A review of nanotechnology-based solutions to increase the quality of dairy products

Contamination by a wide range of spoilage microorganisms causes significant losses of dairy products. Besides, increasing the quality and improving the taste and smell of the dairy products is one of the important issues in the society and industry. Thermal methods, including pasteurization and sterilization, are highly effective in inactivation of the spoilage microorganisms, but in some cases, they change color, taste, and lose of important nutrients. In addition, strategies against recontamination of dairy products are required. To solve or reduce these problems, nanotechnology has provided alternative or complementary methods in recent years. In this review, non-thermal technologies such as cold plasma and nanobubble and their applications in the field of dairy products are described. Non-thermal technologies process the milk in a short time and low temperature. In this sense, they produce minimal or no change in flavor and essential nutrients. It is important to use active packaging with antibacterial nanostructures to prevent secondary contamination and prohibit the growth of bacteria. In this article, an overview of the antibacterial properties of silver nanoparticles and zinc oxide in inactivation of the microbes is given. Afterwards, their use in research and industrial scale packaging is considered to increase the shelf life of the dairy products.