UMR STLO Unit

Science and Technology of milk and eggs

STLO - Science and Technology of milk and eggs

Milk and eggs are universal foods. They have in common a complete composition and an extreme richness in proteins of high nutritional value, in lipids, in minerals, carbohydrates and in vitamins... and are far from being perfectly known!

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Logo Veg&Lait
article

08 April 2026

By: F. Guyomarc'h - STLO

VEG&LAIT is holding its annual meeting in the Île-de-France region

To mark its second anniversary, the partners of the VEG&LAIT project were welcomed to the Saclay campus on April 1 and 2, 2026, by colleagues from the UMR Agronomie. Following a presentation of the unit by Muriel Valantin-Morison and Nicolas Guilpart, VEG&LAIT presented its scientific and financial report, after which the partners planned the next milestones of the project. It was also an opportunity for an immersive get-to-know-you session with the consortium’s newest members. The days concluded with tours of AgroParisTech’s Food’InnLab led by Marine Berthod and of the UMR SayFood technology hall led by Maxime Chyriaieff.
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white or grayish particles on a black background

Grasping an innovative process to form microparticles from whey proteins

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It is possible to thicken food products by using polymers, such as starch, which can immobilize a lot of water. However, starch is a carbohydrate and a desirable alternative is to design water-rich protein microparticles to both texture food and meet nutritional requirements. We have found an innovative way to produce such microparticles by dry-heating protein powder. In this study, we explore the mechanisms behind the formation of such particles.

Recrutement en cours

Microbiology Research Engineer - 24 months

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You will be based at the STLO Joint Research Unit (Science and Technology of Milk and Eggs) at INRAE in Rennes. This position is part of an ANR-funded research project aimed at better understanding the microbiological risks associated with bacteria present in plant-based foods, in the context of a transition toward a more plant-based diet. More specifically, this project aims to assess the risks of staphylococcal foodborne infections associated with the consumption of plant-based products.

Trois femmes se tiennent devant un paneau

Amélie Deglaire: visit to the Riddet Institute, Palmerston North

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Amélie Deglaire spent one week at the Riddet Institute in Palmerston North (Massey University) as part of an exchange programme funded by ERASMUS+, secured by the Institut Agro.

Recent Results

For pictures of bacterial cells observed with a microscope
article

09 October 2025

By: Stéphanie-Marie Deutsch

From cow's milk to soy juice, when yoghurt cultures have to adapt

Plant-based yoghurts are allies in the food transition because they represent a great opportunity to reduce the amount of animal protein in our diet in favour of plant protein. While the selection of cultures for the production of dairy yoghurts has benefited from many years of research, the selection of cultures for making plant-based yoghurts is still in its infancy. However, in this context of plant-based diets, the challenges are considerable: the quality of these plant-based yoghurts depends on the choice of starter cultures (masking off-notes, breaking down compounds that cause digestive discomfort, for example).
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Draainge tools
article

19 May 2025

By: STLO-MHFamelart

Preheating milk : what effects on the drainage of acid-rennet gel?

Acid-rennet gels such as « fromage frais », « petit-Suisse », or cream-cheese are highly appreciated by consumers for their high nutritional properties. They are made by coagulation of milk by both rennet and lactic acid bacteria, and then drainage of the acid gel. A better understanding of the mechanism of their drainage is essential to master and control the manufacture and the quality of these cheeses.
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Bandeau In vitro simulation of digestion of older adults
article

16 May 2025

By: STLO-MHFamelart

In vitro simulation of digestion of older adults, a new tool to design products adapted to their needs

Preventing malnutrition in the elderly, a population that is growing steadily worldwide, is a major public health issue. This can be achieved among other solutions by providing products tailored to the needs of older adults, particularly products enriched with protein. However, the specific digestive characteristics of this population need to be taken into account in order to check whether the products on offer are genuinely beneficial from a nutritional point of view. This evaluation can be done using in vitro digestion models, which avoid experiments on humans or animals.
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Several glass jars of “Yalup” yogurts
article

16 January 2025

By: Fanny Guyomarc'h

Spotlight on fermented milk-lupin mixes!

In an article published by The Conversation and on INRAE's institutional website, Valérie Gagnaire, Research Director (Microbio Team), talks about the results of Fanny Canon's PhD and the avenues this work has opened up for STLO in the design of yogurt substitutes based on milk and legumes.
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Diagramme de Venn
article

12 May 2025

By: STLO-MHFamelart

Investigation of the dynamics of proteolysis by pepsin using statistical approaches

During digestion, the proteins we eat release amino acids required for human metabolism, as well as potentially bioactive peptides. These releases and their kinetics depend on the characteristics of the proteins, the food containing them, and the specificity of the proteases that successively intervene during digestion. The gastric phase, which initiates the first stages of food deconstruction, is of prime importance for protein digestion, thanks to the action of pepsin, the first protease to intervene.
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Carottes lactofermentées
article

09 January 2025

By: STLO

Do you know fermented vegetables ?

Fermented vegetables, traditional in Asia and Eastern Europe, are booming in Western countries. They are made using a simple process consisting of incubating cut and salted raw vegetables, packed in jars in their juice or in brine, at room temperature. Fermented vegetable, apart sauerkraut, are mainly produced on a domestic and artisanal scale by spontaneous fermentation, which raises questions about their health safety.
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earth
article

22 November 2024

By: stlo

How to share environmental impacts between milk-derived coproducts?

Food is a significant contributor to humans’ environmental impacts and appropriate metrics to quantify them is essential to take and follow mitigation actions. Industrial processing accounts for less than 5% of the overall impacts of food systems but is central to sustainability. While agricultural production of commodities like milk generates over 75% of the food’s environmental impacts, processing prevents food waste and food spoilage to the expense of energy and water resources. However, industrial processes often involve separation of the commodity into coproducts, among which these environmental impacts must be shared.
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article

10 April 2025

By: STLO

Using MRI to study digestion

Gastrointestinal digestion is a complex, dynamic process during which food is broken down into absorbable nutrients. The structure of a food and the interactions between different foods ingested during a meal modify the way digestion proceeds. A non-invasive imaging method, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), has enabled us to follow in vitro the disintegration of food pieces and access structural changes at different scales, such as the penetration of digestive enzymes into a heterogeneous food, the release of gas and the separation of fat.
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