The effect of bleaching agent on the flavor of liquid whey and whey protein concentrate

The increasing use and demand for whey protein as an ingredient requires a bland-tasting, neutral-colored final product. The bleaching of colored Cheddar whey is necessary to achieve this goal. Currently, hydrogen peroxide (HP) and benzoyl peroxide (BPO) are utilized for bleaching liquid whey before spray drying. There is no current information on the effect of the bleaching process on the flavor of spray-dried whey protein concentrate (WPC). The objective of this study was to characterize the effect of bleaching on the flavor of liquid and spray-dried Cheddar whey. Cheddar cheeses colored with water-soluble annatto were manufactured in duplicate. Four bleaching treatments (HP, 250 and 500 mg/kg and BPO, 10 and 20 mg/kg) were applied to liquid whey for 1.5 h at 60°C followed by cooling to 5°C. A control whey with no bleach was also evaluated. Flavor of the liquid wheys was evaluated by sensory and instrumental volatile analysis. One HP treatment and one BPO treatment were subsequently selected and incorporated into liquid whey along with an unbleached control that was processed into spray-dried WPC. These trials were conducted in triplicate. The WPC were evaluated by sensory and instrumental analyses as well as color and proximate analyses. The HP-bleached liquid whey and WPC contained higher concentrations of oxidation reaction products, including the compounds heptanal, hexanal, octanal, and nonanal, compared with unbleached or BPO-bleached liquid whey or WPC. The HP products were higher in overall oxidation products compared with BPO samples. The HP liquid whey and WPC were higher in fatty and cardboard flavors compared with the control or BPO samples. Hunter CIE Lab color values (L*, a*, b*) of WPC powders were distinct on all 3 color scale parameters, with HP-bleached WPC having the highest L* values. Hydrogen peroxide resulted in a whiter WPC and higher off-flavor intensities; however, there was no difference in norbixin recovery between HP and BPO. These results indicate that the bleaching of liquid whey may affect the flavor of WPC and that the type of bleaching agent used may affect WPC flavor.