Standardisation of the calcium content of whey protein‐free milk concentrate

Abstract

The calcium content of a cheese greatly influences its textural properties. This study aimed to reduce the calcium content of milk retentate by microfiltration in a three‐stage process, carried out in triplicate. During microfiltration at 50 °C, the permeation of calcium was higher (P > 0.005) with acidified (pH 5.75) feed than with nonacidified feed. The concentration of calcium correlated linearly (R2 > 0.98) with the protein content of retentate with the use of acidified and nonacidified feed. However, the slope was lower with acidified retentates, and calcium–protein ratio can be reduced only when acidified retentate was used as a feed.