Gelation of casein-whey protein mixtures

Heated milk consists of a mixture of whey protein-coated casein micelles and soluble whey protein aggregates. The acid-induced gelation properties of heated milk are consistently different from those of unheated milk—i.e., a shift in gelation pH, stronger gels, and a different microstructure of the gels. In this study we investigated the role of the different fractions of denatured whey proteins on the acid-induced gelation, the gel hardness, and the microstructure. Both whey protein fractions contribute to the observed shift in gelation pH, although by a different mechanism. Obtaining gels with high gel hardness occurs most effectively when all denatured whey proteins are present as whey protein aggregates. It was observed that disulfide bridge exchange reactions during the acid-induced gelation at ambient temperature play an important role for both whey protein fractions. Additionally, disulfide interactions seem to occur between the aggregates and the casein micelles during the gel state. In this study, we show the development of a new approach for confocal scanning laser microscopy measurements—i.e., separate staining of the proteins in milk. By using this method, we were able to determine that, although whey protein aggregates are not linked to the casein micelles, they nevertheless gel at the same moment. This work adds to a better understanding of the role of denatured whey proteins during acid-induced gelation and could improve the effective use of whey proteins.