Invited review: Shelf-stable dairy protein beverages-Scientific and technological aspects.

Consumer focus on health and wellness is driving the growth in high-protein dairy beverages. The review discusses shelf-stable ready-to-drink beverages that are primarily dominated by sports nutrition and the "better for you" beverage categories. Both of these categories tend to have a "high in protein" claim. Because of their functionality, sensorial attributes, and protein quality, dairy protein ingredients are the ingredients of choice to meet protein claims. Due to the higher protein content of the beverages, the functionality of dairy protein ingredients plays a critical role in final product quality and stability. In the United States, Food and Drug Administration regulations classify shelf-stable foods into acid/acidified and low-acid foods. The differentiation is based on pH and water activity (aw). In the context of shelf-stable high-protein dairy beverages, any beverage with aw of >0.85 and with a finished equilibrium pH of >4.6 is classified as low acid. Beverages to which acids or acid foods are added and have a finished equilibrium pH of ≤4.6 and aw >0.85 are classified as acidified food. Acid foods have a natural pH of ≤4.6. The final pH requirement of these shelf-stable products will affect the type of dairy protein used in these applications. In acidified dairy protein beverages, the go-to ingredient is whey protein. In low-acid beverages, the protein ingredients of choice are milk protein ingredients (with a casein-to-whey protein ratio of 80:20, as found in typical bovine milk) and casein-enriched ingredients. Rendering the product shelf-stable depends on whether the product is classified as acidified or low acid. Low-acid, shelf-stable beverages, in general, have 2 manufacturing options: retort and UHT processing, followed by hermetic sealing. Pasteurization is the standard processing choice for shelf-stable acidified beverages, followed by hot fill. Because of differences in pH and heat loads during the manufacture of high-protein dairy beverages, the functionality of protein ingredients will play an essential role in determining the final beverage quality. Two of the most important functional properties of dairy protein ingredients that have a role in producing these beverages are solubility and heat stability. This review elucidates the physicochemical properties of dairy protein ingredients for low- and high-acid shelf-stable dairy protein applications, analytical techniques to characterize protein ingredients, beverage processing conditions, and quality defects observed.

Process development for a novel milk protein concentrate with whey proteins as fibrils.

Milk protein concentrate (MPC) is a preferred ingredient to provide nutritional and functional benefits in various dairy and food products. Altering the protein configuration and protein-protein interactions in MPC can provide a novel functionality and may open doors for new applications. The fibrilization process converts the globular structure of whey proteins to fibrils and consequently increases viscosity and water holding capacity compared with the native protein structure. The objective of the current work was to selectively convert the whey proteins in MPC as fibrils. For this purpose, simulated control model MPC was prepared by combining solutions of micellar casein concentrate (MCC) and milk whey protein isolate (mWPI) to give casein and whey protein in an 80:20 ratio. The mWPI solution was converted to fibrils by heating at low pH, neutralized, and combined with MCC solution similar to control model MPC and termed "fibrillated model MPC." Thioflavin T fluorescence value, transmission electron microscopy, and gel electrophoresis confirmed the fibril formation and their survival after neutralization and mixing with MCC. Further, the fibrillated mWPI showed significantly higher viscosity and consistency coefficient than nonfibrillated mWPI. Similarly, fibrillated model MPC showed significantly higher viscosity and consistency coefficient compared with control model MPC. Hence, the fibrillated model MPC can be used as ingredient to increase viscosity. Heat coagulation time was found to be significantly higher for control model MPC compared with fibrillated model MPC.

Transfusion-related adverse reactions in pediatric and surgical patients at a tertiary care teaching hospital in India.

BACKGROUND: Use of blood and its components is lifesaving. However, their use is often associated with adverse events. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the pattern of adverse reactions associated with transfusion of blood and its components in pediatric and surgical patients at a tertiary care teaching hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients receiving transfusion of blood or its components in a randomly selected unit each from Departments of Pediatrics, including thalassemia OPD and surgery, were monitored intensively for a period of 6 months. Clinical course, management, outcome, causality, severity, seriousness, and preventability of observed transfusion reactions (TRs) were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 411 pediatric and 433 surgical patients received 594 and 745 transfusions respectively during the study period. Of these, TRs were observed in 69 (11.6%) children and 63 (8.4%) surgical patients. Majority of reactions in children (48, 69.5%) and surgical patients (51, 80.9%) were acute, developing within 24 h of transfusion. TRs were observed with packed cells (13.2%), cryoprecipitate (10%), platelet concentrate (14.3%) and fresh frozen plasma (1.3%) in pediatric patients and with packed cells (7.2%), whole blood (25%) and platelet concentrate (62.5%) in surgical patients. Most common TRs included febrile nonhemolytic TRs (FNHTRs) and allergic reactions. Reactions were more frequent in patients with a previous history of transfusion or those receiving more than one transfusion and in children, when transfusion was initiated after 30 min of issue of blood component. Majority of reactions were managed with symptomatic treatment, were nonserious, moderately severe, probably preventable and probably associated with the suspect blood component in both populations. CONCLUSION: Transfusion reactions in children and surgical patients are commonly observed with cellular blood components. Majority of reactions are acute and nonserious. FNHTRs and allergic reactions are the most common transfusion reactions. Risk of transfusion reactions is more in patients receiving multiple transfusions.

Clinicopathologic assessment of Candida colonization of oral leukoplakia.

BACKGROUND: Leukoplakia is the most common premalignant lesion of the oral mucosa. We studied the colonization of Candida in oral leukoplakia using direct microscopy, culture and histopathology to determine if there is a statistical correlation between Candida invasion and the clinical appearance and presence of epithelial dysplasia in leukoplakia. METHODS: Samples were collected from 40 patients with oral leukoplakia and 21 controls. The swabs collected were used to inoculate Sabouraud's dextrose agar slant and for direct microscopy with Gram's stain. Culture growths were subjected to germ tube and corn meal agar tests to differentiate between Candida albicans and non-albicans groups. Biopsies were also done in all patients for histopathological confirmation; Gomori's methanamine silver stain was used to identify fungal invasion of lesional epithelium. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Nineteen cases of leukoplakia showed Candida on direct smears, compared to 3 controls. Eighteen cases and one control showed growth of Candida on culture. Non-homogenous leukoplakia showed a higher positivity rate on microscopy and culture than homogenous lesions. All these correlations were statistically significant. Forty percent of leukoplakia cases were simultaneously positive for Candida on direct microscopy, culture and histopathologic evaluation. No significant difference was found between non-dysplastic and distinctly dysplastic lesions with respect to Candida detection on microscopy or culture.