Polymeric microfiltration of skimmed milk in Edam cheese process I. Effect of the concentration factor on the composition of vat milk and whey

Polymeric microfiltration (MF) with volume concentration factors 4 (CF 4), 10 (CF 10) and 70 (CF 70) was used in the concentration of Edam cheese milk. The traditional Edam process (CF 1) was used as a reference. All cheese vat milks produced by MF were adjusted to 42 g of protein/kg of milk. The effect of the CF on the mass balance and composition of vat milk and subsequent cheese whey was studied. The recovery yield of calcium and fat into whey was significantly reduced in all MF milks. Whey protein concentration of vat milk was decreased as CF was increased to CF 10; further diafiltration resulted in little difference in vat milk or whey composition. Even though the concentration of alpha-lactalbumin (alpha-LA) and beta-lactoglobulin (beta-LG) in CF 70 vat milk was reduced by 87 and 88%, respectively, the reduction of whey proteins in whey was only 70%. The remaining whey protein components consisted mainly of high molecular weight whey proteins, kappa-casein macropeptides and NPN, which were recovered from cheese milk to whey. Elevation of protein content of vat milk reduced the recovery of whey proteins (WP) from vat milk to cheese whey; the concentration factor had limited effect.