Milkfat chemistry, processing methods and links to human health
What it found
Milkfat is used in many foods and can be changed with new technologies to improve its qualities.
The authors say evidence supports health benefits from eating milkfat and dairy products.
What they found
Studies in people
Health effects in people
The authors present evidence they say corrects an imbalance in reported links between milkfat consumption and human health. They describe health benefits tied to eating milkfat and dairy products.
Animal and lab studies
Changing milkfat through feed
Altering what cattle eat can change the fatty acid profile of their milk. The authors see significant promise in this approach.
Other findings
How milkfat is used
Milkfat is mainly turned into butter, cheese, cream and whole milk powder. Smaller parts of it are now used as emulsifiers in expensive foods instead of palm-based ingredients.
Milkfat in baby formula
Formula makers add enzyme-treated milkfat and fat globule phospholipids to better match the structure of human breast milk.
New processing technologies
Methods like ultrasound, high pressure processing and supercritical fluid extraction can improve the nutritional and functional qualities of milkfat.
What the authors conclude
- They say new processing methods and changes to cattle feed offer significant promise for improving milkfat products.
- They provide evidence intended to correct what they see as an imbalance in reported links between milkfat intake and human health.
- They describe health benefits associated with eating milkfat and dairy products.
How it was done
About 35 million tonnes of milkfat are expected to be produced worldwide by 2025. This large supply creates a need for new ways to use it.
The authors looked at the chemistry of milkfat and the technologies used to change or separate it. They also examined how cattle feed can alter milkfat and reviewed reported links between milkfat and human health.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This is a review that gathers existing work rather than a single controlled trial.
- It cannot prove on its own that milkfat causes specific health outcomes in people.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Teagasc Food Research Centre, Ireland
The paper
- Title
- Milk fat: opportunities, challenges and innovation
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Mohan MS, O'Callaghan TF, Kelly P, Hogan SA (2021). Milk fat: opportunities, challenges and innovation. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition. doi:10.1080/10408398.2020.1778631PubMed 32649226DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error