A comparison between ceramic and polymeric membrane systems for casein concentrate manufacture

Skim milk microfiltration (MF) is a well established dairy processing operation to remove whey proteins. This is classically completed using ceramic membranes under the uniform transmembrane pressure (UTMP) concept. However, there is a growing interest in the use of spiral wound polymeric membranes for this purpose due to their lower capital cost. In this work we show that polymeric and ceramic membranes provide comparable performance during skim milk MF when operated at comparable levels of transmembrane pressure (TMP), shear stress and temperature. Operation is strongly affected by both TMP and temperature but is less affected by crossflow velocity under the conditions utilised here. However, while polymeric membranes offer similar performance, it will be operationally difficult to retain the necessarily low TMP at the industrial scale, due to the lack of a comparable UTMP configuration.     

Effect of long‐chain inulin on the texture profile and survival of Lactobacillus paracasei ssp. paracasei in set yoghurts during refrigerated storage

The effects of adding inulin at 20 g/L as a fat replacer and probiotic bacteria on the physicochemical and textural characteristics of yoghurt were studied. The ability of long‐chain inulin to improve the probiotic (Lactobacillus paracasei ssp. paracasei) bacteria viability in yoghurt was investigated. The addition of inulin made the texture (firmness, cohesiveness, adhesiveness and gumminess) of skimmed yoghurt similar to that of whole yoghurt, demonstrating the role of inulin as a fat replacer. However inulin increased syneresis and did not influence the viability of probiotic bacteria in the yoghurts. The addition of probiotic bacteria in yoghurts improved syneresis and increased firmness and gumminess.     

MICROFILTRATION OF RED BERRY JUICE WITH THREAD FILTERS: EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE, FLOW AND FILTER PORE SIZE

A series of experiments was conducted to demonstrate the applicability of a new Filtomat® thread filtration principle for microfiltration of semiprocessed blackcurrant juice and cherry juice. The effect of juice temperature (3–20C), flow (20–80 L/h), and filter pore size (3–10 μm) on the transmembrane pressure, juice turbidity, protein, sugar, and total phenols levels was evaluated in a lab scale microfiltration unit employing statistically designed factorial experiments. Thread microfiltration reduced significantly the turbidity of both juices. For blackcurrant juice, in all experiments, the turbidity was immediately reduced to the level required for finished juice without compromising either the protein, the sugar or the phenols content. High flow rates increased the turbidity in blackcurrant juice, but did not affect cherry juice quality. Filtomat® thread microfiltration therefore appears suitable as a novel technology for berry juice processing, especially for blackcurrant juice filtration.     

A COMPARISON OF THE VISCOELASTIC PROPERTIES OF CONVENTIONAL AND MAILLARD PROTEIN GELS

The properties of gels prepared by heating solutions of bovine serum albumin (BSA) for 30 min at 121C in the presence and absence of glucono-delta-lactone (GDL gels) and xylose (Maillard gels) were compared. During formation the pH of the Maillard and GDL gels decreased to 4.9 whereas the pH of the gels formed in the absence of GDL or xylose remained near neutral. Maillard gels show much less syneresis compared with the GDL gels and contained nondisulphide covalent crosslinks as evidenced by very low protein solubilities in mixtures of sodium dodecyl sulphate and β-mercaptoethanol. Both the GDL and Maillard gels could be formed at much lower protein concentrations than the neutral conventional gels. The stress relaxation of the gels in compression was measured and the response analyzed using Peleg's equation. The parameters in this equation were not strongly dependent on protein concentration or degree of deformation. The neutral pH gels were far more elastic than the low pH gels, but despite the difference in crosslinking mechanisms the viscoelastic behaviour of the Maillard and GDL gels was similar. However, the break strength and asymptotic residual modulus of the Maillard gels were higher. It is suggested that the stress relaxation occurs in weaker, noncovalently linked regions of the gel, whereas the nondisulphide covalent crosslinks in the Maillard gels reinforce strong regions already containing disulphide linkages.     

Studies on Colletotrichum acutatum and Greeneria uvicola: Two fungi associated with bunch rot of grapes in sub-tropical Australia

Vineyards in the Hunter Valley and Hastings Valley (sub-tropical NSW) were examined by unaided eye for visible symptoms of bunch rot diseases at berry maturity in 2003 (for a total of five varieties over seven vineyards). Grey mould ( Botrytis cinerea ) was evident in three vineyards, and ripe rot ( Colletotrichum acutatum ) was evident in four of those seven vineyards surveyed. Other bunch rots at six of the vineyards could not be readily identified by visual inspection. The incidence of fungi on grapevine reproductive structures (and potentially bunch-rot fungi) was then recorded for a Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard in the Hastings Valley during the 2004/5 and 2005/6 growing seasons, and outcomes are reported here in some detail. By berry maturity, C. acutatum and Greeneria uvicola (bitter rot) were the predominant pathogens isolated from those structures, and constitute the first such report of bitter rot fungi on wine grapes in Australia. Indeed, the frequency of latent infection by C. acutatum and G. uvicola increased with berry development during the growing season. Other fungi isolated included Alternaria spp ., Botryosphaeria spp., Cladosporium spp ., Epicoccum sp. , Fusarium spp. , Nigrospora spp. , Pestalotia spp. , Phomopsis viticola and Trichoderma spp . Isolation of B. cinerea from this vineyard was rare. Infection of various wine grape varieties in vitro with C. acutatum and G. uvicola at post veraison revealed all varieties to be susceptible over a range of temperatures (20—35^oC). Based on laboratory studies, there was no infection of berries at a relative humidity (RH) < 50%, and infection diminished at 87% RH. Infection did occur if the berries were first incubated at 100% RH for 24 hours, and then transferred to an environment of lower humidity.     

Pancreatic Enzymes, Bile Acids and Cholesterol Levels in Mice Fed Raw or Heated Egg Albumen

Mice were fed semipurified diets which contained either 20% unheated egg albumen (UEA) or heat-treated egg albumen (HTEA) for 15 days. After consuming a meal, the intestinal contents contained similar activities of trypsin, chymotrypsin, amylase and lipase in the two groups, but bile acid levels were greater in the UEA group. Relative to fasted animals, enzyme activities, measured in the pancreata, were present in greater amounts in the UEA group compared to those in the HTEA group following consumption of a meal. Liver cholesterol levels were lower in the UEA group than in the HTEA group; however, plasma cholesterol levels did not differ significantly. The results indicate that the feeding of unheated egg albumen can stimulate synthesis of pancreatic enzymes and enhance conversion of liver cholesterol to bile acids.     

Gelation Enhancement of Soy Protein Isolate using the Maillard Reaction and High Temperatures

Soy protein isolate gels prepared by autoclaving solutions in the presence of xylose of glucono-δ-lactone (GDL), were compared. In both cases, the pH decreased from neutral to pH 5.5 during gel formation. In the xylose systems, this pH decrease was a consequence of the Maillard reaction. The Maillard gels showed less syneresis, had a higher breaking force and were more elastic, as determined by stress relaxation, then the GDL gels. The differences were attributed to formation of additional covalent crosslinks due to the Maillard reaction, as evidenced by greatly reduced solubility in sodium dodecyl sulfate +β-mercaptoethanol.     

COLOR and CHLOROPHYLL CONTENT CHANGES of MINIMALLY PROCESSED KIWIFRUIT

A combined factors preservation technology involving blanching and vacuum solutes (sucrose, potassium sorbate, ascorbic and citric acids, zinc chloride) impregnation was proposed to minimize color changes in minimally processed kiwifruit slices during one month storage. Atmospheric impregnation was also studied in order to compare both impregnation techniques. A Box-Behnken design was adopted and second order polynomial models were computed for different storage times to relate some process variables (blanching time, zinc content, storage temperature) to a color function (Brown Index). As the storage time increased, the response surfaces for vacuum treated fruits were vertically displaced to greater Brown Index values while the response surface behavior for atmospheric impregnated fruits were less dependent on storage time. For vacuum treated fruits, combinations of blanching and addition of zinc chloride improved the color of the finished product at all storage temperatures assayed, but these treatments were detrimental for atmospheric impregnated fruits, increasing significantly the Brown Index values. After storage, total chlorophyll had been degraded between 70 and 90% depending on the pretreatments. There did not appear to be any consistent relation between the changes which occurred in the total chlorophyll content and color.