SNF FRACTIONFreezing and frozen storage can have a large effect on the proteins of milk as they become freeze- concentrated due to the solutes present in the serum, causing the ca,sein micelles to lose their stability and precipitate upon thawing [2]. This manifests itself either as thickened product or as flocs of casein evident either on the sides of thawed glass or plastic containers or at the bottom as a precipitate. In fact, commercial separation of casein from concentrated milk serum may be accomplished by freezing, storage at —10°C, and thawing to produce a product that has been referred to as cryo-ca sein [3]. The flocculation ot casein from frozen milk is initially reversible with heat and agitation, but becomes irreversible with continued storage. Even minor amounts of casein flocculation can lead to the perception of a chalky texture upon consumption. Factors contributing to its instability include a high degree of concentration of the milk, preheating or pa.steurization temperatures in excess of 77°C, storage temperatures above —23°C and especially higher than—18°C, cooling and/or holding the product under refrigeration between concentrating and treez- ing, and lengthening storage periods [1]. These factors are all related to the state of the lactose and/ or serum proteins in the product [4—6]. Slow freezing has also been reported to result in greater protein stability than fast freezing, possibly related to the ettect ot rapid freezing in promoting lactose nucleation [1].The stability of casein micelles in frozen milk depends heavily on the state of the lactose [1,4—6]. Due to the freeze-concentration process, very little liquid water remains as a solvent too the lactose
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