76 / 76
FEB. MAR. 2018
XVI
carbohydrates or sugars and proteins.
The fats are many, mainly saturated
(eg: lauric, palmitic, stearic, etc.) - for
this reason it is a highly energetic food
but not suitable for diets - and in lesser
quantities unsaturated (including oleic
and linoleic). The variability in the
distribution of fatty acids obviously
depends on several factors including
the type of milk (cow’s milk, goat’s
milk etc.), the stage of lactation and
the type of animal feed.
The most represented proteins
are caseins which, together with
-lactoglobulin, cause more frequent
allergies in the first years of life and
which often tend to disappear with
age.
There is a limited case of non-allergic
intolerance to milk proteins, known
by the English acronym MPI.
The carbohydrates present (in this
case, the secondary energy source of
milk) are made up, as in all animal
species, almost entirely of lactose,
the disaccharide sugar to which
more and more people are intolerant.
As mentioned in a previous article,
lactose intolerance (which often occurs
in adulthood, sometimes concurrently
or as a result of pathological
conditions) is due to a production
deficit, by the intestinal cells of the
duodenum, of the enzyme lactase
capable of breaking down the sugar
into 2 simple units: galactose and
glucose, and then digest it.
The permanence of undigested lactose
determines the fermentationIQ
IQ
Mineral substances such as calcium,
phosphorus, potassium and vitamins
mainly of the B, C and PP complex
complete the nutritional framework of
milk / dairy products.
From a technical-legal point of view,
however, milk is distinguished in
three macrotypes:
Dairy products, in a generic sense, are
all foods derived from milk, obtained
according to different procedures;
among them we distinguish ricotta,
fresh and mature cheeses, butter,
cream and yogurt. In a more
restrictive sense, dairy products are
only milk derivatives that do not
undergo coagulation of caseins, such
as ricotta, butter, cream and yogurt. In
this definition, cheese is not a dairy
product but rather the latter.
Ricotta is obtained as residue from
the production of cheese from the
curd or as part of the whey. Butter is
produced by processing the cream (or
cream of milk), with the formation of
an emulsion.
Yoghurt is produced by bacterial
fermentation of the sugars present in
milk.
The cream consists of the fat part of
the milk, obtained by centrifugation
or by skimming following slow
decantation. Kéfir is also considered to
be a dairy product.
MILK / LACTOSE-FREE PRODUCTS
Since there are more and more
people intolerant to lactose (widely
used in the food industry also as
an additive) or, much more trivially,
who prefer not to take this substance
for dietary purposes, for some years
now more and more companies are
using lactose-free milk (treated with
the addition of lactase ) to prepare
products to satisfy those who do not
want to give up these foods despite
intolerence or choice. It is useful to
know that mature cheeses, matured
for a period of more than 12 months,
for example, or yoghurt, which
derives from fermentation, are almost
free of it. While goat / sheep milk
derivatives, with a stronger flavour
that does not agree with everyone’s
taste, has a protein, fat and lactose
content similar to that of cow’s milk;
only it is more digestible because the
fat cells are smaller.
In conclusion, the excessive
consumption of milk and dairy
products brings with it many
disadvantages both for their high
fat content, and because they are
too often responsible for allergies
/ intolerance but also because they
are contaminated with antibiotics,
growth hormones, as well as from
herbicides and pesticides. In my
working practice, for all these
reasons and because they are
considered highly acidifying foods,
I tend to reduce but never eliminate
them, otherwise I could worsen a
slight intolerance. If I have instead
a patient with a severe intolerance,
characterised by a significant
symptomatology that limits his
quality of life, I will tend to eliminate
them. I would therefore recommend
to restaurateurs to adapt to this new
situation that is taking place (and
not just pointing out the presence
of allergens in the menu) with
something concrete like cooking with
lactose-free milk or proposing very
mature or fresh lactose-free cheeses
in order to satisfy a large slice of
customers who will be more inclined
to come to your restaurant.
______________________________
* Dr. Barbara Panterna is a medical
surgeon with Post-graduate
specialisation in human nutrition
obtained at the State University of
Milan. She is active in food education
and geriatrics and a teacher/trainer
for the Lombardy region in first aid
and microbiology courses. She is the
author of several articles of medical/
scientific character and novels
available on Amazon books.
She recently published though
Passi Editore: Stories of Ordinary
Gynaecology, distributed in Italy by
Bayer Pharmaceutical. She carries
out her medical activity in Milan as a
private practice.
______________________________
MAGAZINE