A study conducted by a research team at IIT Roorkee demonstrated the one-step separation of fat globules based on size from bovine milk.

Due to the ability to selectively separate and focus on the bioactive components of milk, milk microfiltration has gained much attention in the dairy industry. A study conducted by a research team at IIT Roorkee demonstrated the one-step separation of fat globules based on size from bovine milk using a cross-flow microfiltration.

According to a press release by IIT Roorkee, the first author of the research, PhD student Ayushi Kapoor, was granted the International Travel Award by the Science and Engineering Research Board, Department of Science & Technology, Government of India. Her research paper has been selected for oral presentation at the upcoming Annual Conference of the Membrane Society Australasia conference in Perth, Australia in December. The study was recently published in the Separation and Purification Technology journal, and the institute has filed a complete Indian patent for the process.

Further application of milk microfiltration can be seen in food fortification. One such compound is the milk fat globules, a bioactive component that has potential health benefits, which undergo structural and functional damage, membrane phospholipids loss, experience longer processing time, and higher recovery cost due to its current multi-step separation process. The research team developed a one-step process to segregate the smaller milk fat globules from bovine milk with respect to their size, thus preserving their structural and nutritional qualities, mentioned the media release by IIT Roorkee.

Source : The Hindustan Times : Nov 10th 2023