Leveraging Medicinal Herbs and Fruits for Functional Dairy: A Review of Phytochemistry, Technology, and Health Outcomes

Abstract

Growing consumer interest in foods that deliver both nutrition and health benefits has positioned milk and dairy products as a strategic platform for functional food innovation. Fortification of these matrices with medicinal herbs and fruits offers a route to enhance antioxidant status, modulate glycaemic response, support cardiometabolic health, and provide antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects, while still meeting sensory expectations. This narrative review synthesises recent evidence on fortified milk and dairy products enriched with medicinal herbs and fruits, covering their phytochemical contributions, technological performance, sensory acceptability, and emerging health outcomes. After outlining the nutritional and functional rationale for using dairy as a carrier of bioactives, we summarise work on herbal fortification of liquid milk, yoghurt, cheese and yoghurt drinks, including basil, tulsi, aloe vera, yerba mate, rose, mulberry leaf and other botanicals. We then examine fruit and fruit-derived ingredients—pulp, juices, powders and pomace—from tropical, berry and Mediterranean fruits that have been incorporated into yoghurts and yoghurt drinks to enhance phenolic content, colour, flavour and biological activity. Particular attention is given to how fortification influences antioxidant capacity, microbial viability, texture, and consumer liking. The review highlights key technological challenges such as phytochemical instability, interactions with proteins and starter cultures, and flavour masking, and discusses strategies including timing of addition, selection of carriers, and microencapsulation. Finally, we identify research gaps related to dose standardisation, long-term clinical evidence, regulatory harmonisation and sustainability of herb and fruit sourcing. Overall, fortified milk and dairy products with medicinal herbs and fruits represent a promising, but still under-standardised, class of functional foods.