Microfiltration offers environmentally friendly fractionation of milk proteins

Abstract

Microfiltration (MF) is a membrane unit operation that has recently been widely investigated for the fractionation of milk proteins. Casein and whey proteins from skim milk may be separated using 0.1 μm MF membranes. This technique provides a non-thermal processing alternative to the more traditional coagulation operations for casein separation. The traditional methods are not only laborious, but also require the addition of chemicals and other non milk ingredients (such as rennet). The consumption of these chemicals and their ultimate disposal within liquid waste streams adds significantly to the environmental load of such processes. The nutritional and functional properties of coagulated c..