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Introduction

Food Research Centre, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0C6

R. J. Brown

Utah State University, Logan 45322

ABSTRACT

Milk is a very nutritious and organoleptically acceptable but highly perishable food comprised of over 85% water. It contains approximately 3 to 4% protein depending upon cows, breed, feed, stage of lactation, and seasonal variations. Of this protein, roughly 20% is soluble in the aqueous phase as whey proteins and the remainder is held in colloidal suspensions (as complexes with calcium-phosphate-citrate). These suspensions are relatively stable to many processing treatments such as heat, concentration, and drying.

The whey proteins and caseins are distinctly different classes of proteins. The individual components of both classes are well-characterized and have unique amino acid composition and structure. Broadly, caseins are phosphoproteins and are open structured and heat stable, whereas whey proteins are globular and heat labile.

Because milk is highly perishable, further processing treatments such as heat, concentraition, acid or enzymatic coagulation, and drying are invariably needed to extend the shelf-life of the products.