Volantino

THEWIDEWORLD OF MILK AND ITS DERIVATIVES Now let’s talk about some milk derivatives: together let’s explore the secrets of yoghurt and cheeses and their nutritional qualities. During the production of YOGHURT , which takes place thanks to lactic bacteria, the nutrients found in milk undergo changes: • Lactose - milk contains 4-5% lactose and during the yoghurt production process 20-40% of lactose is transformed by lactic bacteria into lactic acid; • Proteins - during fermentation, proteins are modified and made more digestible, increasing their absorption; • Vitamins - the lactic bacteria of yoghurt use the B vitamins found in milk to grow, reducing the initial quantity, but at the same time they are able to produce other vitamins that are even more abundant in yoghurt. For example, compared to milk, yoghurt has a higher folic acid content because it is produced by these bacteria; even the content of vitamin K2 is higher than in milk thanks to some bacteria that are able to produce it; • Minerals - calcium and phosphorus contained in milk undergo changes thanks to the acidic environment that is created during lactic fermentation. This favours the greater availability of these nutrients for our body, which can then use them for the many functions important for our health. The nutritional composition of CHEESES partly depends on that of the milk of origin, but some nutrients undergo changes, both in terms of quantity and quality, based on the applied technological process. Let’s look at them together: • Energy - cheeses are high calorie food, especially those that have a high fat content: ranging from 253 kcal per 100 g of mozzarella to 456 kcal per 100 g of dairy cheese and mascarpone; • Proteins - Their biological value is lower than that of milk, because the whey proteins in cheeses, which have the highest biological value, are found in small quantities, while caseins prevail, which lack some essential amino acids. The protein content can vary from 3% to 40% depending on the type of cheese; NUTRITIONAL QUALITIES