Iron Removal from Milk and Other Nutrient Media with a Chelating Resin

¹ Department of Chemical Technology, Biomaterials Section, University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
² Mona R&D/QA, Campina Melkunie B. V., PO Box 222, 3440 AE Woerden, The Netherlands

A water-insoluble iron(III)-chelating resin was used to study iron removal from milk and other nutrient media. Seventy to 85% of the iron could be removed from wine and beer with the resin, which was a crosslinked copolymer of 1-(ß-acrylamidoethyl)-3-hydroxy-2-methyl-4(1H)-pyridinone and N,N-dimethylacrylamide. Iron removal from milk was dependent on the pH of milk and on the concentration of soluble chelators added. Under the same conditions as used for the removal of iron from wine and beer, only 11 to 19% of the iron could be removed from milk. However, in combination with water-soluble chelators, the resin removed 60 to 75% of the iron from the milk. Preliminary results showed that the growth of spores of Clostridium tyrobutyricum in the treated milk was reduced. Moreover, addition of the resin and sodium bicarbonate to the milk completely inhibited the growth of the spores.

Key Words: chelating resins • iron removal • milk • wine

Submitted on January 31, 1994
Accepted on August 22, 1994