FACTORS AFFECTING VISCOSITY OF CASEINATES IN DISPERSIONS OF HIGH CONCENTRATIONS

The physical effects of various cations in caseinate dispersions of high concentrations were investigated over a range of temperature and pH. With calcium and strontium the temperature-viscosity relationships of the caseinates were abnormal in that the viscosity decreased rapidly from 30 to about 40 °C and a gel formed at temperatures in the region of 50–60 °C. On cooling, the gel reliquefied. No gel formed with barium, aluminium or magnesium. On cooling, magnesium preparations separated into 2 phases. The supernatant phase from the magnesium caseinate and a corresponding phase prepared by centrifuging the calcium caseinate showed depletion of α-casein and enrichment of κ-casein and β-casein. The supernatant phase from the calcium caseinate showed the reversible gel formation on heating. The magnesium supernatant phase did not. κ-Casein and a mixture of κ- and β-caseins gave reversible gels at similar levels of calcium and pH. For reversible gel formation to occur, calcium caseinate was required to be in fairly high concentration, to have a calcium content of about 1·0% of the protein and to be within the pH limits 5·2–6·0. The temperature at which gelation occurred was affected by the concentration of calcium and protein and by pH. The behaviour of the material was compared with that of methyl cellulose with and without addition of urea. Some potential commercial applications of the findings on viscosity relationships are outlined. © 1968, Proprietors of Journal of Dairy Research. All rights reserved.