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36 Valorization of By-Products of Milk Fat Processing
36.3.1.4
Cheeses
It is possible to prepare low-fat cheeses by mixing buttermilk and skim milk and
using this mix as the cheese milk. When buttermilk is added to the low-fat cheddar
cheese, it can improve the texture, since buttermilk has high water-holding capacity
due to the phospholipids content. Mistry et al. [12] reported the use of ultrafiltered
sweet buttermilk (up to 5%) to supplement cheese milk for making cheddar cheese
with reduced fat. This resulted in softened body, increased water retention of the
curd, high moisture content and poorer curd fusion, and higher cheese yield. Joshi
and Thakar [13] prepared cheddar cheese by blending SCBM and buffalo milk. This
resulted in improved firmness of cheese. Further, this cheddar cheese could be used
for preparation of processed cheese. Poduval and co-workers [14] used ultrafiltered
sweet buttermilk and homogenized cream for preparation of reduced-fat mozzarella
cheese. The cheese, thus made with 5% ultrafiltered buttermilk, had a softer body
and texture with open and spongy protein matrix.
36.3.1.5
Indian Traditional Dairy Products
The use of buttermilk in the preparation of various indigenous dairy products
has also been widely reported. Buffalo milk for preparation of acid coagulated
milk solids, also known as channa, was partially supplemented with SCBM. The
addition may enhance the body and texture with no effect on color, appearance and
flavor. Supplementation of the milk for preparation of paneer (an Indian cheese)
did not cause any adverse effect on the textural or sensory properties [15]. Similar
approaches were also successfully reported in preparing acceptable milk sweets
such as basundi [16], sandesh [17], and shrikhand [18].
36.3.1.6
Buttermilk Ice Cream
The use of buttermilk as a base for the preparation of ice cream was explored by
Szkolnicka et al. [19]. Different types of buttermilk such as SCBM and cultured but-
termilk, with and without the addition of emulsifiers and stabilizers, were tried.
Calculated quantities of the ingredients were taken so as to obtain a composition
of fat of 10% and sucrose 12%, milk SnF 12% in the mix. The study concluded that
SCBM was suitable for usage as a raw material in ice cream manufacture.
36.3.1.7
Dairy-Based Beverages
Traditionally, buttermilk in itself is consumed as a popular dairy drink in many coun-
tries. In the Indian subcontinent, buttermilk obtained during the churning of butter,
also known as chhach, is consumed as a thirst quencher, after dilution with water.
The beverage is often flavored in various ways, e.g. with the addition of salt, mint,
cumin, ground chillies, fresh ginger, garlic, curry leaves, etc.
Buttermilk has been blended with fruit juices to formulate various dairy-based
beverages. Fruits such as mango, orange, banana have been blended with buttermilk
(62–85%) to prepare nutritious and flavorful beverages [20]. There are also reports of
its use in formulating a carbonated fruit flavored beverage, using various filtration
techniques such as pre-filtration, ultra filtration and use of fruits such as orange,
pineapple, and mango [21].