Prospects for Fortifying Preserved Dairy Products with Iodized Whey Proteins

Abstract

Iodine is an essential trace element involved in the synthesis of thyroid hormones. Its deficiency may trigger pathologies of various kinds in all age groups. Over the last 20 years, two billion people in the world have been diagnosed with iodine deficiency. In Russia, this number is 14 million. In 1994, the World Health Organization introduced several salt iodization programs, and the global level of iodine deficiency and related diseases went down. However, some countries still experience social inequality in iodized salt intake. Moreover, inorganic forms of iodine get unstable during transportation and cooking. As a result, iodized salt cannot be considered a universal method. This article features new approaches to iodine deficiency prevention, e.g., high-iodine diets. The research objective was to analyze the market of iodized dairy foods, including canned dairy products. The review featured the existing technologies of fortifying whole-milk products and canned or otherwise preserved dairy foods with iodine. Such products have some disadvantages. For instance, production of organic iodine preparations is time-consuming, and the resulting products often lack trace elements that facilitate iodine metabolism, e.g., zinc. In this connection, the functional food industry needs new food additives to iodize dairy products. Partially hydrolyzed whey proteins seem a promising raw material for iodine and zinc immobilization.