A study was carried out on the effect of soluble-phase separation on
mineral distribution in milk.
Fractioning was carried out by rennet coagulation (RC),
ultracentrifugation (UC), and dialysis (D)
against a large volume of water (1:10). Reconstituted skim milk
powder was used and calcium,
magnesium, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, manganese, zinc, citrate,
lactose, and nitrogen were
determined in the soluble fraction. The results of the first two
procedures were comparable, except
for Zn, which was lower in RC; greater precision was achieved with UC,
especially for manganese.
On fractioning by dialysis, Ca and Zn levels in the diffusate were
higher than in the soluble fractions
obtained by UC and RC as a result of long dialysis times (24 h) and low
operating temperature (5
°C). With dialysis, Na and K levels in the diffusate were lower
than with the other procedures. Of
the three procedures assayed, UC appeared to be the best suited for
work in series.
Keywords: Dialysis; rennet coagulation; ultracentrifugation; mineral
balance; milk salts