Novel trends in fermented dairy technology

Novel trends in fermented dairy technology are presented in this review paper. The application of new starter cultures (probiotics, kombucha), as well as quality improving ingredients like transglutaminase (TGase), milk protein fractions, and functional components of plant origin have been investigated by the authors worldwide. New processing techniques such as: high-pressure processing (HPP), high pressure homogenization (HPH), and ultrasonic processing (USP) are interesting because of their potential to achieve a specific and/or novel functionality or to improve the efficiency. Novel trends in fermented dairy technology contribute to the creation of various products with high nutritive value, possessing also specific functional properties. Basic health benefits of functional fermented dairy products are: biologically active peptides - ACE inhibitors and antioxidative activity. Due to the mentioned functional characteristics, these dairy products are considered to be among the most precious functional foods.