The importance of their analysis
Dairy products authenticity studies have been found on the frontline of scientific research. Milk, cheese, and other dairy products such as yogurt are consumed worldwide and are of high commercial importance for the food industry and therefore for the economy.
A great number of dairy products have been declared as PDO/PGI products. These products are manufactured from specific types of milk under particularly stringent conditions in order to meet the criteria required for their authenticity and secure their name.
However, illegal practices often take place and the criteria circumvented rendering to lower quality dairy products, consumers deception and violation of established legal frameworks. Among many others, some of the illegal practices are the admixtures of milk from different species, the substitution of part of the fat or protein content, use of illegal additives and the mislabeling of PDO/PGI products.
Our research
Our research focuses on the exploitation of cutting-edge technology for thorough authenticity characterization studies of dairy products. Special attention is being paid not only to the discrimination of animal and geographical origin and but also in the investigation of the potential adulteration and contamination of dairy products.
Through our research, we are capable to evaluate the dairy products conformity to specifications and established regulations based on nutritional, contaminant/toxical and safety parameters in order to assure their uniqueness
Main objectives
Authenticity assessment based on integrated HRMS lipidomics, proteomics & metabolomics workflows
Classification/ Characterization of dairy products based on animal & geographical origin discrimination
Classification of specific animal origin milk (sheep, goat, cow)
Classification of PDO/PGI cheese
Classification of yogurt from different animal origin milk ( sheep yoghurt , cow yoghurt)
Classification of butter from different animal origin milk
Investigation of dairy products adulteration in traced levels
Detection of milk from different animal/georgaphical origin
Detection of skimmed milk powder
Detection of vegetable fat
Detection of additives (caragennans, galatine etc.)
Investigation of dairy products contamination/ safety monitoring
Detection of veterinary drug residues
Detection of pesticides
Detection of mycotoxins
Detection of heavy metals
Complete discrimination of PDO feta cheese from white cheese with 100% classification accuracy
Complete discrimination of adulterated cheeses up to 1% adulteration level
