What Are Modified Dairy Ingredients?

The term "modified dairy ingredients" is an umbrella term for a variety of milk products that have been processed or altered from their original state. If some components of fluid milk have been removed or concentrated, manufacturers can't call it milk on the label. Food manufacturers use modified dairy ingredients to save money and to circumvent dairy import restrictions.

Types of Modified Dairy Ingredients

Modified dairy ingredients can mean any type of food that was originally made from milk. These include: skim milk powder, milk protein concentrates, milk protein isolates, casein, caseinates and whey protein concentrates.

Applications of Modified Dairy Ingredients

Cargill, one of the leading food manufacturers in the world, uses modified dairy ingredients in bakery products, beverages, confectionery products, convenience foods, dairy, dressings, sauces, prepared fruits, snacks and cereals.

Modified Dairy Ingredients in Ice Cream and Cheese

Modified dairy ingredients are often used in ice cream and cheese products to intensify the flavor and add a creamy mouth feel. These ingredients are used in lower quality products to make them taste similar to their higher quality counterparts. In his book, "Marketing and Pricing of Milk and Dairy Products in the United States," Kenneth Bailey states that most ice cream is made with dried milk products instead of fluid cream. In other countries, ice cream often contains no milk at all. According to a CBC Marketplace Report, Canadian ice cream manufacturers often use a butter/oil compound that is 49 percent butter/oil and 51 percent sugar. Often, there is little or no actual cream in ice cream.

Health Implications of Modified Dairy Ingredients

It's important to note that modified dairy ingredients are not the same thing as genetically modified foods. Modified dairy ingredients are those products that have been altered in a laboratory during processing. Genetically modified foods are altered at the level of genetics, before the food is even grown or produced. Although there aren't any proven health implications of consuming modified dairy ingredients, consumers who prefer whole, natural foods will want to avoid products containing them.