Factors influencing nutritional and health profile of milk and milk products

Milk has long been and will always be consumed as part of a healthy balanced diet as it contains an impressive array of nutrients and, therefore, plays an important role in assisting individuals to meet their nutrient requirements. Nowadays, that nutrition science moves beyond the study of essential nutrients, interspecies differences, considered as a symptom of evolutionary adaptation to different demands of neonates, could be of major biological importance. Research over the last twenty years has focused on bovine milk. Hence, sheep and goat milk still remain an appealing area of research. The possibility to develop easy digestible ovine and/or caprine milk products, for consumer groups with special needs, such as infants, athletes and the elderly is gathering momentum. Furthermore ovine and caprine milk products may carry specific health effects, when ingested as part of the daily diet; they may be convenient vehicles for peptides that reduce the activity of the angiotensin-converting enzyme, which is involved in vasoconstriction and therefore blood pressure. The presence of casein phosphopeptides may also enhance the physiological significance of ovine and caprine dairy products. Components of the non-protein-nitrogen fraction of milk that may be able to transmit biochemical messages, such as polyamines and nucleotides have also attracted particular scientific attention. Further exploration of ovine and caprine milk to understand its wholesomeness and the functions of intact milk is warranted. Additionally the possibility of using ovine or caprine milk components or colostral fractions for future product development needs further investigation. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.