Improvement, by dry-heating, of the emulsion-stabilizing properties of a whey protein concentrate obtained through carboxymethylcellulose complexation

A protein concentrate (WPC) obtained from milk whey by complexation with carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) (protein: 66.2%, CMC: 23.9%) was incubated at 60 °C for time periods of up to 5 weeks and the emulsion-stabilizing ability against creaming and against heat-induced aggregation of the incubated WPC was investigated. Incubation appears to bring about a remarkable improvement in the emulsion-stabilizing properties of the protein concentrate. The results are considered in terms of a conjugate formation during dry-heating between the whey protein and the polysaccharide which, following adsorption to the droplet surfaces, enhances the strength of steric stabilization interaction forces operating between overlapping protein layers adsorbed at the surfaces of neighbouring droplets.