Dairy foods and novel thermal and non-thermal processing: A bibliometric analysis

Processing dairy products by conventional methods, such as pasteurization, can induce chemical reactions and physicochemical alterations, compromising nutritional and sensory quality. Thus, there is a growing worldwide demand for studies related to emerging processing technologies. This study aims to describe trends related to dairy processing through the application of emerging technologies. In this sense, articles published in this area of research in the last decade were retrieved from scientific databases, and their findings were analyzed through a bibliometric study. Reviews and original articles expressed 40 and 60% of publications, respectively, and novel thermal and non-thermal processing studies showed multidisciplinary approaches. Ohmic heating and microwave heating were the most discussed novel thermal technologies in the processing of dairy products. Among non-thermal technologies, there was a more significant trend in studies on ultrasound, high hydrostatic pressure, and pulsed electric fields. The impact of the application of novel food technologies concerning quality, safety, and energy efficiency compared to traditional methods and the influence of critical operating conditions for process control were the most studied areas. Furthermore, the impact of novel non-thermal food processing technologies from the consumer's point of view is emerging. These results can be used for future innovations by the dairy industry. Industrial relevance: Dairy foods are important food matrices considering a nutritional and functional point of view and recommended in a regular diet for consumers of all ages. Therefore, a bibliometric analysis was performed considering dairy foods and novel thermal and non-thermal processing. A higher number of publications considering non-thermal technologies was reported, highlighting the need for food processing without applying high temperatures. High hydrostatic pressure, ultrasonication, and pulsed electric fields were the most discussed non-thermal technologies. At the same time, ohmic heating and microwave heating were the most reported thermal technologies. Furthermore, the most used applications, critical process parameters, and food properties to be evaluated are highlighted and discussed. The results could be used as a basis for the dairy processors to implement non-conventional technologies as an option at their production lines, as they demonstrate the most relevant process parameters and food characteristics to be evaluated, helping them to choose the parameters with higher impact and firstly consider them. Furthermore, consumers studies are important and should evaluate consumer perception about the products and the perceived benefits and risks of the novel technologies.