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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania » Eastern Regional Research Center » Dairy and Functional Foods Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #279627
Title: Antioxidative activity of organic versus conventional milk

Author
item Paul, Moushumi
item Nunez, Alberto
item Van Hekken, Diane

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/8/2012
Publication Date: 8/19/2012
Citation: Paul, M., Nunez, A., Van Hekken, D.L. 2012. Antioxidative activity of organic versus conventional milk (abstract). American Chemical Society Fall 2012 Annual Meeting. AGFD 124.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Some dairy proteins exhibit antioxidative activity, a property used for marketing foods as beneficial to American consumers. However, factors in milk production and processing that influence this activity are not fully understood. In this study, commercially available homogenized and pasteurized milk samples from conventional and organic dairies were assayed for antioxidative activity. Water-soluble protein mixtures were extracted and activities of samples were measured using the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) assay. Values were compared to determine if the farming system under which the milk is produced exhibited any effect. Results show that activities of milk samples are comparable (58-67 'mol TE/oz) to other products marketed as antioxidant sources, e.g. vegetables and nuts (20-100 'mol TE/g). Additionally, commercially available homogenized and pasteurized milk produced conventionally and organically had similar activities. Assessing the effect of farming system on the activities of milk products will provide consumers information to select a healthy diet.