Heat stability of milk

Abstract

SummaryThe heat stability of a standard reconstituted skim-milk preparation has been investigated as a function of pH, temperature of coagulation, and forewarming treatment. Apparent activation energies have been calculated from the temperature dependence of coagulation time, and a constant value of 144 kJ/mole has been found for milks between pH 6·6 and 6·9. The effect of forewarming resulted in a decrease in stability at the most acid pH values, a slight increase at higher pH but below the pH maximum, and a decrease in the region of the pH minimum. A working hypothesis is proposed for the mechanisms leading to the coagulation of milk at elevated temperatures, based upon Ca induced precipitation of casein, protein polymerization, β-lactoglobulin: κ-casein interaction, and precipitation of insoluble Ca phosphates.