Reduction of the Levels of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural and Advanced Glycation End Products in Milk by the Combination of High Pressure and Moderate Heat Pre-Incubation

Traditional thermal processing often denatures protein, causing loss of active ingredients and nutrients in dairy products, even the formation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) and advanced glycation end products (AGEs). In this study, the high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) combined with moderate heat (50 °C) pre-incubation (MHHP) was utilized to explore the alternative processing to reduce the levels of 5-HMF and AGEs in milk. The mandatory microbial indicators including total viable count, coliform, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella were assessed concurrently to ensure microbiological safety. Single-factor experiments of HHP (200–600 MPa, 3–20 min) suggested that HHP intensity was negatively correlated with the levels of 5-HMF and AGEs, while positively correlated with microbial inactivation of mandatory microbial indicators. Through orthogonal experiments, 50 °C pre-incubation for 20 min followed by 600 MPa for 15 min was ascertained as the optimal processing. Compared with commercially thermal processed milk, the levels of 5-HMF and AGEs in MHHP milk were significantly reduced (p < 0.05), but no significant difference in turbidity and pH. The MHHP treatment commendably preserved the protein content of milk compared to ultrahigh-temperature treatment. There were significant differences in the color and turbidity of milk due to different processing (p < 0.05). These results can provide the basic data to establish the novel processing for producing the high-quality milk in dairy industry.