THE MYSTERIOUS WHAT AND WHY OF MODIFIED MILK INGREDIENTS PART I: MODIFIED WHAT? MODIFIED HOW?1/1/2019  Modified Milk Ingredients is an ever more common listed ingredient in products containing dairy; and more recently in products that traditionally never contain dairy at all. But what are modified milk ingredients; and why are modified milk ingredients? The purpose of this two-part post is to answer these very questions. With this first post, we look at what modified milk ingredients are, and what products we might find these in. But to understand what modified milk ingredients are, we must first look at what natural, unaltered milk is, as well as what the term milk ingredients means.
In its natural, unaltered, whole and fluid form, milk is said to contain everything that the human body needs in terms of nutrition. It is, after all, traditionally the first and singular food source and sustenance of growing infants (keep in mind, this statement refers to human breast milk and there is debate on whether humans should consume dairy milk; a topic this entry will refrain from discussing). With this in mind, milk is quite complex, containing somewhere around one hundred separate chemical compounds. Milk is composed of over 80% water, with milk solids making the remaining, somewhere just under 20%. With the water portion of milk comes trace amounts of water soluble vitamins; vitamins B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B12 (cobalamin), C and Folate. Of the milk solids, lactose, milk’s natural occurring carbohydrate/sugar, is the largest component. This is followed by the next largest amount of milk solids, fats. The fat of milk is one of the most complex fats in nature, and dairy milk fat contains over 400 different fatty acids. Along with its fatty acids, comes trace amounts of fat soluble vitamins; vitamins A, D, E, and K. Next comes the proteins of milk, 80% of which comes in the form of caseins and the lesser remaining classified as whey proteins. Lastly comes minerals, making up less than 1% of milk; yet all minerals essential to human health are contained in milk. These minerals can be divided into major minerals of milk and trace minerals of milk. Major minerals include Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium, Chloride, Sulfate, and Carbonate. These above mentioned components are what make up natural, unaltered, whole, fluid milk; So what are modified milk ingredients then? First, let us cite the Food and Drug Regulations (FDR) items 7, 7.1, and 7.2 of subsection B.01.010 (3) for their definition of milk ingredients and modified milk ingredients. Milk ingredients are defined as “any of the following in liquid, concentrated, dry, frozen or reconstituted form; namely butter, buttermilk, butter oil, milk fat, cream, milk, partly skimmed milk, skim milk and any other component of milk the chemical composition of which has not been altered and that exists in the food in the same chemical state in which it is found in milk.” Modified milk ingredients are defined as “any of the following in liquid, concentrated, dry, frozen or reconstituted form; namely, calcium reduced skim milk (obtained by the ion-exchange process), casein, caseinates, cultured milk products, milk serum protein, unfiltered milk, whey, whey butter, whey cream and any other components of milk the chemical state of which has been altered from that in which it is found in milk.” Furthermore, section 7.2 states that if “one or more ingredients or components set out in item 7 combined with any one or more ingredients or components set out in item 7.1” it constitutes as modified milk ingredients. To put it more directly, by regulation, only milk in its unaltered, natural whole and fluid form, may be called milk. If it remains whole and unaltered in chemical composition but has been altered in its physical state (dry, reconstituted, frozen, skimmed, concentrated etc.) it may be called milk ingredients; or may be listed specifically (dried skim milk, for example). If select chemical components of milk ingredient are used or removed or extracted from the rest (just the whey or caseins or calcium removed or kept etc.), it then becomes modified milk ingredients. Modified milk ingredients is essentially an umbrella term that may be listed in a product’s ingredients for any chemically modified milk; whether on its own, or in combination with true milk ingredients. When I say chemically modified I mean any select elements naturally contained in milk, in any select combination and amount (fats, proteins, sugars, and minerals); The idea is that one can take what is wanted and leave the rest. Modification is done by any number of separating processes depending on what ingredients are the aim of isolating and extracting. Often, a company might use the generic umbrella term “modified milk ingredients” is to cut down on the product ingredients list; listing it just as “modified milk ingredients’ instead of having to list each and every ingredient of milk used. Long lists tend to scare consumers, especially when containing unfamiliar words. It also allows producers to change those modifications at a later date without having to change the label. Of course, the downside to using this generic term, from a company’s view, is that it also tends to frighten consumers. “Modified” tends to be associated with more negative views (like genetically modified), whereas the European choice in words for “modified milk ingredients,” the term "natural milk constituents," tend to be received more positively. From a strictly consumer view, the listing of the individual milk ingredient might be extremely helpful, especially when an individual has a specific allergy or intolerance to that specific ingredient, though the term "modified milk ingredients" or "natural milk constituents" might indeed be less overwhelming. Specific names one might come across instead of the umbrella term “modified milk ingredients” include the select constituants of milk in various forms, such as caseinate or casein (ammonium, calcium potassium, hydrolized or other), Whey (protein, demineralized, delactose or other), lactalbumin, lactate, lactose, lactoferrin, lactoglobulin, milk derivatives, and many others selective ingredients of milk. Familiarity with these terms becomes most important when dairy product is used in foods other than dairy and an individual has allergies or intolerances to these select ingredients. So what do we find modified milk ingredients in these days? If you Take a trip to your local grocery store, and peruse the dairy isle, you will find this ingredient on a majority of products; pre-shredded, block and creamed cheese, sour creams, yogurts, and ice desserts/cream. It is also present in an assortment of artificial butters, coffee whitener and non-dairy creamers, baked goods and mixes, brown sugars, high protein flours, salad dressings and dips. You will find it in colourings and flavorings, wax used on fresh fruits and vegetables, in chocolate, egg and fat substitutes, sauce packets, deli meats, hot dogs, instant potatoes, seasoning and soup mixes... The list truly goes on. With an understanding of what natural and unaltered milk is, what milk ingredients are, and what modified milk ingredients are; and how they may present on labels and what products you may find these modified ingredients in and on; we discuss in the next entry why they exist at all, and why their uses in products seems to be flourishing. We also discuss what this all means from a traditional Chinese medicine perspective.
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 Photo Courtesy of Bronwyn Davies As mentioned in the previous post (click here to view), whole foods are important. Every food is viewed for its qualitative aspects as a whole. These qualities include the food’s physical nature and temperature, but more importantly its innate physiological temperature, its flavors and its affinities within the body. These aspects together create actions on, and within, the body that are very specific. Weight Weight bears consideration in a food's actions on the body. Is the food light and fluffy or heavy and dense for its size? An example of this might be the filling of a bag with mint leaves, and filling that same bag with walnuts. The same amount of space is filled, but the there will be a very noticeable difference in weight. Many heavy things tend to have downward, sinking and condensing actions, light weight foods tend to have upward, rising and dispersing actions. Of course, like the I before E except after C rule, there are always exceptions. Physical Temperature Another physical aspect to consider is physical temperature. This is the temperature to touch; when something is placed in the mouth and the teeth bite down, is it warmer or cooler? This is often where prep and processing effects the physical temperature; cold beverages versus warm, raw or chilled in the refrigerator versus steamed or baked. These are physical temperatures that give a different temperature feeling in the mouth, and prep and processing can easily change them. This physical temperature effect the actions of food on the body, but no nearly as much as a food’s innate thermal nature. Innate Thermal Nature From the views of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), every whole food contains an innate thermal nature. This is not the same as the physical temperature of a food (such a cooked food being hot and chilled food being cold). This innate thermal nature of food is an innate physiological temperature of the food that remains regardless of being heated by fire or chilled by ice. The innate thermal nature of a food effects the body’s temperature, making an individual feel warmer or cooler; or can cause actions associated with warming or cooling. The innate thermal nature of a food can fall on a spectrum; cold, cool, neutral, warm, hot. An example of the innate thermal nature of a food might be mint, which is cooling in nature, regardless of consuming it in a hot tea or in an iced beverage. Mint has a soothing effect to a sore and inflamed throat, such as found in flues and colds. In this example the sore throat is seen as a heat condition, and the ability of mint to soothe such a condition makes it cooling in its innate thermal nature, regardless of the temperature it is consumed at. Affinity Each food has affinities for certain systems, organs, structures, tissues, and areas of the body. In Traditional Chinese Medicine the body is mapped into systems called meridians or channels. There are 12 main meridians and 8 additional meridians called extraordinary meridians. Each of these meridians map out an interconnected area on, and within, the body; these meridians include associated organs, structures, tissues and processes (on physical, mental and emotional planes, as is the holistic approach). All 12 main channels and 8 additional channels, while having separate processes and functions of their own, will greatly influence one another and will rely on one another for certain cooperative processes and functions. Flavor A major qualitative aspect of food, and one regarded closely in healing, is flavors. Every whole food has one or more flavors associated with it, and each flavor is associated with specific actions on the body (be it physical, mental or emotional). The main flavors include pungent, salty, sour, bitter, and sweet. Pungent foods (also known as acrid) disperse, invigorate and stimulate; these foods are associated with the lungs. These actions are often most clear when mentioning spicy foods, which are pungent in nature. Pungent, and therefore spicy, foods have the effects of stimulating sweating and blood circulation (think of spicey foods and red faces), and encouraging appetite. Salty foods are known to dissipate, descend, dissolve and soften as well as remove moisture. They are associated with the Kidney. Foods with a salty nature are good for purging constipated bowels, reducing hard lumps (think kidney stones and various cysts), and treat toxic swellings; they are often thought to soften and make more supple, such as the case with Epsom salt baths for sore tight muscles. Sour foods astringe, arrest and contract, prevent leakage, and firm up. They are thought to be good for the liver and gallbladder. Foods of this nature can be used for preventing and restraining any loss of fluids, such as in excessive sweating, incontinence, diarrhea, and the loss of reproductive fluid; they are also used to firm up flaccid skin. Bitter foods cleanse, reduce, descend, drain and dry, and are thought to be good for the heart. Foods of this nature encourage bowel movement, reduce high blood pressure and high cholesterol (I always think of bitter coffee and bitter chocolate with this one). Foods of this flavor can also reduce inflammation and skin issues, drying excess mucus and fluids such as swelling and edema. Sweet foods are tonics that energize, nourish and build; they generate fluids and lubricate; as well as relax, soothe, harmonize, and reduce irritation. They are associated with digestive organs; in the case of TCM the stomach and spleen (spleen here is different than in western medicine). Examples of these actions include the building and nourishment of energy and fluids, the ability to calm and settle upset of many sorts (physical and emotional), as well as the ability to slow down toxins and acute negative reaction. Balance as Key As discussed in the previous post, Food is an effective force on, and within, the body; and balance a crucial factor to maintaining health or leading to unhealthy states. When we consume too much of a good thing, it becomes a bad thing. Consuming too many things that are one-sided in temperature draws the body in the direction of that temperature and has adverse effects on the body and processes in the body. Eating too many physically cold foods, can lead to the body temperature dropping regularly, leading to feeling cold as well as to sluggish processes. Eating too much physiologically hot natured foods can lead to heat accumulation in the body and hyperactive processes. Too much or too little of a specific flavor can have negative and detrimental effects. Flavors are associated with specific organs and the meridians and processes that these organs are part of. Too little foods of a certain flavor can lead to deficiency or weakness of the organ and its associated processes and meridian system. Too much food of that flavor can lead to excess which causes its own set of issues. Too much sweet can lead to what TCM calls dampness. Dampness leads to conditions causing diseases of the flesh; which can create a heavy weightiness of the body or obesity, sluggish processes, or issues of mucus, phlegm or fluid build-up. Too much pungent can lead to hyperactive processes as well as causes heat and dispersion, which means loss of fluids and dryness. Too much salty means too much purging or dissolving, leading to dryness as well as too much softening causing weakened structures. Too much sour leads to excessive astringing, leading to fluid build-up and retention; on the other hand it can also lead to too much firming up which can cause tight structures such as tendons. Too much bitter foods can adversely effect blood pressure and cholesterol, cause purging of the bowels and weaken processes. Regard and respect of food and the impact food has on the body is the approach one should take to avoiding these negative effects. When in doubt, moderation is key. The following post, Food as Medicine Part III: Food Preparation and Eating Practices, will discuss further considerations in food practices such as the effects of processing food, different preparation and cooking, as well as various eating practices.   Photo Courtesy of Bronwyn Davies Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a unique approach to food, and the impact food has on the body and on health. TCM is fundamentally holistic, where comprehension and full understanding only come when viewing things in their entirety. This means all aspects of any given thing are considered intimately interconnected, the parts only having full value and effectiveness when brought together in its whole form. With this in mind, when it comes to food, TCM does not place focus on the components that make up a specific food in an independent manner (ex. carbohydrates, fats, vitamins etc.). It instead views the qualitative aspects, and effects that these components have on the body, as a whole; placing almost all emphasis on the food item in its totality; what we shall call a whole food. Whole foods are foods in their natural, unaltered, complete form. Whole foods are, in the views of TCM, the best versions of themselves. Nature knows best, as they say. Each smaller component of food contributes towards a larger holistic nutritional purpose. These components of food work best together, not independently of one another, each having multiple part to play individually and interactively for a more efficient, effective and “whole-pictured” purpose. Viewing a food as its whole, and for its qualitative aspects, TCM places greater emphasis on temperature and flavors of a food, and a food's affinities within the body. These aspects together create actions on, and within, the body that are very specific. TCM places emphasis on the health impact that preparation and storing practices, cooking processes, and eating practices have on the body and its systems; And, always is stressed the relationship between these above qualities and individual constitution (click here to learn more about constitution) Balance is essential, especially in diet. One needs to be mindful of the temperatures and flavors of food and the negative actions and impact that can occur with the consumption of any of these qualities in a deficient or excessive way. Too much or too little of one thing can lead to imbalance within the body and beget negative consequences. Everything in moderation, as the saying goes. This would be the quantitative aspect of the TCM view of food and healing; Balance based on constitution. Food is an effective force on, and within, the body. It can create disharmony and disorder if its effectiveness is disregarded and dismissed; or can be used as a resourceful tool towards balance and health if approached with awareness, understanding and respect. In the next part to the Food as Medicine series, I will discuss the eastern approach with qualities such as temperatures, flavors, and affinities of food items; and how these together create specific and intended actions on, and within, the body.  |
Cassandra Hecker R.TCM.PPractitioner and general educator in the philosophies, tools and techniques of traditional Chinese health and healing practices. Archives
March 2021
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