Health consciousness drives people to drink skim milk. Yet, improving the blue-white appearance and watery texture of skim milk is necessary to make consumers happy with skim milk. In this study, the influence of limited proteolysis with soluble or immobilized proteases, heat treatment, and pH on the whiteness of skim milk were examined to meet this goal. Limited proteolysis with milk-clotting enzymes increased the whiteness of skim milk. the proteases porcine pepsin and chymosin were immobilized onto nonporous ceramic, glass, and controlled pore glass (CPG) beads. The enzymes were coupled to beads either directly or via crosslinker proteins. Pepsin, immobilized onto CPG beads via crosslinker proteins, exhibited the best properties with respect to enzymatic activity, stability, and whitening efficiency. The L value (whiteness) of this immobilized enzyme-treated skim milk was 79.5, which approached the whiteness of 1% fat milk. Immobilized proteases whitened skim milk more effectively than did soluble proteases. The whiteness of skim milk was determined at various temperatures from 4 to 90°C. The L value increased with increasing temperature throughout the range tested. For samples not heated above 50°C, the increases in L values were completely reversible on cooling. Partial reversibility was observed with samples heated at 70°C and above. Milk whiteness was also determined at different pH values ranging from 5.0 to 8.2 at temperatures of 4, 20, and 30°C. The L value increased with decreasing pH and increasing temperature. A maximum L value of 80.0 was obtained at pH 5.0 and 30°C, which is higher than the L value of skim milk at its natural pH at room temperature. The temperature-dependent dissociation of major caseins was investigated by size exclusion chromatography at temperatures from 10 to 40°C. Free soluble β-casein and κ-casein were found only at 10°C.

Ultrafiltered skim milk concentrated to 20-22% solids was hydrolyzed with a mixture of proteases from Aspergillus oryzae and an acid protease from Aspergillus niger. The enzyme preparation from A. oryzae did not produce bitterness, so the effects of its hydrolyzing action on the whipping properties of the retentate in liquid and powdered forms were examined. Its effect on the amount of soluble nitrogen in the powder was also determined. After inoculation of 250 ml retentate with .05% w/v enzyme, the samples were held in a 45°C water bath. The samples thickened with increasing hydrolysis until syneresis occurred. They also took on a slightly ropy or slimy appearance after thickening and before syneresis. Hydrolysis was stopped by removing from the 45°C bath and holding in an 80°C bath for 35 minutes. When cooled to refrigerator temperature, retentate samples produced a stable whip with fine bubbles and firm but soft peaks. Air capacity of whipped samples decreased with increasing hydrolysis time and retentate solids. Stability increased with increasing solids and longer hydrolysis times. Skim milk retentate to be dried was concentrated to 20-24% solids and reconstituted to 20% before whipping. Hydrolysis time up to 20 minutes before enzyme denaturation did not have an effect on the air capacity of the whipped reconstituted powder. Air capacity decreased as the retentate solids increased. Whip stability increased slightly then decreased with increasing hydrolysis. Whip stability was impaired by protein denaturation in the powder during the drying process. Soluble nitrogen in the powder, as determined by the Harland-Ashworth procedure, increased with increasing hydrolysis and decreased with increasing solids.

Pasteurized skim milk was acidified using glucono-δ-lactone (GDL) at 10, 20, 30, and 40°C or with 1.2% freeze-dried yogurt starter culture at 40°C. Milk coagulation was followed by measuring turbidity, curd firmness, particle size, and casein micelle microstructural changes using transmission electron microscopy . The pH of milk was gradually lowered during acidification with GDL or starter culture. Acidification rate showed greater influence on turbidity change at 10°C than at 20, 30, or 40°C. Average casein micelle size increased with decreasing temperature. The patterns of average micelle size versus pH were not affected by temperature. No great variation of average micelle size was observed above pH 5.2. Below pH 5.0 the size increased exponentially as the milk gelled. Acidification rate did not influence average micelle size at 10°C. Acidification rate, types of acidifying agents, and temperature had no effect on the Formagraph gelation pH and the rate at which curd firmness developed. Casein micelles became less compact and less distinct with decreasing temperature before acidification. As pH was lowered, protein was dissociated from and then reassociated with casein micelles. Acidification rate had no effect on microstructure change of casein micelles at 10°C.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Victoria University (Melbourne, Vic.), 2008. / Includes bibliographical references.

The purpose of this research was to relate lactose reactivity and age gelation of UHT processed concentrated milk. Skim milk was pasteurized, diafiltered batchwise to reduce lactose concentration to less than 0.05%, and UF concentrated to 3X (one-third volume reduction). Lactose and sucrose were then each added at 3% or 6% w/v to part of the concentrate. The five samples, control ( < 0.05% lactose), 3% w/v lactose, 6% w/v lactose, 3% w/v sucrose, and 6% w/v sucrose, were UHT processed at 140°C for 4 s using the indirect heating method. Samples were collected aseptically in presterilized plastic containers and stored at 4°C, 20°C, and 35°C for periodic analysis. All samples stored at 4°C and 20°C gelled after 21 weeks of storage. The viscosity changed slightly during the first 19 weeks of storage but increased suddenly (> 100 cPs) just before gelation. Samples stored at 35°C did not gel but showed sedimentation. Samples stored at 4°C or 20°C underwent little browning; but samples containing 3% and 6% lactose, stored at 35°C, browned considerably. The SOS-PAGE patterns of gelled samples showed new bands because of proteolysis whereas samples stored at 35°C showed bands due to proteolysis and protein crosslinking and a streaking pattern. Electron micrographs of gelled samples showed various casein particles connected together by hairy appendages protruding from the surface of casein particles, to form a continuous three-dimensional network. In non-gelled samples, the micelles were not joined into a continuous network and few hairy appendages protruded from their surfaces. Hairy appendages were not a result of Maillard reaction occurring during storage. Maillard reaction neither provided protection against nor promoted age gelation. Proteolysis was not the only cause for gelation. Protein modifications prevented gelation in samples stored at 35°C. Age gelation was probably a two-step process involving dissociation of proteins from the casein micelles that reformed onto the micelle surface as hairy appendages. Aggregation of the protein particles occurred through these appendages rather than through the original micelle surface.

Master of Science / Department of Food Science / Karen A. Schmidt / This research sets out to determine how varying factors such as electromagnetic fluid conditioning (EFC) and varying protein and sugar contents can influence yogurt and skim milks overall quality. EFC uses magnets to alter the chemical and physical properties of skim milk in these studies. EFC has many different treatment parameters to optimize before this new processing technology can be industrialized. Treatment parameters include voltage, exposure time, flow rate, and magnetic field direction, as studied in this research. Voltage was altered 10 and 30 V for 2 and 10 minutes. This study showed that at 2 minutes that skim milk was not altered, but at both voltages at 10 minutes some changes occurred to surface tension and color properties (L* and a* values) of skim milk. For both voltages at 10 minutes, it was always the negative direction that experienced the most changes. A separate EFC experiment was done that set out to determine if pretreating skim milk with EFC, would have an effect on yogurt’s quality post fermentation throughout storage. Results indicated that EFC does alter the yogurt’s properties, but not in a desirable manner. Results were undesirable changes to the product’s firmness and syneresis when compared to the control sample. Dielectric spectroscopy is a rapid method to determine if varying protein and sugar contents has compromised yogurt’s quality. In the dielectric spectroscopy study, this research wanted to determine if varying protein and sugar contents influenced dielectric properties enough to where a model could be developed to predict yogurt’s firmness. Both of these methods, EFC and dielectric spectroscopy, are novel technologies to the dairy industry where, both have been very minimally tested on yogurt. This research proved to be a stepping stone to open further doors to research in these areas due to results indicating changes but not pin-pointing exactly what is going on due to these technologies.

A processing procedure for the manufacture of directly acidified cottage cheese curd from 16% total solids ultrafiltered retentate was developed. The effects of preacidification of skim milk before ultrafiltration and heat treatment of retentate were investigated to improve the functional and sensory qualities of retentate curd. Retentate directly acidified with phosphoric acid and glucono-delta-lactone to pH 4.7 formed a dense, rubbery curd that could not be handled well in a vat. A heat treatment of 71.1°C for 30 min applied to the retentate resulted in a curd with acceptable handling properties. However, this heat treatment caused the curd to shift in pH, become translucent in appearance, and have a pasty texture. Preacidification of the skim milk to pH 5.8 12 h prior to ultrafiltration, and a less severe heat treatment of 71.1°C for 6 min made a stable curd with good sensory quality. A 3 x 4 x 3 randomized split block design experiment was done to test the effects of preacidification and heat treatment on the properties of retentate curd. Skim milk was pasteurized at 62.8°C for 30 min and split into three lots which were unacidified, phosphoric acid added to pH 6.2, and phosphoric acid added to pH 5.85. The three lots of skim milk were ultrafiltered at 54.4°C to 16% total solids. Each lot was divided into four treatments which were unheated, heated to 71.1°C for 7 s, 76.7°C for 7 s, and 82.2°C for 7 s. Each vat was replicated three times. Cottage cheese pH, total solids, and six sensory attributes were measured. Finished cottage cheeses were evaluated by an expert panel of five judges. Total solids, protein content, and fines content of the whey were also measured. Preacidification treatment at pH 6.2 enhanced curd structure, which increased solids recovery, reduced fines, and improved curd appearance, firmness, and texture. Heat treatments caused softening of the curd and increased moisture content in the curd. Excessive heat treatment caused shattering, fines, and mealiness. The best curd from the experiment was produced from pH 6.2 retentate heat treated at 71.1°C for 7 s. Whey proteins decreased in wheys from retentates heat treated at 76.7°C for 7 sand 82.2°C for 7 s. The effects of heat treatment were more pronounced with increasing acidification.

Three different methods of acidifying skim milk(milk starter, whey base starter and direct acid set) for making cottage cheese were evaluated for their effect on yield, quality and acidification cost. Cultured cottage cheese was produced with milk starter and pH controlled whey-base starter by the short set method. Five percent milk starter and 2.4% whey base starter were approximately equivalent in activity and gave average setting times of 234 to 255 minutes. Direct acid set cottage cheese was made by the Vitex/American method. The setting time required for direct acid set cottage cheese was 158 minutes. Yields of cottage cheese made by direct acid set were significantly higher than with the two cultured methods. Mean yield for direct acid set was 16.1%, the milk starter yield was 14.5% and the whey base method gave a yield of 14.8%. Protein in the milk starter was less efficiently recovered in the cottage cheese curd than the protein in pasteurized milk. The direct acid set method produced cottage cheese curd that was more mealy than the curd produced by cultured methods, but was still equal in over-all quality to curd made by milk starter methods. The cottage cheese produced by the different acidification methods were judged superior to commercially made direct acid and commercial cultured cottage cheese by an panel of trained judges. Cottage cheese made by whey base starter was preferred over all of the other cottage cheese. Acidification costs per kilogram of cottage cheese curd were $0.54 for milk starter, $0.019 for whey base starter and $0.114 for direct acid set curd. Overall ingredient cost per 1,000 Kg of skim milk set were $160.04, $154,43 and $170.17 respectively. Saving in time with direct acid set methods probably offset the additional cost of ingredients.

A UHT -processed skim milk (85%)/orange juice (15%) drink was developed. Product integrity and stability were maintained by two methods. Proper homogenization of the blend before UHT processing stabilized a drink formulation containing .25% carboxymethyl cellulose and .025% carrageenan. Adjusting the pH of the blend (pH 6.3 and 6.5) resulted in a different stabilization. After 28 days at room temperature, settling of milk solids was 5.2% of volume height in the prehomogenized sample and 86.9% of volume height in the same blend that had not been homogenized prior to UHT processing. After storage, the two treatments were analyzed to verify that there was no perceived textural difference between the pH adjusted and unadjusted blends. A consumer product acceptability evaluation resulted in a split population, and more panelists liked the product than disliked it.

The effects of thermosonication (high intensity ultrasound coupled with thermal treatment), on the reduction of thermophilic spore-forming microorganisms and its effects on the solubility index in reconstituted skim milk powder (RSMP) were evaluated. Thermosonication was applied to RSMP at various solids concentrations, temperatures, and lengths of time based on commercial milk powder processing conditions. Microbial counts were determined prior to and after treatments to determine the log reduction of Geobacillus stearothermophilusvegetative cells and spores. Log reductions were recorded, and data were analyzed by response surface analysis. The log reductions induced by temperature and time without high intensity ultrasound (HIU) were compared to reductions observed with HIU. Thermosonication was also applied to RSMP to determine effects on solubility using a continuous flow cell system. Thermosonication yielded a significantly higher level of microbial destruction for both vegetative cells and spores than heat treatment alone. For experiments involving vegetative cells, the interaction of treatment time and temperature proved to have the greatest influence on microbial inactivation. In comparison, the interaction of total solids content and length of HIU treatment demonstrated the greatest effect on the increased log reductions for spores. The solubility of RSMP treated with HIU did not significantly differ from the solubility of RSMP not treated with HIU. Further data showed the implementation of HIU, or thermosonication, during milk powder processing would be most effective before and after the evaporation stage when the total solids content of product is 9.2% and 50% at 75°C and 60°C, respectively. Based on preliminary data, it is assumed HIU applied for 10 s at these two locations would produce an additive effect, thereby reducing overall microbial counts by 5.76 log and 0.51 log for G. stearothermophilus vegetative cells and spores, respectively, in the product prior to entering the drying stage. All research findings and observations suggest HIU, or thermosonication, to be a successful method for reducing microbial populations during milk powder processing without sacrificing skim milk powder solubility