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All issues Volume 80 / No 1 (January-February 2000) Lait, 80 1 (2000) 99-111 Abstract
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Issue
Lait
Volume 80, Number 1, January-February 2000
New applications of membrane technology in the dairy industry
Page(s) 99 - 111
DOI https://doi.org/10.1051/lait:2000111
DOI: 10.1051/lait:2000111

Lait 80 (2000) 99-111

Manufacturing of $\alpha$-lactalbumin-enriched whey systems by selective thermal treatment in combination with membrane processes

Christian Kiesner ${^{\rm a}}$, Ingrid Clawin-Rädecker ${^{\rm b}}$, Hans Meisel ${^{\rm b}}$,
Wolfgang Buchheim ${^{\rm a}}$

${^{\rm a}}$Department of Process Engineering, Federal Dairy Research Centre, Kiel, Germany
${^{\rm b}}$Department of Chemistry and Physics, Federal Dairy Research Centre, Kiel, Germany

Abstract:

Till now, industrial fractionation and isolation processes for whey proteins have mainly been based on chemical process steps combined with membrane techniques. Actually, the reaction kinetics of thermal denaturation of $\alpha$-lactalbumin and $\beta$-lactoglobulin allow to compute the remaining portions of native whey proteins in dependence of the selected temperature-time conditions. In the temperature range of 85-95 $^\circ$C and corresponding holding times, the differences in reaction rates for both whey protein fractions are highest i.e. only moderate denaturation for $\alpha$-lactalbumin but extensive denaturation for $\beta$-lactoglobulin. After such thermal treatment the ratio of native $\alpha$-lactalbumin to native $\beta$-lactoglobulin may increase from 0.3 (raw milk) to approximately 4. An effective separation of aggregated (denatured) whey proteins from soluble whey proteins is achieved by means of microfiltration (ceramic membranes / $0.1~\mu$m).

$\alpha$-lactalbumin / thermal treatment / membrane processes

Correspondence and reprints: C. Kiesner
kiesner@bafm.de

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