lower sensory acceptance.