Influence of ultrasound on chemically induced gelation of micellar casein systems

Abstract

Gelation is a significant operation in dairy processing. Protein gelation can be affected by several factors such as temperature, pH, or enzyme addition. Recently, the use of ultrasonication has been shown to have a significant impact on the formation of whey protein gels. In this work, the effect of ultrasonication on the gelation of casein systems was investigated. Gels were formed by the addition of 7·6 mm Tetra Sodium Pyro Phosphate (TSPP) to 5Â wt% micellar casein (MC) solutions. Sonication at 20Â KHz and 31Â W for up to 30Â min changed the surface hydrophobicity of the proteins, whereas surface charge was unaltered. Sonication before the addition of TSPP formed a firm gel with a fine p..