Applications of Modified Milk Fat in Food Products

Expanded use of milk fat in foods, where it can contribute substantially to flavor and quality, is frequently inhibited because of functional incompatibilities with other ingredients. Although various processes can modify milk fat to create specialty milk fat ingredients, milk fat functionally cannot always be predicted in complex food systems. Factors affecting milk fat functionality and behavior in foods include 1) the inherent properties of milk fat (flavor and chemical composition), 2) processing-controlled properties (physical properties and crystallization effects), and 3) interactions between milk fat and other constituents (other fats, air, water, and solids). Studies on applications of modified milk fats in foods can be used to i11ustrate these factors and to show how they can be used to predict the behavior of modified milk fats in new applications. This review suggests areas of critical research needed to overcome the problems limiting the utilization of milk fat in food products. (Key words: modified milk fat, milk fat fractions)