Production of Functional Dairy Products using Algae-based Additives

Introduction. Dairy products play an important role in human nutrition due to their dietary and medicinal properties, good digestibility and pleasant taste. Algae possess high nutritional value due to their abundant content of fibers, minerals, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. It is expedient to enhance the nutritional value and enrich dairy products with easily digestible micronutrients and vitamins, particularly iodine, which is deficient in our region. The aim of this study is to explore the prospects and challenges associated with producing functional dairy products using algae-based additives. Materials and methods. A thematic search for scientific works employing keywords such as “functional dairy products,” “dairy products”, “algae,” “powder from Laminaria japonica,” and “Laminaria” was conducted within the cohort of full-text publications available on the research-oriented social network ResearchGate, as well as in the scientific electronic libraries eLibrary, PubMed, and Google Scholar during the period from 2001 to 2024. During selection, journal ratings and article citation counts were taken into account. Results. This work revealed that proteins, peptides, fats, oligosaccharides, vitamins, and minerals present in milk and dairy products can exert physiological effects on the body and be utilized as functional and nutraceutical ingredients to promote health and reduce disease risk. Furthermore, dairy products serve as an ideal matrix for incorporating non-dairy functional components owing to their excellent compatibility with other ingredients and superior taste and nutritional qualities. Brown algae have been identified as valuable sources of structurally diverse bioactive compounds, which are utilized in food, functional foods, and medicinal substances. It has been proven that dairy products are consumed by all age groups, making it highly reasonable to employ algae-based additives in their production. Algae from Laminaria japonica was incorporated into recipes for cottage cheese spread, cottage cheese cream, cheeses, yogurts, and other products. It was observed that higher doses of seaweeds resulted in changes in product flavor, color, and sometimes consistency, thereby impairing organoleptic properties. The most successful formulation proved to be cottage cheese with the addition of 2% algae powder . The use of the additive had minimal impact on the organoleptic characteristics of the fermented milk product, while its iodine content qualified it as a functional product since one serving contained the daily iodine requirement for humans. Discussion and conclusion. Utilizing seaweeds as a component in functional dairy products will open new horizons for the food industry, offering both nutritional and therapeutic-prophylactic advantages. Developments in this field will enable the creation of novel functional products that meet consumer expectations. Enrichment of food and beverage products with seaweeds could be an effective means of popularization; however, success may depend on the type of product, as there may be limitations related to organoleptic characteristics (appearance, taste, texture, etc.).