A quantitative study of changes in dried skim-milk and lactose-casein in the ‘dry’ state during storage

Abstract

SummaryChanges in dried skim-milk and in lactose-casein in the ‘dry’ state during storage at 45 °C and 75% r.h. have been studied by the determination of free amino-N, ε-amino groups of lysine, galactose, lactulose, tagatose and 1-amino-1-deoxy-2-ketoses, and by the measurement of changes in colour, solubility and ferricyanide reducing power.In both systems there is initially a close relationship between the formation of 1-amino-1-deoxy-2-ketoses and the decrease in free amino-N. This conforms with an Amadori rearrangement of an initially formed lactose-protein complex. Change in colour is rapid only after there has been a rapid formation of 1-amino-1-deoxy-2-ketoses and a corresponding decrease in free amino-N. This conforms with browning being due to a breakdown of the Amadori rearranged complex.It is postulated that galactose and tagatose may be formed by both the basecatalysed degradation of lactose and also by breakdown of the Amadori rearranged lactose-protein complex. Lactulose is postulated to be formed only by base-catalysed degradation of lactose.