Adjustment of vat milk treatment to optimize whey protein transfer into semi-hard cheese: A case study

The influence of heat treatment combined with microfiltration on the protein transfer from milk to cheese was investigated. Small-scale laboratory cheese-making experiments (10 L vat) showed that, upon adjusting coagulant and CaCl2 addition, curd-making was possible as long as β-lactoglobulin denaturation was below 40%. It was also possible to compensate the negative effect of heating on rennet gel formation by protein enrichment through microfiltration. Depending on heat treatment intensity, the protein yield in curd increased to approximately 6%. Using Gouda cheese technology, pilot-scale experiments (500 L vat) showed that, depending on heat treatment intensity (up to 85 °C/60 s) and concentration (up to a concentration factor 2.0), it was possible to reduce the amount of protein which is lost in permeate and whey by 15–30%. Dry matter and crude protein of cheeses were significantly affected by heat treatment and microfiltration of milk, and proteolysis during maturation was delayed.