31-9

C. O. MADUKO¹, D. C. Peck¹, R. T. Toledo¹, and Y. W. Park². (1) Dept. of Food Science and Technology, Univ. of Georgia, Food Science Bldg., Athens, GA 30602, (2) Agricultural Research Station, Fort Valley State Univ., 1005 State University Dr., Fort Valley, GA 31030-4313

Human milk fat is more readily absorbed by infants than cow milk fat, which is attributable to the difference in arrangement of fatty acids in triglycerides. Because of the similarity of distribution of fatty acids over the positions in the triglycerides of goat and cow milks, the efficiencies of absorption of both milk fats are similar. There is a need to modify the composition of goat milk fat to simulate the same profile of human milk fat for infant feeding. Significant amounts of short and medium chain fatty acids are present in goat milk which are not found in human milk. Human milk has predominantly saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids ranging from C10 to C22. The purpose of this study was to simulate the fatty acid composition of formulated caprine milk to that of human milk for infant feeding. Vegetable fat (coconut oil, safflower oil, and soybean oil) was incorporated into skim goat milk at several different combination ratios between 0.5 to 4.5g/100ml of milk. Fat content was determined before and after formulations. Fat-modified goat skim milk samples were freeze-dried. Fatty acid profiles of original skim goat milk and its reconstituted lyophilisates of several fat-modified formulations were determined using a gas chromatography (Shimadzu 17-A GC). Total fat content of skim caprine milk ranged from trace to 0.17g/100ml, while that of formulated milk with the addition of coconut, safflower, and soybean oils (2.5:1.1:0.8g ratio) ranged from 4.2 to 4.4g/100ml. Fatty acid profiles of modified milk preparations showed closer compositions of human milk fat having C10 to C18 fatty acids, with trace amounts of C20 and C22. The fat-modified caprine milk preparations contained the total fat composition and fatty acid profile that are similar to that of human milk, and are more suitable for infant feeding than unmodified whole goat milk.

Session 31, Dairy Foods: General I
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Monday AM Room 393

2005 IFT Annual Meeting, July 15-20 - New Orleans, Louisiana