Results Published in Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies
SurePure, Inc. (SURP), a global leader in liquid photopurification, announced today the results of a commercial scale study that further details the production of cheddar cheese with raw milk processed using SurePure's photopurification process and HTST thermal pasteurisation.
The study "A Microbiological, Biochemical and Sensory Characterisation of Bovine Milk Treated by Heat and Ultraviolet (UV) Light for Manufacturing Cheddar Cheese" was completed in collaboration with the Department of Biochemistry at Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa and the Department of Biotechnology at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa. The results have been accepted for publication in "Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies,"
The study focused on cheddar cheese as a model cheese system due to its popularity and consumption rate in leading world markets such as the United States and the United Kingdom.
According to the study, the results indicated that equivalent microbial efficacy and thus equivalent food safety standards, could be achieved when comparing the SurePure photopurification and traditional heat treatment of cheese milk.
Allied to this microbiological equivalence, further quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the chemical, biochemical and sensory characteristics of raw and processed milk demonstrated no significant differences between cheese produced using SurePure's photopurification and that using traditional thermal processes.
There was no degradation of the macro-nutrient composition, no reduction of essential vitamins such as riboflavin and B12, nor any change to lipids and protein oxidation except for methionine sulfone. Lipid oxidation and lipolysis results indicated differences only when the SurePure process was used as an adjunct to thermally treated milk (effectively having experienced double treatment).
Critically and more importantly, unlike thermal treatments, the SurePure treatment did not destroy milk enzymes that are essential for cheese texture and flavor and that maintain healthy properties of natural milk.
"We are pleased to collaborate with Stellenbosch University and the University of the Western Cape, South Africa in this study which continues to demonstrate the untapped commercial potential of our patented photopurification technology in the food and beverage industry," said Guy Kebble, CEO of SurePure Inc. "Application of our technology presents numerous benefits over traditional heat treatment of milk in cheese production. SurePure's processing of milk for cheese production can replace traditional thermal systems and also benefit the dairy industry as an affordable processing solution due to low cost of installation and maintenance and the reduction of carbon emissions. SurePure's purification can not only enhance the safety of cheese against pathogenic organisms such as Listeria monocytogenes but extend the shelf-life of cheese milk and achieve a similar final quality of the product when made from raw milk."
Further collaboration with Stellenbosch University and University of Western Cape aims to continue investigating the manufacture of cheddar cheese from milk treated with a new generation of SurePure system focusing on the chemical and biochemical changes during cheese ripening and consumer acceptance.
