ABSTRACT
Dairy industry plays a crucial role in the global economy, since the production and market of milk and milk-derived products influence an expressive number of areas and societies in several countries. Thus, new products are necessary to maintain and drive this industrial segment. Nanostructured materials present suitable and innovative features to satisfy the need of the consumers and manufacturers of dairy products. Besides, nanostructured materials find several applications in the milk and dairy industrial segment as the agents to act in the intensification of technological functional properties (solubility and emulsification, among others), in the detection of contaminants (microorganisms and heavy metal, among others), and in the encapsulation and controlled release of active compounds (vitamin and antioxidants, among others). Thus, this chapter deals with the principles, applications, and potential of the nanotechnology, with a focus on the dairy industry. Different techniques currently utilized to form nanostructures (gelation, desolvation, and electrospinning, among others) from whey proteins, casein, and lactose, as well as a list of different nanostructures containing such components, are described. The techniques adopted to characterize these structures are presented. Aspects of the toxicity and the regulatory use of nanostructures are also addressed.
