Determination of the physical-chemical composition of dairy products: exploratory study to compare the results obtained by classic methodology and by ultra-sound

Abstract

The present paper aims to compare the official methods of physical-chemical determination of dairy products (defatted dry matter, protein, fat and density) with methodology using ultra-sound. Different products were analyzed: milks (integral and skimmed conventional and organic), commercial fermented milks and dairy milk bases prepared in laboratory and whey totalizing twenty dairy products of different characteristics. The method using ultra-sound is fast and the results are correlated with those of the official analyses. However, the operator of the equipment should be attentive to employ a specific profile of the equipment according to the analysis to be carried out and, to calibrate the equipment based in the information obtained by the official analyses. The results of this exploratory article suggest the need to perform a study with a great number of samples in order to validate the obtained conclusions. The evidences described in this article are important for the Brazilian industry of dairy products.