Does homogenization affect the human health properties of cow's milk?

During the processing of marketed milk, homogenization reduces fat droplet size and alters interface composition by adsorption of casein micelles mainly, and whey proteins. The structural consequences depend on the sequence of the homogenization and heat treatments. Regarding human health, homogenized milk seems more digestible than untreated milk. Homogenization favors milk allergy and intolerance in animals but no difference appears between homogenized and untreated milk in allergic children and lactose-intolerant or milk-hypersensitive adults. Controversies appear regarding the atherogenic or beneficial bioactivity of some casein peptides and milk fat globule membrane proteins, which might be enhanced by homogenization. In children prone to type I diabetes, early cow's milk consumption would be a risk but no link was observed in the general population and the effect of homogenization has not been studied. in the current context of obesity and allergy outbreaks, the impact of homogenization and other technological processes on the health properties of milk remains to be clarified.