The Use of Nano-Sized Eggshell Powder for Calcium Fortification of Cow?s and Buffalo?s Milk Yogurts.

Background. Calcium is an essential element for the growth, activity, and maintenance of the human body. Eggshells are a waste product which has received growing interest as a cheap and effective source of dietary calcium. Yogurt is a food which can be fortified with functional additives, including calcium. The aim of this study was to produce yogurt with a high calcium content by fortification with nano-sized eggshell powder (nano-ESP). Materials and methods. Nano-sized ESP was prepared from pre-boiled and dried eggshell, using a ball mill. Yogurt was prepared from cow's milk supplemented with 3% skimmed milk powder, and from buffalo's milk fortified with 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3% and 0.1, 0.3 and 0.5% nano-ESP respectively. Results. Electron microscopic transmission showed that the powder consisted of nano-sized crystalline structures (similar to 10 nm). Laser scattering showed that particles followed a normal distribution pattern with z-average of 590.5 nm, and had negative zeta-potential of -9.33 +/- 4.2 mV. Results regarding changes in yogurt composition, acid development, calcium distribution, biochemical changes, textural parameters and sensory attributes have been presented and discussed. Conclusion. The addition of up to 0.3% nano-ESP made cow and buffalo high-calcium yogurts with an acceptable composition and quality. High-calcium yogurt may offer better health benefits, such as combating osteoporosis.