Microfiltration, Ultrafiltration, and Centrifugation Separation and Sterilization Processes for Improving Milk and Cheese Quality

¹ Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853

Separation and sterilization processes involving centrifugation, ultrafiltration, and microfiltration are reviewed as to characteristics, tentative performance, and potential advantages. These processes require one or more separating means to remove skim milk or permeate from whole milk, followed by heating the resulting creams or retentates to 120°C and then blending the fat-free material with the fat component. The blend is thereafter homogenized as required, pasteurized, cooled, and used as fluid milk or for manufacture of cheese and other dairy products.

Trials on milk blends produced by separation and sterilization principles using centrifugation, ultrafiltration, or microfiltration show increased shelf-life at chill temperatures for all blends. Such whole milk retained good quality compared with quality of controls for many days, the number being influenced directly by storage at 3.3 to 8.0°C. Cheddar and Emmental cheese of high quality were produced by the separation and sterilization processes.

Key Words: separation and sterilization • cheese and milk quality • microfiltration

Submitted on August 21, 1989
Accepted on January 12, 1990

This article has been cited by other articles:

				Y. Amornkul and D. R. Henning Utilization of Microfiltration or Lactoperoxidase System or Both for Manufacture of Cheddar Cheese from Raw Milk J Dairy Sci, November 1, 2007; 90(11): 4988 - 5000. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]