Applications of nanomaterials in functional fortified dairy products: benefits and implications for human health

Nanotechnology applications in food-related fields have dramatically increased over the past few years. From nanoscale food components designed to exhibit unique functionalities to self assembled nanostructures capable of delivering flavors, drugs, or specific nutrients to the site of action, nanotechnology represents a new approach for developing added-value food products according to current consumer trends. As diseases related to nutritional deficiencies have escalated globally forcing health-conscious consumers to find efficient ways to prevent them, nanotechnology may provide a new array of tools for creating fortified or enriched products with improved digestibility and higher quality from the nutritional, sensory and functional standpoints. Arguably, dairy foods constitute the most important food category in terms of nutritional claims and occupy a significant and growing market space among functional and fortified foods. In this chapter, both the use of nanomaterials in milk by-products (cheese, yogurt, among others) and the application of emergent technologies, which may be scaled for industrial production, in dairy matrices for creating nanostructures are reviewed and discussed, stressing their potential benefits while addressing the concerns of consumers about the lack of information regarding long term use.