Manufacture of Milk and Whey Products: Protein Hydrolysates and Peptides

Abstract

Milk proteins are hydrolyzed in order to modify and enhance the techno- and bio-functional properties of dairy protein ingredients. For example, hydrolysis can enhance the solubility, emulsifying, foaming, gelation and thermal stability of the resultant peptides, and can promote the release of bio-functional peptides with bioactive traits (e.g., immunomodulatory, antihypertensive, antioxidative, anticancer, mineral binding and satiating). Enzymatic hydrolysis represents the most frequently used approach for the generation of milk protein hydrolysates (MPHs). The milk protein source, proteolytic enzyme used and the hydrolysis conditions employed dictate the resultant hydrolysate characteristics (e.g., extent of hydrolysis, peptide profile and the techno- and bio-functional properties). Specific details associated with the generation of MPHs by enzymatic means and the applications of MPHs and peptides are described herein.