Powdered Milk Powers Ahead

Powdered milk is used by a great number of people across Asia and throughout the world as a convenient, healthy drink for all the family. It is a product which is recognized to have nutritional benefits, as many brands offer added calcium, vitamins and minerals. Prebiotic ingredients are also used in powdered milk as more manufacturers become aware of their benefits, both technical and nutritional.

Inulin and oligofructose from the chicory root, such as that produced by Beneo-Orafti, have a number of technical advantages when used in products such as milk powder. Orafti’s inulin is a soluble powder which, because of its capacity to contribute to body, texture and mouthfeel, is particularly suitable for the replacement of fat in low-fat or fat-free formulations. It can stabilize water in a creamy structure which has the same mouth-feel as fat, and can be incorporated into products with other ingredients and without any major changes in production processes. Orafti’s oligofructose is moderately sweet, around a third as sweet as sucrose but with a sweetness profile which is comparable to that of sugar. It is used to replace sugar and glucose syrups in many kinds of applications.

In addition to their technical advantages, these ingredients are becoming increasingly important for their health benefits, especially those associated with digestive health. Extensive scientific research has shown that eating moderate amounts of inulin or oligofructose selectively stimulates the growth of beneficial bacteria, mainly Bifidobacteria, in the colon, while suppressing the growth of harmful micro-organisms such as Clostridia.



It is clear that these prebiotic ingredients offer a healthy option to all age groups, and milk-based products can be formulated for people at every life stage. The most well-known use of milk powder is for children, and oligofructose is already used by many manufacturers to enrich their products both nutritionally and organoleptically. Oligofructose is already widely used in infant formula in Asia and Latin America, and the European Commission confirmed its use as a safe ingredient for use in infant and children's foods.

Prebiotic ingredients are also important for older children and teenagers, a lifestage at which absorption of essential minerals, such as calcium for future bone health, is particularly important. Nowadays, many of us are not getting enough calcium from our diets.

Calcium deficiency resulting either from inadequate intake or poor intestinal absorption is an important cause of reduced bone mass and osteoporosis. Even with adequate dietary intake, calcium is relatively poorly absorbed—an average of only 30 percent.

Getting sufficient calcium in bones during the important adolescent years has shown to be an excellent way of reducing the risk of osteoporosis in later life.

A study led by Professor Steven Abrams and Dr Ian Griffin at the Children's Nutrition Research Center in Houston, Texas, used an enriched inulin powder by BENEO-Orafti (Synergy1) containing molecules with specific and carefully selected chain lengths. In a double-blind cross-over trial, Dr Abrams studied a group of 29 teenage girls, a lifestage at which calcium absorption is particularly important.

The research, published in a supplement to the British Journal of Nutrition, showed that the inulin powder Synergy1 can increase dietary calcium significantly and is effective at a dosage of just 8 grams per day. This offers a good opportunity for the development of new flavored milk-based drinks and powders targeted at teenagers.

Such products could ensure that teenagers are getting enough calcium in their diets, and that their bodies are also absorbing this calcium efficiently to prevent poor bone health as they get older.

There are already several prebiotic milk powder products on the market for all the family. Across South-east Asia, companies such as Abbott produce milk powder with added nutritional benefits. Another good example is found in Thailand and the Philippines—Nestle's Nesvita Cereal Milk Drink.



For all ages
Children are not the only ones to benefit from prebiotic supplementation. Prebiotics also hold special importance in the ageing process, given that a well-balanced gut microflora is associated with an improved inner protection and overall health and well-being. As people live longer in industrialized societies, with the mean age pushing above 65, nutritional strategies to decrease morbidity and prolong life are of high interest.

To maintain good health at elderly age, an optimal balance of the intestinal tract and its microbiota is especially important. Within the microbial ecology of the intestinal tract, age-related problems can arise due to decreased levels of good Bifidobacteria and elevated levels of harmful Clostridia, Streptococci and Enterobacteria.

Such alterations in the microbial ecology of the gastrointestinal tract can result in alfunctioning of the intestines leading to inconveniences such as constipation, and increase the risk of developing diseases such as colitis or colon cancer.

Ecological changes in the gut microflora of elderly individuals may induce physiological effects that go beyond the gastrointestinal tract and contribute to overall host health. Prebiotic and synbiotic administration has been shown to restore the intestinal ecology and improve well-being in the elderly.

In a new study on the effects of life-long supplementation of prebiotics using rats, it was found that prebiotics delayed the onset of age-related physiological and morphological changes (body weight, fat mass, blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides) and prolonged life. Inulin-type fructans stimulate health-promoting bacteria in the large intestine and improved digestive health, although the reasons why prebiotics should lead to longer lifespans remain unclear.