Utility of removing cholesterol from an industrial by-product- Buttermilk powder

Almost 16% of milk produced in European Union is being converted to butter. Buttermilk, is a low cost by-product from butter manufacture and available in large quantities but has been considered invaluable for many years. When cream is churned to butter the stable oil in water emulsion is destabilized and milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) is disrupted which is released in buttermilk. Thus, over the last two decades it has gained considerable attention due to its specific composition (proteins and polar lipids) attributed towards the MFGM. In account to this composition of buttermilk powder, it finds application in food industry as a natural stabilizing and emulsifying agent. It also finds application as a source of total solids and is commercially being added upto 10% in many food products. However, it has limitation in such applications due to the presence of cholesterol (approx. 80mg/100g). Cholesterol is also an integral part of MFGM and is released into buttermilk with MFGM. The most suitable techniques to remove cholesterol from buttermilk powder are using β-cyclodextrin and cholesterol oxidase enzyme. To valorize this abundantly produced industrial by-product of butter industry and increase its application in health food industry, as well as extend its application in pharmaceutical industry and preparation of liposomes, it is important to remove cholesterol from buttermilk.